RebaRelishesReading in 2020 - Spring Fling

CURRENTLY READING

Physical:


Audio:


NEWLY ACQUIRED

Second thread of my 9th year with the 75'ers -- one of my favorite things about Library Thing. 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 this group. 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 by residence although I've lived in Arizona, Connecticut, the Netherlands, England and Ireland at various times in my life.

I have a Hubby of 31 years, an adult son who has a teenaged daughter and a teenaged son, and two step-daughters, one with a 2 year old son (who already has his own LT account).

I'm a retired city planner who travels a lot. I spend my summers at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York where more and more I concentrate on enjoying the music presented by professionals and graduate students participating in the summer program. There is also a visit by an author once a week which is often very good.

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.

READ IN 2020>

January>
1. Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Carolilne Fraser****
2. The Indomitable Mrs Trollope by Eileen Bigland****
3. Heartburn by Nora Ephron*** (audio)
4. A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong****
5. The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano Lessevich*****
6. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje***1/2
7. How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran***1/2 (audio)
8. In the Country of Women by Susan Straight****
9. Tin Man by Sarah Winman****
10.Haydn - Componisten Portretten narrated by Thijs Bonger**** (audio)

February>
11. We Cast A Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin***
12. Hotel de Lac by Anita Brookner****
13. Enemies of the People by Kati Marton****
14. All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva***
15. Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan****1/2

March>
16. Iliad by Homer ***1/2
17. Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr****
18. Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight****1/2
19. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell **1/2
20. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ****1/2 (audio)
21. Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World by Louis Fischer ****
22 Other Russias by Victoria Lomasko ***
23. Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi **
24. A Start in Life by Anita Brookner****
25. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite ***

April
26. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan****1/2

All yours now :)

Happy new thread, Reba!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!!

May all your pieces fit together. : )

Happy new one!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Reba. Thanks for your advice about a computer printer. I went with an HP because that is the brand of the one that just died. It lasted at least 10 years which isn't bad.

Happy new thread, Reba!

Happy new thread, Reba!

My Brother MFC-J470DW wireless printer connected to my Windows 8.1 laptop stopped printing in color the other day. I use third-party cartridges, thought I'd broken it because of all the official Brother warnings to use their ink, but went online and saw the official Brother recommendation to clean the printhead at least 5 times. 6 times was a charm, with each cleaning getting me more and more of the color. I'm thrilled. I've had this printer for 5 years. Brother has fantastic customer service, too.

Happy new thread, Reba! I love your topper :-) What a great product that would be.

Happy new thread, Reba. I bought a 1000 piece puzzle to do with Belle shortly and I am sure that your toppers (for there are two of 'em!) would come in handy.

How lovely to log in and find 10 messages waiting for me!! Thank you Anita, Susan, Kim, Anita, Jim, Meg, Stasia, Karen, SusanJ, and Paul for the greetings. It added sunshine to an already bright and cheery day!

>11 Familyhistorian: Hope the new printer works well for you Meg :)

>13 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I've never had a Brother (printer or biological either one) but sounds like they do have good service, which is certainly nice.

>15 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, thanks for pointing that out. I'll have to think of something to do with the second one.

Stones for Ibarra by Harriett Doerr****

Thank you Bonnie for a great recommendation! It was just the break I needed before heading back to finish the Douglass bio.

Richard and Sara are about forty when they decide to move to Mexico to live in a house his grandfather built in a mountain village and to reopen a copper mine that his grandfather also opened. Stones for Ibarra is the charming story of their life there and their interactions with the villagers.

Happy new thread, Reba!

Happy New Thread, Reba!

>17 RebaRelishesReading: glad you liked it Reba.. 🤗

Hi Reba, Happy New Thread to you! I love the idea of jigsaw puzzles, but sadly I lack the patience. I do buy a new one when I host Thanksgiving (usually with a Christmas theme) so the puzzle people in my family can work it for me. It keeps them out of the kitchen as I work best alone.

I think I read some Harriet Doerr books many years ago but I don't have them listed on LT. I have three on my shelf, including Stones for Ibarra so I will have to get busy and do some rereading.

By the way, congratulations on reading all those Pulitzer Prize winners. I also think it's wonderful that your 2-year-old grandson has an LT account. One can never start too young!

Good morning Rhonda, Roni and Bonnie! Nice to see you :)

You too Donna! I also like jigsaw puzzles but haven't the patience to do a big one on my own. I do quick ones on my iPad a lot though. Thank you for your congratulations on the Pulitzer reading -- I really enjoyed most of those books so it was no sacrifice. I've thought about tackling some other lists but haven't really gotten motivated enough to actually do it. I got Quinn the LT account so I could check it when buying him books to see whether he already had the ones I was considering but his Mom is also using it to keep a record for him of his childhood reading which I think is a very fun idea.

Happy new thread, Reba! I love that topper :)

On my recent puzzling kick (I think I've done 5 in the last several weeks), I am glad to say I have yet to encounter any missing pieces!

>17 RebaRelishesReading: I am hoping to get that one read soon. I have it on hold at my local library, but it has not come in yet.

>23 katiekrug: Hi Katie! on your way yet? When daughter#2 is in the house we often have a puzzle going so I actually own a few and, as far as I know, there are no pieces missing but I thought the cartoon was funny anyway :)

>24 alcottacre: I'm pretty sure you'll like it Stasia.

Re toilet paper -- I was at the supermarket yesterday and needed purse packets of Kleenex so wandered down the paper good aisle and, sure enough, there were some empty spaces there -- primarily for one brand that was on sale. The TP stocking up amuses me though. This is a respiratory virus not gastro-intestinal so why the need for a mountain of TP?

It seems we have our first case of Corona-virus in San Diego now and a woman who lives with the patient is self-isolating. The cruise ship that has been waiting to enter San Francisco Bay is now headed here and the folks aboard will be quarantined at Naval Air Station Mira Mar which is a huge base just north of the city.

Most of the people got off the Grand Princess - my parents and other residents of Northern California are under quarantine at Travis AFB; a lot of other country nationals got taken home (their various governments chartered planes for them); not sure if the residents of the US but not California got off and will be flown to Texas from here, or will be flying from Southern California.

>27 jjmcgaffey: Yikes Jennifer, I didn't know your parents were on board. I hope they have a relaxing time in quarantine and then come home perfectly well.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune and local NBC news, there were about 1000 CA residents on board and those were to be split between Travis and Miramar for their quarantine. That was a March 8 article but Tuesday the NBC news said they were arriving. The article also said that residents of states other than CA would go to either San Antonio Lackland or Dobbins AFB in Georgia. Better than being confined to quarters on a ship I should imagine.

On a lighter note, we just finished watching The Durrells in Corfu and enjoyed it very much. We also watched the followup about what the real-life family did after they left Corfu and there was discussion of the books by the oldest son, Larry, and the youngest, Gerry. Princess Anne was interviewed during the follow-up and mentioned that she found it laugh-out-loud funny. That seemed like the perfect balance to the rather serious reading I've been doing lately so I ordered it and plan to start it soon.

When the Costco sales flyer came last week I noticed that several things I use regularly were going to be on sale starting yesterday so we postponed our periodic Costco run until today. OMG. That’s the line at 11 am this morning. That strip of white light waaaay down there is the checkout! In usual Costco style they had everything very well organized , lines were moving and everyone was keeping their cool and smiling (customers too).

On the way home we noticed a lot of police cars in the neighborhood and then got a news alert on the phone that someone was shooting from a window about 1/2 block away (in in sight) of us. A few minutes later the swat team van arrived. I haven't hear any shots but I'm staying away from the windows just in case!

I've had enough excitement for the day!!

>25 RebaRelishesReading: My local library let me down on Stones of Ibarra. I put it on hold only to be told several days later that the book is missing. I ordered a copy from ABE Books and am now waiting for it to come in. *sigh*

>31 alcottacre: Hope it gets there soon and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Oh yes, also just got a news alert that Disneyland, California Adventure and all of the Disney hotels in CA will be closed until the end of the month. Good move on their part I think, but still -- WOW!

We have a bunch of travel planned, on trip in two weeks to visit family and take granddaughter to visit possible college choices for her but I'm really starting to have second thoughts.
We'll be traveling by car for that one so no exposure or cancellation worries on that count but we'll be staying in hotels so I'm wondering if they will start closing and/or how well cleaned they'll be.

Next trip is the drive to Chautauqua which is scheduled to go via Florida with a side trip to Jamaica for my son't wedding. That means two flights and a stay at a resort -- mmmmm. Summer at Chautauqua should be fine. It's a more rural area than here and if there are still events the venues are almost all outside but we have a trip to Spain followed by a cruise home scheduled for September/October. Don't have to decide that one right now but I don't plan to pay anymore on those quite yet.

Then if the stock market keeps tumbling I won't be able to afford them anyway, lol.

>29 RebaRelishesReading:
I watched the series on PBS all four years it was on our local station and then missed the last episode. BWAH! I have three of the books by Gerry and plan on reading them soonish. The first one is My Family and Other Animals, and that is the one I have on my bedside table. After I looked the trilogy up to find out what the titles of the books were I saw that there was a reissue of the first three books combined after the BBC/PBS series was released. It is titled Corfu Trilogy. I was so enthusiastic about the series that I kept telling a friend of mine about it. She was curious and by mistake she got one of the books by Lawrence Durrell instead of the Gerald Durrell books. She found the first book in the Alexandra Quartet very interesting but asked me when it the novel was going to move to Corfu?
Now I am just as curious about the Alexandra Quartet as I am about the various books written by Gerald Durrell. I am sort of hoping that they close the University this next week and pay off my remaining years of employment so I can find the time to read some of these wonderful books.

>33 RebaRelishesReading: I also think that many colleges will have shut down orientation activities along with classes. There'll be a lot of wait and see at this point. Also, WOW about that line all the way back to the first bank of freezers! So glad we don't have to go to Costco for another week or two.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: A friend posted a photo of the meat case at her Costco. It was empty.

> Hi Benita. I think I'll probably read the entire Corfu Trilogy but I thought we might want to listen to one or more as we drive cross country so only bought the first volume in paper to see. May try one of the Alexandra Quartet too but they sound a lot less funny that Gerry's books.

> Indeed Roni, I would put it off as possible. We were stunned by how busy they were but also impressed about how easy it was to deal with.

> Hi Lori -- there was plenty of everything except I didn't see any Clorox Wipes and TP and paper towels were rationed. The meat cases we passed were as full as ever.

New restrictions have been announced including a ban on gatherings of 250 or more people. Symphony has shut down until end of March and several local community events. I sure hope this all works to slow this thing down/end it!

>30 RebaRelishesReading: What a line! I would have been tempted to leave everything and go home.

Happy new thread, Reba.

>38 BLBera: I wanted to take advantage of the sales plus the line keep moving slowly ahead and the whole thing was so well organized and managed it wasn't that awful.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Holy Moly what a line. I don't know that I'd of had the patience Reba. There are no cases in Western NY at this time but who knows since we can't get tested. I have The Alexandria Quartet on my Kindle where it's been languishing for years.

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight****1/2

An excellent, very detailed, biography of the famous ex-slave abolitionist which won the Pulitzer for biography in 2019. A bit of an undertaking at 764 pages but worth the effort.

>40 brenzi: Hi Bonnie -- Hubby did most of the line-standing while I gathered things from the part of the store which would have been most difficult to access because the lines went through it. We both managed to keep our sense of humor.

I may get to The Alexandria Quartet eventually but I'm going to start with the Corfu books first.

We've been thinking that we might be better off in western NY. Less density will likely lead to few cases I would think but we hope the worst of this will be over before we get there in June.
Meanwhile, take care and stay well!

I've loved Gerald Durrell's books for years - I have no idea when or which I read first. My Family and Other Animals and Birds Beasts and Relatives are a lot of fun - I haven't yet read Gardens of the Gods, that's a new release. And then he became a bring-em-back-alive hunter for zoos, including his own - there are some amazing stories about that, and being a TV naturalist, and running his own zoo on the Isle of Jersey, and...I'll read anything he writes, I love his stuff.
I have the Alexandria Quartet and several other novels by Lawrence, but haven't read any - the only one of his I've read is Esprit de Corps & Stiff Upper Lip (two very short books combined into one short one - actually collections of short stories). That is amazingly funny, the misadventures of a diplomat - being a diplomat's daughter myself, it perhaps resonated more than with most people, but I think anyone would find it funny. He also wrote Spirit of Place, which I want to read, mostly because Gerald then wrote Fillets of Plaice which is also short stories and hilarious.

>28 RebaRelishesReading: They're pretty happy just to be off the ship and get to go outside now and then. Still being kept quite isolated. But if all goes well they'll be home the week after next.

Things are shutting down left and right around here - schools, the senior center, there are bans on large assemblies - and next week I'm conducting Census training for about 80 people. Whee!

>43 jjmcgaffey: I'm planning to start on My Family and Other Animals to day. I've been doing a lot of serious reading lately so it will make a nice break.

Given the governor's orders yesterday...can you space your census takers out with 6' between them?

Hope your parents stay well and find ways to stay pleasantly occupied until their release.

>44 RebaRelishesReading: Yeah, gonna have to work on that...it's a big room, but I'm not sure it's that big.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (audio) ****1/2

Roy grows up in a small town in Louisiana as an African-American boy in a stable home. They aren't wealthy but they have what they need and he is loved by his father and mother. Celestial also grows up in a stable, loving home but in a much more affluent household. They meet, fall and love and marry but a year later Roy is falsely accused of rape and their lives take a different path. This is a touching story that is very well told. Definitely a recommended read.

I had a lovely lunch with Roni today. My granddaughter is thinking about becoming a child psychologist and Roni agreed to tell her what that would entail and give her some insider tips about that life. Ally was most grateful and excited about what she heard. Thank you Roni!!

It was also an opportunity for Roni to deliver my new kitty cup. It's so-o-o cute! I can't wait to have my tea in it tomorrow morning.

The waitress kindly took some photos with both phones for us but I can't get mine to load onto the Member Gallery so you'll have to check Roni's thread if you want to see us.

So the governor has now called for self-isolation for people over 65. We had already decided to do that and I'm glad the governor has made it official now. It isn't convenient but better than getting sick. We've cancelled our trip to family in Northern CA and Oregon that was planned for beginning of April and I even ordered some grocery items like milk, bread, fresh veg, etc. for delivery next weekend. I've never done that before so we'll see how it goes. Stay well out there people!

Reba, oh my word, that line at Costco! Were you tempted to ring them up to ask them to open all the tills, or am I the only one who does that? :-)

Sorry you have to isolate. At least you won't run out of books. And having the groceries delivered will be a huge help.

>47 RebaRelishesReading: Sounds like you had a great meet up. And what a beautiful kitty cup! (saw the photo on Roni's thread). Grocery delivery sounds like a great and convenient idea. Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Just contacted my BFF to see whether we are going to continue with our tradition of weekly dinner/movie night that we started several years ago when her husband was too ill to go out much and was only comfortable visiting us. He died three years ago and the three of us have continued. Since we're all over 65 I wondered whether we would continue during the self-isolation period or not. Turns out she had her annual physical last Thursday and got a call from her doctor last night that she may have been exposed while at the doctor's office!

>49 susanj67: Hi Susan! All of the tills were open. I think everyone they had ever even thought of hiring that day was working. We were totally impressed with how well they had the whole thing under control.

Indeed I won't run out of books. In fact even before it was required I was happy to self-isolate -- I love "sea days" and now I'll have a couple of weeks (or more?) of them. Of course we realized this morning we don't have enough bread or milk to make it until the delivery comes next Sunday so Hubby is went out to pick up a few things and get some gas (he gets really antsy when he can't go out for more than just his walk plus he won't feel comfortable until the tank is filled -- I think he's expecting the apocalypse).

I saw a report yesterday that showed the U.K. with one of the lowest infection rates -- keep it that way :)!

>50 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. It was a great meet-up and I do love my cup :) Have a good day and stay healthy.

>52 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, we've just been told to avoid all non-essential contact and travel (including going out) and now people are supposed to self-isolate if even one member of the household has a symptom that could be the virus (not that that affects me, but I can't see how it's going to work if everyone self-isolates because one person has a cough, and then another person has a fever and then a third person gets a sore throat. No-one will ever leave their houses again. They might all have these symptoms and yet not have the virus at all). Also we're not supposed to go to pubs, clubs, theatres etc although the government has not closed them (yet). So if my brother stays in London and we go for a walk, we'll be getting take-out from Pret if they're still open. But I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to go home as soon as his course finishes.

I hope your BFF is OK.

I finished a very long book last night - didn’t expect to do that for a couple of days yet. Today it is cooking time. I want to try a new recipe for a Ramen soup, so will have to brave the world of the grocery store. i don’t have WiFi so can’t order things delivered.

Happy new thread!
If you are still looking for books for 2-3 year olds Ellie (and Chloe) loved Sandra Boynton. We still read Snuggle Puppy and Barnyard Dance almost every night/

Hi Reba! I am sorry about your canceled travel, but glad you are staying safe. And I liked American Marriage as well. I am reading Silver Sparrow, now for book group, but don't like it as well. Too bad, as I thought American Marriage would make a great book club read.

Hi Reba!

I've avoided Costco since I bought two packages of TP at the end of January. So far my grocery store has had everything I normally buy.

I'm sorry you've had to cancel your travel plans.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: Yikes and double yikes. I'm sorry to hear that and hope she doesn't actually get sick from it.

Morning, Reba! Happy new one. I loved the photo of you and your granddaughter with Roni, and how great that Roni could share insights into the career she is thinking about.

I am also happy to self-isolate. In fact, it's my default mode. Birdy, Abby and I have been staying in, but Craig, Rae, And Daniel are still going to work - they do not have jobs they can do from home. They change their clothes and shower as soon as they come home, and we have been very good about wiping down all the surfaces routinely.

Just stopping by, glad you are staying home now! We are all so lucky that we love to read.

>53 susanj67: I read yesterday that the majority of those who get Covid-19 start symptoms within 5 days of exposure and this will be day 5 for Margie (BFF). I spoke to her last night and she was fine. I think the official "line" here is "self isolation" for those 65 and over and "social distancing" for everyone else.

I'm so sorry this is affecting your visit with your brother!

>54 benitastrnad: Good luck with your grocery adventure, Benita. Looks like you've found a way to get on-line. Hope you were able to file your job applications.

>55 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. I haven't bought the books and, since our trip is cancelled, I probably won't for a while yet so your recommendations are totally timely. Thanks. Hope you're all feeling better.

>56 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. I agree American Marriage would make a great book club read. I'm bummed about not seeing you guys (not to mention our Portland family) but once this is over we'll see about rescheduling -- although heavens knows how we'll be able to fit our travel puzzle back together.

>57 karenmarie: Sounds like you're doing well, Karen. The only thing we've not been able to buy are Clorox Wipes. I always keep them in the house and have some left so we'll be OK I think.

>58 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Yes, Roni gave Ally a lot of great info about what her choices will be and what to consider when choosing -- keeping in mind she's a high school junior so things may change before she's actually in the professional world but it's great info like this as she walks that path. I not only changed my major twice in college but I also worked in market research for a couple of years before I went back to school and became a planner so I keep telling both of the grandkids that finding out about career options is important and changing them as you go along is fine :)

Sounds like you're all doing what you need to do to stay healthy (but then you have an in-house expert *smile*). My default mode is also "stay at home and read" so I'm pretty happy but Hubby will have a hard time with this...and I may have as a result :>

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF EVERYONE!

What, isolation for those over 65! That's a bit ageist isn't it? Glad we don't have that rule here. We have been encouraged to get out and enjoy the great weather - in small groups of course.

My real life book discussion group read American Marriage for its December 2019 selection. I liked the book as did a couple of others, but the majority of the group did not finish reading it and only rated it as middling. They seemed to think that it was not that interesting and they didn't get the attitude of the woman in the story. I am not sure why, but this tends to be a more conservative type of group, so think that is the reason. We did have a good discussion about parts of it, but the infidelity in it did not go down well with our group.

As for WiFi, I went to Barnes & Noble, they were still open yesterday. Who knows now?

>61 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Well it may be ageist but it's because older people get much sicker and are more likely to die from Covid-19. The rule actually is "over 65 and those with health conditions that make them especially vulnerable". The age has been cited as "60" and "65 and "70" and finally seems to have settled at the middle.

>62 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Well "different strokes" right? I'm guessing since you're posting you've found another WiFi, or do you do this on your phone?

I talked to friends our age yesterday and they had been out for a drive. I have to keep that in mind when cabin fever threatens to be too much to handle for my Hubby. Yesterday was the first day he had actually stayed home all day and it was hard for him so this may be a bumpy ride lol

Things sure are buzzing here! I have the feeling I could spend the whole day here but I do want to read some books too. It's raining outside which is my favorite reading weather so I think I'll go fix myself some breakfast and grab a book. I'll check back in this afternoon. Take care of yourselves everyone!

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell**1/2

I was prompted to read this because we had just watched the TV series and enjoyed it very much plus a funny book seemed perfect for current circumstances. Unfortunately I found the book far less entertaining than the TV series. There was far too much discussion of plants, insects and animal pets for my taste and also the amusing family antidotes were are recognizable from the TV series. Remembering those scenes gave me a smile but only a very weak one.

Our book club is going to read American Marriage this year, and I think it will be a good one for discussion as well. I also liked it better than her first one.

>66 BLBera: I haven't read the first one but thought this one would be great for a book club.

More and more areas here are gong to "lock down" for everyone which means you are to stay home except for getting groceries and people providing necessary services. Our local mall (which is open-air) and two outlet malls in the county have closed until the end of the month.
We went from 60 people ill to 90 in the space of 8 hours yesterday, which is a pretty fast multiple.

It rained all day yesterday but at least the sun is shining today.

I heard from a friend with whom we've been trying to set up a lunch date this morning. Afterwards I thought perhaps we could Skype of FaceTime with computers on the table while each couple eats at their own house. A 2020 lunch date. I may suggest that.

>68 RebaRelishesReading: - They've been debating a shelter in place order for NYC for several days. I'm getting to the point where I think they should just do it. People are still acting stupidly. Even here on LT I've seen some real cluelessness. It's disheartening.

Look at you with your futuristic virtual lunch date! Love it.

>69 katiekrug: Last night on the news they were showing a bunch of college kids on spring break at beach resorts acting like there was nothing unusual going on and saying they planned to keep having their vacation as planned. Good luck to their communities when they get home!!

I really like the virtual lunch idea. We need to keep our social connections healthy too :)

>70 RebaRelishesReading:
For college kids there is nothing going on. This is not a danger to them. Car accidents will kill more of them and they do that everyday and think nothing of it. I am in my office. Other than that I have no wifi so am only posting when I come in here.

>70 RebaRelishesReading: - Good luck to their communities, their parents, and their grandparents. Also, France is seeing much more serious cases in younger people than other countries have, and the rate of hospitalization for people 20-54 hospitalized with the virus in the US is 40%, according to the CDC.

The information is out there. Whether people choose to consume it, believe it, or take it to heart is another thing entirely.

>72 katiekrug: Indeed, Katie, indeed.

There are two "clusters" of people ill here in San Diego. One stems from a Marine and the other a group of young people who attended a concert a couple of weeks ago. They aren't immune and they can be carriers.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: LOL. I love Gerald's books _because_ they're mostly about the animals and insects and etc - I found the TV show rather dull because it was mostly human shenanigans. If you really enjoyed the show, try Lawrence instead - he's much more about people.

Hi Reba, I just saw on Rachel Maddow that your governor has ordered a complete state wide stay at home order. I'm wondering how we will get through months of what's going on while young people thumb their noses at common sense or following the orders of officials. It's all very anxiety producing.

Total CA lockdown! So glad you were already pretty much moved in that direction, Reba.

Hang in there.

>74 jjmcgaffey: Good morning, Jennifer! Hope you're keeping well. I may try Lawrence sometime but, for right now, I've moved on from the Durrell's. We did enjoy the human shenanigans diversion at the moment though.

>75 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. Seems CA has been moving that way for a few days now. It may be what it takes to get the young ones to listen-up. Also I read yesterday that it may be worse than thought for the young. Something like 50 or 60% of the cases that required hospitalization were under 65.

>76 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Yes, we've been self-isolating for almost a week. I did go out this morning to get some fresh food items and to stock up on cans. We don't usually use canned goods (except for beans and tomatoes) so had little of that nature on hand. Several stores have started offering "senior shopping" for the first hour each day so that we can get there when the stores are at their cleanest. They also limit the number of shoppers allowed in at a time to 50. I was impressed by the good humor displayed by everyone in line and in the stores. I ended up at three because the first one was pretty much stripped, the second one had more but no eggs and finally the third was fully stocked including those precious eggs!. I did have a good laugh at the second store -- they were carding us as we entered. I told the guy I thought he was just doing that to make us feel better (I haven't been carded for 50 years or so). With this morning's finds I think we're good to stay put for a month or more. I hope we won't have to, but we can.

Take this seriously and stay well folks!

Hi Reba! I saw that California has moved to a total lockdown now. I'm glad that you were able to get into the supermarket for the early morning shopping hour (and find eggs!). Some of ours have started doing that three days a week (and they are also doing it for NHS workers) but as far as I know there isn't a limit on the amount of people that can go in at one time. All our restaurants, cafes and bars have now closed, except for takeaway food and drink, but Pret announced today that it is closing all of its 550 shops completely. So that's going to put more pressure on the supermarkets as there are fewer and fewer options for food. I wonder how many people will discover they can live without fancy coffee, though...

>78 susanj67: Hi Susan! Good that I don't like coffee in any form I guess. I was worried because I do like my tea and I was getting very low just about when the pandemic got to California. I drink, almost exclusively, Vanilla Bean from Mighty Leaf which I buy on-line by the pound. It usually takes a week or more to get here but I put an order in early last week and it arrived two days later! Happy me, I'm now set for a few months for tea. I would be missing Pret if I lived in London though.

Total lock-down really isn't a change for us though because we were already following the advice for "self isolation" for seniors. The restaurants and bars closing will have a bigger impact on the life of the young folks I imagine but things do look pretty quiet out there.

Hi Reba, sounds like you're stocked up and settled in. What strange times. Like you, I rarely get canned goods, but that is what I've started buying lately, though when I've shopped there has been plenty of fresh. I may have read too many WWII novels, as I am now looking at (older) sprouting onions in the pantry and arguing with myself about throwing them out. Marina and I discovered we were both a bit low on shampoo and decided this was one thing we could make do without if we had to. I brought home a few books from my library but don't have time as of yet to read them. If there's one thing we've over stocked on, it's books! Take care.

Hi Reba, glad that you are staying safe. And I am sorry you didn't like My Family and Other Animals, which is a favorite of mine, but I guess we all have different tastes.

Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World by Louis Fischer****

I have seen biopics and read books about Gandhi before but this one went deeper into his beliefs and how he lived them than others. It also gave me a better understanding of the issues surrounding Indian independence and partition than I had. Well worth reading.

>80 AMQS: Hi Anne. Nice to see you here :) Indeed, I'm well stocked up on books. Just Mt. TBR could probably see me through until fall and then there are the ebooks on my iPad and the audio books on my phone...

>81 banjo123: Indeed we do Rhonda and fortunately there are enough books to satisfy them all :)

You must feel much better now that you are stocked up, Reba. Enjoy your reads!

>84 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. It does feel good to have the essentials in the house. I'm hoping not to have to go out again for a long while. I'm surprised by how little reading I'm getting done though but I guess it's: cooking more, spending more time on LT and FaceBook and watching more news. Bored I'm not, though :)

>85 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I am also not getting much reading done. It's weird - I have no commute any more, and plenty of time...but I'm just not reading very much. I was going to try this evening but now we're getting an address from the Prime Minister at 8.30, and it's 6.45, so I'll probably just fritter away the time.

> 86 obviously you're frittering away in the same way I am :) Someone on LT said yesterday that we should be talking about "physical distancing" rather than "social distancing" (sorry I forget who it was -- bad me) which is a very good point. LT is social contact and it's important!

Other Russias by Victoria Lomasko***

Victoria Lomasko is a graphic artist who, from 2008 to 2016, traveled around Russia speaking with marginalized people, sketching them and reporting on their issues under the headings "invisible" and "angry". Her work is assembled in this volume of "graphic journalism" which presents an interesting view of some of the problems in Russia that we don't hear much, if anything, about in the west.

>41 RebaRelishesReading: I saw that one at the library the other day, but I cannot currently hold books of that size. I still want to read it though!

>46 RebaRelishesReading: Dodging that BB as the book is already in the BlackHole.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Sorry you did not enjoy that one more, Reba. I have never seen the TV series, but I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

>82 RebaRelishesReading: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Reba!

Stay healthy and safe!

>89 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I read the Douglas book by resting it on a pillow in my lap. It was much to heavy to hold. The Gandhi book is an old one but worth a read if you can get a copy.

Reba--I am sorry that we are not going to get to see you this spring, but I think less travel and more distancing is what we need now. Glad you seem to be well stocked and chugging along with the books. Stay well and happy. :)

>91 Berly: Thank you, Kim. I too am very sorry we won't be getting together but hope perhaps it will be possible later in the year. Meanwhile we're fine. Sounds like you're getting lots of good outdoor exercise. Take care and stay well!

Hi Reba! I'm nearly through Day 1 of lockdown :-) Apparently we're allowed outside once a day for exercise, but that seems unwise to me, so I'm putting in some time on my stepper instead.

Hi Susan -- just came from your thread :) We can go out in our neighborhood for exercise as long as we stay 6' apart so I could go for a walk but I really don't want to go out there if I don't have to so I'm just being a sloth. Must stop that and get some exercise one of these days soon.

News from the San Diego front:

Part of our convention center and another building (which used to be used for much smaller conventions) are being converted to centers for the homeless. I suspect they may get more forceful about moving the homeless off the streets until this is over.

Also interesting a naval hospital ship left port yesterday heading for Los Angeles where it will dock and serve as hospital for people requiring care for things other than Covid-19. It has 1000 beds and 800 doctors and nurses. Everyone coming aboard will be tested for virus before being allow on. This is to free up 1000 beds in hospitals on land for Covid patients. Seems like a smart move to me.

My son's California National Guard unit has been activated (he's a full-time officer anyway) and working in food bank distribution centers.

We may have a blithering idiot in the White House but California and New York have government that seems to work.

From Karen via Judy

1. Who(m) are you named after? my father's older sister
2. Last time you cried? I can't remember
3. Do you like your handwriting? It's OK
4. What is your favorite lunch meat? generally not a lunch meat fan...ham I guess
5. Longest relationship? almost 33 years - with Hubby
6. Do you still have your tonsils? no
7. Would you bungee jump? Not only no, but hell no.
8. What is your favorite kind of cereal? granola
9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? yes
10. Do you think you're strong willed? so I'm told
11. Favorite ice cream? Heath Bar
12. What is the first thing you notice about a person? probably hair
13. Football or baseball? neither
14. What color pants are you wearing? none -- in kaftan and don't plan to dress today
15. Last thing you ate? yogurt with strawberries and granola
16. What are you listening to? silence
17. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? turquoise
18. What is your favorite smell? baby powder
19. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My BFF
20. Married? yes
21. Hair color? silver
22. Eye color? Blue/green/hazel depends on the light
23. Favorite food? depends...right now bacon sounds wonderful but don't have any
24. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings definitely!
25. Last movie you watched In a theater? Downton Abbey
26. What color shirt are you wearing? no shirt -- blue kaftan
27. Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.
28. Beer or Wine? Wine
29. Night owl or morning person? total night owl
30. Favorite day of the week? don't have one
31. Favorite animal? for a pet: dogs in general I'm also very fond of giraffes and elephants
32. Do you have a pet? no :(
33. Where would you like travel to? pretty much anywhere but I'm especially fond of out-of-the way places like remote islands and feel a real kinship to the U.K. and the Netherlands

>94 RebaRelishesReading: - "We may have a blithering idiot in the White House but California and New York have government that seems to work."

And New Jersey! Super proud of Governor Murphy. Our state, sadly, just passed Washington to have the second most number of cases, but Murphy, Cuomo and the governor of CT have all coordinated their responses, understanding that the tri-state area needs a consistent approach.

Good for NJ! We haven't been getting much coverage from states other than New York ( and CA of course) but we see Cuomo on our news regularly. I'm glad to hear adjacent states are functioning well too and that things are coordinated. One advantage of our desert is that it gives us something of a natural barrier in times like this (one one side at least).

>95 RebaRelishesReading: I like this one a lot!

One unexpected blessing throughout this terrible time is that I am hearing out of the blue - by phone or Facetime - from longtime friends. Isolation does't feel so isolating when you hear from friends. Your answer for last person you spoke with on the phone made me think of this.

I love the idea of the Navy ship as hospital! Very smart. And I'll add Ohio's governor to the Good Job list. DeWine is in many ways leading the country in his response.

>98 AMQS: Yes, I'm hearing both from people I care about but don't often see or hear from which is very nice. Also hearing from people I usually see regularly and don't now who want to keep in touch.

>99 scaifea: Good thing we have good local leadership isn't it?

Hi Reba!

>95 RebaRelishesReading: And I originally saw it on Peggy’s thread, so this is becoming a well-traveled Get-to-Know-You-Better exercise. And, bacon – I have 3 lbs in the freezer. I haven’t brought any of it out recently. I'm saving it for in case things get really, really bad with the pipeline.

Our state is doing a pretty good job although the Governor hasn't ordered a state-wide shelter in place order. They've closed non-essential business, though, so pretty much everything is closed except grocery and big box, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, the PO. My husband got a letter from his employer yesterday so that if for some reason he were stopped he'd have documentation for why he's out and about.

>101 karenmarie: Sounds like you're doing well Karen. Glad to hear it. I just got a slot for pick-up groceries next Thursday which will be about right for fresh fruit & veg -- hope it works!! Since I don't really trust it (after my delivery order non-delivery issue) I think I'll go out to senior hour tomorrow morning and see what I can find for my current list. A friend referred to her husband as their "hunter/gatherer" the other day -- that's exactly what I feel like when I go out there.

Up at 6:30 a.m. this morning to make it to senior shopping hour at local Kroger's store. I got much from my list which means that added to what I got a Trader Joe's yesterday we should be set for the next couple of weeks (at least). Numbers of ill keep climbing so it seems an ever better idea to just hunker down and stay put.

We have a virtual lunch date with friends today. With a computer on the table in each house we will connect by Messenger and spend time together while we have lunch. I'm really looking forward to it.

Take care of yourselves and each other and stay well, y'all hear?

Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi**

I don't know how to describe this book so I will quote Danielle Dutton from the dust jacket:

A penniless orphaned refugee, Zebra knows she can count on two things: literature and death. She builds a fortress out of both, surviving on fury, on memories and manifestos, until life begins to break through...Call Me Zebra is like nothing else I've read, geopolitical and bookish and sexy, quite refreshingly nuts and yet a ripping good read.

To me Zebra seemed to be delusional, whether through drugs or mental illness or both I'm not sure. The book was very strange and not at all my taste.

OK, so I need to recover from Zebra. What shall I read next? Your choices are:

The Century Girls by Tessa Dunlop
A Start in Life by Anita Brookner
Daughters of Chivalry by Kelcey Wilson-Lee

>105 RebaRelishesReading: - Not familiar with any of them, so I'll go with the Brookner because I've heard of her :)

>105 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, Daughters of Chivalry!

Hi Reba! Sorry the zebra book was a no for you. That's not what you need when books are the only things to do.

Good to hear you're stocked up again for groceries and don't need to venture out. How did the virtual lunch date go?

>106 katiekrug: Psst, Katie -- I won't tell Susan...they were from her thread

>107 susanj67: I hope more people come by and vote but good to know you pick Daughters of Chivalry over The Century Girls.

Virtual lunch was fun. It started off in a scramble though because our friend wanted to use Messenger which I don't like and rarely use -- never have used it for a video chat which became obvious when I got to the last step only to be told it doesn't support Safari which is what I usually use. So.o. with lunch waiting on both ends I scrambled to move to Chrome, which I have on my computer but on which I had never used FaceTime/Messenger as it turns out and it didn't have my password and I didn't remember what my password was because I have it saved on Safari/Facebook so I had to go through all of the foofaa to get logged in and finally we were connected. The other three were fairly well finished with eating and my soup was rather cool but we had a nice visit. Next time I really hope we use either Skype or FaceTime!!

As you know since you were just at my thread, I also recommend Zoom for virtual get togethers. My bookclub had a great time last night.

>105 RebaRelishesReading: I don't know any of the books or authors so, using eeny meeny miny mo, I got A Start in Life. Which you can ignore if you want. ; )

>109 Berly: Right, I saw that! My church is using that for committee meetings now but I'm not involved. It's great that it can gather people from several places into the conversation unlike the other three (which may be able to do that, I actually don't know).

Thanks for coming by and voting -- even if it was deny teeny miny mo :)

My district is supporting Google Meet for videoconferencing. I used Zoom for the first time early this week for book club. It was easy, and was really nice to see everyone.

>11 Familyhistorian: I think that we will all be more IT savvy when this thing is done. Zoom, google meet, skype. I am also appreciating my mobile phone these days too!

Stay safe, Reba.

We will only be IT save if we are fortunate enough to have access to high speed internet. Regular internet service doesn't work well with any of those means. Once again money counts.

>111 AMQS: Hi Anne. I've been talking to friends here who are participating in meetings vis Zoom and it does sound great. Our church is having Sunday service on FaceBook which works pretty well for that too.

>112 PaulCranswick: Indeed I think we will Paul. I gave my grandson a "coupon" for lunch with Grandma and and shopping for a video game for him. We didn't get that done before we all went into lock-up so now I'm trying to figure out how to transfer money to his PayPal account so he can buy one himself on line. I certainly know how to transfer money to shopping sites for myself but have never done it to an individual before -- learning curve:)

>113 benitastrnad: Good morning Benita. Fortunately more and more public wifi hot spots are being provided

>105 RebaRelishesReading: -- and your votes are...?

Daughter #2 reported from Portland this morning that Powell's has been able to rehire 100 staff members because of the volume of on-line orders :) Keep it up folks!! and don't forget your local indies too :)

Hi Reba! We are exploring different ways of videoconferencing at work for internal education sessions, so I'm interested in all the posts above. I favour LoopUp, without the video function, but that wouldn't work if you actually wanted to see people :-) My view is that no-one needs to see me in my working from home clothes. One of my friends said "I'll have to put my face on and dye my roots if we move to videoconferencing." The struggle is real :-)

>116 susanj67: I hear you, Susan! But I figure we're all in the same boat plus you can always blame it on poor video resolution lol

Hi Reba, I read Call Me Zebra a couple of years ago, and had much the same reaction that you did.

>118 BLBera: Hi, Beth! Thanks for stopping by. It's always nice to have one's opinion confirmed :)

Glad to see that you're coping with the lock down!

>114 RebaRelishesReading: I'm not a church goer but for some reason I found it really shocking when the Church of England services were cancelled here. It seems the sort of thing that just goes on no matter what else is happening in the world.

I don't know two of the books you listed Reba but I just read A Start in Life in January and really liked it so that would be my vote. I had no luck with online ordering for groceries last week with either Whole Foods or Wegmans. Neither could give me an appointment time. So I was forced to go to Wegmans and let me tell you it was one eerie store. Very few shoppers on a Thursday afternoon. I don't know if it was the lack of shoppers or the lack of music but it just didn't feel right. I got pretty much everything I wanted except brown sugar(???). There was one line for checkout and it was very long because people were six feet apart. An employee managed the line and when you got to the front he told you which register to go to. I'll try again this week to order online but I don't need much so I'll probably just ask my daughter to pick up the few items I need. I've been a Wegmans shopper for 30+ years but there was something unsettling about the experience.

>115 RebaRelishesReading: Love that! Callia follows a little bookstore we visited in Lawrence, KS and they are delivering, too.

>120 SandDune: Hi Rhian. Hope you are coping with your lock down well too. Actually I'm basically a home body so it isn't too hard for me. Hubby is doing better than I expected too. He usually needs to go out at least once a day and I was worried it would be hard to keep him in but he's adjusting quite well.

>121 brenzi: I counted you as a vote for Brookner already, Bonnie :) Just finished it and liked it very much. If your Wegman's is a big as the one we use in Jamestown I can imagine it would be strange if there weren't many shoppers. Other than Seniors Tuesday I've never seen "our" Wegman's at all crowded even in the middle of summer. You not finding brown sugar made me smile. It's weird what there is and isn't in the stores here too. I've given up on trying to order groceries for delivery but I do have an order pending to pick up (you drive the car up, open the trunk remotely, they put in groceries and you drive away) on Thursday. If that works well I'll try for another one in about a week. That way we'll have fresh things regularly and I can fill in pantry items as they get low. Keep well :)

>122 AMQS: Hi Anne! Ah Lawrence, isn't that just the nicest town? Hubby got his PhD at KU so we stop in every time we're "in the neighborhood". I hope a lot of bookstores are taking advantage of on-line sales opportunities and that it sees them through this tough time. The Book Passage, which was my "local" when I lived in the Bay Area and which has the most active author speaker series I've ever seen, keeps sending emails about what is cancelled and which will be rescheduled and providing info on the books involved which they have available on line.

A Start in Life by Anita Brookner ****

I didn't get much response to my request for help choosing my next read so I decided to take the shortest one (because I expect to like all of them) and had several lovely hours reading as a result.

Ruth is the smart but rather mousy daughter of an over-the-hill actress and an unmotivated owner of a rare book business. During her childhood her paternal grandmother (organized, good housekeeper, strong woman) lives with the family and there is some order to Ruth's life but after her grandmother dies the household declines into chaos. The main anchor in her life is her academic work and her thesis on vice and virtue in the works of Balzac.

A very enjoyable, quick read and definitely recommended.

>115 RebaRelishesReading: Yes!! That news about Powell's made me so happy. : )

Listening to iHeart Radio concert hosted by Elton John on FOX tv. Wishing you a wonderful Sunday.

>125 Berly: and wishing you one right back, Kim!! I'm thinking about going out for a walk..it's beautiful outside and I haven't been out of the house since Friday 7:30 a.m.

I did go out for a walk It's a beautiful 67 degree sunny day and it felt good to be outside. It also gave me a chance to make serious progress on my audio book, enough progress that I finished it when I got home.



My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite*** (audio)

Korede is the older sister and she has always been charged with taking care of her sister, Ayoola, and is always blamed for everything Ayoola does wrong. Korede is a nurse, an excellent nurse, and has a responsible job in a hospital. She always does the right thing, the expected thing. Ayoola is beautiful, very beautiful, and she attracts men like flies. She also has a bad habit of killing her boy friends.

This is a most unusual book. At times I thought I really didn't like it but in the end I decided it was interesting enough to off-set some of the things I didn't like so I ended up giving it a "good". If you like unusual, thought-provoking plots you might like it.

Ha! 73 degrees here, even now. I trimmed the bougainvillea back partway and pulled out grass, so did my bit for today!

>128 ronincats: Hi Roni, I was just at your place seeing photos of the bougainvillea and reading about the apple pie. Sounds lovely. I'm trusting my phone re the temperature but I got good and warm walking -- but then I'm really out of shape so no surprise there.

Never mind :)

Hi Reba, my morning walk is a sanity saver. When our rainy weather lets up, I may add an evening walk to my routine. I laughed at all the forces conspiring against you as you tried to have your virtual lunch meetup. I hope the next one goes more smoothly. Take care and Happy Reading!

>131 Donna828: Hi Donna, how nice of you to stop by and nice to have you laughing with me over the lunch. It actually got better, in the rush to get that going I had to change my aol pass word and I used something simple to get on with it. Two days later my FaceBook account was cloned. I now have a computer generated difficult password and I hope I can leave that account alone for a while.

We've been rewatching Downton Abbey as something quiet and calming before going to bed. Last night we got to the episode where Spanish Flu enters the house!! After that we watched a train travel show to distract ourselves before we tried to sleep.

It did make me think ... the Spanish Flu was 102 years ago. We haven't had a real pandemic since so perhaps it will be enough 100+ years after this one is over and perhaps the world will be better prepared by then ... at least I hope so.

>133 RebaRelishesReading: AIDs may not count as a pandemic, but the devastation within the community was at that level, so for some, one main difference is that it's hitting everyone.

>134 quondame: You're right. I was struck by the similarity between the Spanish Flu and Covid-19 and looking for a ray of hope.

Has anybody heard from Bonnie? I think I lost her thread when I switched to this new laptop.

>136 benitastrnad: Yes, I "hear" from her often. She's fine. (see >121 brenzi:)

>137 RebaRelishesReading:
It's probably my ineptitude with this new laptop. It's a Mac and I can't seem to find anything on it and things don't work the way I think they should compared to my office PC. oh well - we will be back to work soon and I won't have to deal with this machine.

>138 benitastrnad: Once you get used to it you may never want to touch a PC again! I adore my iMac Air and have strong urge to throw Hubby's PC out the window every time I have to use it (or, worse, help with it). Apple's really are much more user friendly and, if you stay all Apple (I have iPhone and iPad) they play together very, very nicely.

Today's big event is a trip to pick-up a supermarket order placed a week ago. It's the first time I've tried "pick-up" (after delivery was a total failure) so I'm anxious to see if it (1) works at all and (2) has everything in it that I ordered. If it's reasonably successful I plan to put together another order for about a week from now.

>139 RebaRelishesReading: etc - I'm a computer tech, and as far as I'm concerned Macs and Windows PCs do exactly the same things - in entirely different ways. I strongly recommend to my clients (most of whom are very not computer savvy) that they not switch, in either direction. Someone who's accustomed to a Mac will hate a PC, and vice versa. I'm a PC/Android user and Macs and iGadgets drive me nuts - nothing works the way I expect it to (where's my right click? Where's my back button? What do you mean it makes a difference how hard I press on the screen?). I can use a Mac, and even fix one, but they still drive me nuts.

>140 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I hope pick-up worked out. What wet wrong with the delivery?

I saw this story in The Times today and thought of you:

*****
"America's 'Netflix for Anglophiles' in streaming battle with Britbox

It is the television equivalent of selling ice to the eskimos.

A niche US streaming company that specialises in providing American viewers with British programmes such as ITV's Foyle's War and The Bletchley Circle is launching in Britian.

Acorn TV will be available from April 29 at £4.99 a month - £1 cheaper than its direct rival Britbox, the ITV and BBC joint streaming venture that went live last November.

Britbox promotes itself as the home of UK TV box sets but the launch of Acorn TV means that viewers of British programmes will have a choice of streaming platforms."

*****
There's more, but that's the gist of it. And apparently Acorn is getting some original commissions, including one called Queens of Mystery, which is a "warm-hearted whodunnit" by one of the writers of Doc Martin. So look out for that!

>141 jjmcgaffey: That may be it, Jennifer but I worked on PC's all the time when I was working and my first laptops were PC's but switching to Apple took me about 20 minutes and I've been in love since.

How are your parents doing?

>142 susanj67: Hi Susan. You're right to think of us. We subscribe to both Acorn and Britbox and watch them regularly. We pay $4.99 for acorn and $6.99 for Britbox. But then, I'm proud to be an Anglophile so it fits doesn't it?

I will definitely look for Queens of Mystery.

Speaking of Britain, we heard on the news the other day that Prince Charles has tested positive for Covid-19 and was isolating in Scotland. Haven't heard anything more -- have you?

Oh yes...and pick up went very well. Requested delivery of a couple of weeks ago never showed up. I'm now trying to schedule another pickup for in a week or so but no slots available -- just keep trying I guess.

Hope you're well and coping OK with WFH.

Grocery pick up Yesterday was the big day! Our first pick-up grocery order was scheduled for 3-4 p.m. and it worked beautifully. We drove to the store, found the two spaces marked for pick-up, phoned the number of the sign to say we were there and a few minutes later a nice young man came out with a cart loaded with our order, placed it in the back of the car, picked up our copy of the order with his tip attached, lowered our hatch and we drove off. We got almost everything we ordered and the quality of produce was great. I'm very pleased with the whole thing. Now I would like to order for in about a week but no slots available :( I have the order ready, now I'll just have to keep checking and hope to be there in time for the next day they offer.

masks As of yesterday, the good people of San Diego County are asked to wear masks when in public and for those in jobs that involve public contact (cashiers, etc) it's required. All of us are asked (required?) to NOT wear the kind medical professionals wear of course. I've been tasked with trying to make masks for us and three of our friends -- so I know what I'll be (trying to) doing today. I have an old batch of fabric that I'll check and hope some of it will work because otherwise I don't think I'll be able to get anything else except through the mail which isn't the best idea as to time and as to knowing what I'm going to get.

I just opened a bag of Concord grape Gummi Bears I purchased last summer someplace close to Chautauqua. They taste great! and it made me think of you and Bonnie.

>145 benitastrnad: How nice! Yep, concord grapes and Chautauqua County are a pair for sure. Have you ever had concord grape pie? That a real "thing" in the area in late summer when the grapes are ripe.

I have not been lucky enough to have a Concord grape pie. Maybe this year?

>144 RebaRelishesReading: Glad the grocery thing went well! I am assuming that soon all of us out in the world will have to wear masks, which I'd be happy to do except I don't have any and I suck at sewing! Will have to figure something out. Stay happy and well.

>147 benitastrnad: "Maybe this year" -- one can hope we'll be there this year but I'm not at all sure. The pie is OK but not all that great imho but it's a local specialty so we tried it.

>148 Berly: Maybe some talented person will put them up on etsy -- actually I should check there myself because I'm not at all sure I have appropriate material.

>144 RebaRelishesReading: I have been told to make masks so my husband, who in mid March, gave me a hard time when I asked him to use the hand wipes, can go out and get milk. I downloaded a pattern which fits onto those 1/2 sheets of paper towel, so, at least for a mock up, I'm going to use that & see if it holds up at all. Also I'm going to see if I can do without stitching in the middle of the mask - it seems that if you have holes that's not good, but the video said the masks made with the pattern worked better than others.

Reba, there are loads of patterns out there and on YouTube. I made a basic pattern, very easy, that I found at Sew Good:

https://12c6dcf1-a4f3-9a22-bcd8-4c7e844d2e36.filesusr.com/ugd/152b95_829d763ef01...

For just public use, this should be fine. I'm going to make mine with the optional ties since I don't have any elastic or hair ties. You can put a wire tie, like for bags, in the top seam lining if you like, for a nose piece.

>151 ronincats: I am wearing a paper towel, no sew version of University of Florida Prototype that requires scissors, paper towels, scotch tape, staples and 4x15" ties. Out of 2 thicknesses of paper towel I cut out the pattern minus the big wedge in the center which I treat like a big dart taping it on both sides. The only thing that every one is less likely to have than I do is the cloth tape for the ties, but almost any strips of fabric will do and they can be reused. I think it takes less than 5 minutes to make.
(not me, not my mask, but this pattern with a dart where the front seam is.)


Cut and mark double thickness of paper towel.
Fold and tape down 2 side darts then central dart - no need to cut excess
Staple the ties into marked places flat side of staple to inside.

Hey, Reba, I've started making masks, so if you'd like a couple I'd be happy to make and send them to you. I've put a photo of one up on my thread.

>144 RebaRelishesReading: Glad your grocery pick up order went well! I got a delivery yesterday and didn't mind it at all. The produce was iffy on a couple things (melon has a big soft spot and a kiwi was gross) but overall it was pretty good. I haven't decided if I will do a delivery again or just do a pick up order. Depends on the wait I guess

Hi Reba, I'm glad to hear of your experiences with grocery delivery and pick-up. I'm going to give it a try. My son-in-law has been doing it for me but I'm starting to feel a little guilty.

I'm adding *A Start in Life* to my shopping list.

>143 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, yes, Prince Charles tested positive, but he only had mild symptoms and he's better now. He sent a video message from his study in Scotland, and then yesterday he opened the new Nightingale hospital in London (again by video link).

We haven't yet moved to masks, but I'm interested in the discussion above, just in case we do. So thank-you everyone! (And some of you should write to the White House and ask for Cheeto's masks as he's said that he won't be wearing one, so presumably there are some going spare there).

>151 ronincats: nice masks!

Grocery delivery sounds like a great idea. I am not sure if my area has delivery as I live a little outside of the "main" city. Have a fabulous weekend

>150 quondame:, >151 ronincats:, >152 quondame:, >153 scaifea: Thank you Susan, Roni and Amber for all of the mask advice and thank you Amber for offering to send us some. I think I've got it under control now.

I read a couple of articles on line and decided to go with shop towels as material. We were able to buy the last two rolls of shop towels from an Auto Zone in El Cajon (15 miles or so from here which gave Hubby a much needed little ride in the car) and I plan to use a pattern that involves a paper clip (straightened to form the nose "hugger"), tape, a stapler, and rubber bands or hair scrunch things. I am the only sewer in a group of 5 friends who all live within a couple of blocks of here so I was going to make them but in the end I just distributed the shop towels and hair scrunchies and everyone is doing their own. The least "crafty" friend reported that she had made several for herself and an elderly (well, actually more elderly) neighbor and that they fit well and take less than a minute to make. When I finish here I'm going to go and make some for us.

>154 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle. Update on grocery order is that I checked yesterday afternoon and they had put up a whole bunch of new pick-up times so I got one for next Thursday around noon which is absolutely perfect in terms of when I will need fresh milk and produce. I live within walking distance of a Ralph's (Krogers), Von's (Safeway), Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and Ralph's is the one I have always used least but Von's stood me up with my delivery order and Ralph's is coming through like a champ with these pick-up orders so after this is all over I think my loyalty will be shifting.

>155 Oregonreader: Hi Jan. Give it a try. If it doesn't work you can always go back to your son-in-law. Thank Bonnie (Brenzi) for A Start in Life. She's the one who introduced me to Brookner :) I think you'll enjoy it.

>156 susanj67: Hi Susan. I had heard nothing about Prince Charles on the news since the item about him testing positive and then saw him last night in a bit that included announcing that the Queen is going to make a speech. He looked pretty well.

Masks are now required in San Diego County for all workers with public contact (effective immediately) and for everyone in public (effective in a couple of days). It's already common to see people on the street in masks but they've not been in the majority. It's going to be an interesting sight. My almost d-i-l (who doesn't sew at all) put a link on Facebook for making one from a square cotton scarf and two rubber bands that looks interesting for a quick fix. I was attracted to the shop towel version both because it looks easy and because an expert said felted-type fabric makes a better barrier than woven or knitted ones. Who knows, but the pattern I found looks easy so we'll give it a try.

>157 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. We live smack in the middle of the city so delivery would be fairly easy for them but it was a bust for me. Maybe I just tried too early, before they had their act together, but this pick-up is working well and gives us a little chance to be out so I'm happy.

So last night we were quietly watching TV when with a loud boom we had an earthquake -- 4.9 out in the desert. It wasn't right under us but we live on the top floor of a 6-story building that is wood-from about the mezzanine level and we really felt it. Do you think Mother Nature is trying to tell us something?

Here's the finished product -- not beautiful but serviceable and it did indeed take less than a minute to make and no skills other than ability to use a stapler :)

The book passage in Corte Madera, CA has a very active author events program which, of course, is shut down now but I learned today that there is going to be a series of "authors in conversation" on line starting soon. It's free and you can register here https://bookpassage.extendedsession.com if you're interested.

>143 RebaRelishesReading: Well, YMMV - everyone's different. My parents are doing fine - Mom just found out that after years of being banned, she can give blood again. The FDA has lifted several (stupid) restrictions - the ones "against" AIDS and mad cow disease, which never made sense in the first place. She lived in Europe (various areas) for a total of 5 years and 1 month, so was unable to give blood.

We've made appointments for the end of this month; there are very few appointments available, though that's probably as much because blood drives have been shut down and there aren't a lot of slots than because lots of people are donating. The Red Cross is saying the blood situation is desperate...which is probably is, but at this point it's a "Final Closing!" sale in a rug store. If you hear something too often you stop listening...

>160 RebaRelishesReading: well that's a great mask, Reba. Trump says it's just a suggestion from the CDC and he's not going to wear one. What a leader! I'd follow him anywhere! I don't go anywhere so I'm not worried about one....yet. If I venture anywhere other than my daughter's to babysit I'll have to get one.

I used Wegmans for a pick up order and was very satisfied with the service. It took me two weeks to get an appointment though and I had to go to a Wegmans that's a little further from my house. I guess we have to do the best we can. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies and dairy so I need to have a weekly pickup or I start to go a bit crazy so I immediately started a new list and I'll start calling tomorrow for hopefully the end of the week. What a life! Do you know yet what's going on at Chautauqua? I can see where they might have to cancel their lectures or figure out some innovative way to do them.

Good job with the mask! I am a bit annoyed about them, to be honest, because I don't understand why the CDC didn't realize that masks were a good idea weeks ago, if indeed they make a difference. And if we do need masks, why does the government not have enough actual medical masks for us? And if we use cloth masks, how often do we launder them?

But I think a friend is going to make some for us, so I will probably end up wearing one anyway.

>160 RebaRelishesReading: Easy MaskMy mask took about 60 seconds to make and the only thing I had to buy (and which are getting a bit scarce I think) was shop towels. If you have those around the house anyway, you can go to Easy No-Sew Shop Towel Mask on YouTube for very clear instructions of how to make one.

>162 jjmcgaffey: Hi Jennifer. Glad your folks are OK. We've had several ships unloading quarantined passengers lately and I think of your folks every time. I can stop doing that now :) I've passed the cumulative time in Great Britain and been unable to give blood anymore but sounds like that is changed now so I guess I should see about getting an appointment.

>163 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. If you have any shop towels (disposable ones) around check out the YouTube site. You could also do the same thing with fabric but an "expert" I saw quoted in a Washington Post article things that "felted" fabrics provide better protection than woven or knitted ones.

Of course you were satisfied with Wegman's service -- it's Wegmans!! Love that store! I had to drive 2 miles instead of 2 blocks to the Ralph's (Krogers) but that's no big deal. I plan to do a weekly order and I may continue using this Pick-Up service even when we reach the new normal.

We get almost daily emails from CHQ. They're still going ahead with organizing speakers, etc. for the summer. Season starts late June so we'll see. I still have a secret hope that we'll be able to be there but it depends on so many things that I'll just have to wait and see.

>164 banjo123: Hi Rhonda -- Since Trump fired the entire contagious diseases section of CDC a couple of years ago I'm not surprised at the total lack of good sense, preparedness and direction coming from there. As things stand there aren't enough medical masks for those actually working with the ill but apparently the homemade ones do provide some protection. The one I made was amazingly easy and you can see how to do it on YouTube. As to washing, the experts interviewed for the Washington Post article say "daily" and dry it in the sun if possible. The shop towel ones are washable -- at least a few times -- but once you have a roll of towels you have 55 masks which can be made as you need them in just about a minute.

Daughters of Chivalry by Kelcey Wilson-Lee****

This story of the lives of the five daughters of King Edward I of England points out how the actual lives of royal women in medieval times differs from the romanticized idea often portrayed. It's also a very readable history of British history from 1274-1308. As so often is the case, I have Susan to thank for making me aware of this most interesting book.

Hi Reba -- I've made a few masks too -- isn't it funny how glasses are kind of useful for holding the thing over the nose!

I have a selfie someplace here of one of the ones I made and I'll post it on my thread!

>167 sibylline: So glad you're back :) Actually the mask has some wire across the top that is pinched to fit the nose. The glasses are just there because I always wear them even though now I only need them for reading.

>127 RebaRelishesReading: I already have that one in the BlackHole. One of these days I will get around to reading it.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: Another one that I already have in the BlackHole. Unfortunately my local library is no help at all with that one.

I hope wearing the mask keeps you safe and healthy, Reba!

Hope you have had a lovely, peaceful, safe and healthy weekend, Reba

>169 alcottacre: I wouldn't hurry with My Sister the Serial Killer but Daughters of Chivalry is a very interesting read.

Thanks for the good wishes with the mask. So far I haven't been out of the house so haven't worn it except to try it on and model it.

Trying to catch up on the run and having fun here, Reba!
Your mask looks just the thing.
I'm off to see whether I can afford Daughters of C..... I'm pretty sure I've seen it offered for Kindle.
Have a great week and stay safe.

I found Daughters of Chivalry in one of my libraries, as an ebook. Looks interesting, thanks!

>166 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And the US cover is beautiful, too :-)

>172 LizzieD:, >173 jjmcgaffey: Hope you find it Lizzie and glad you did find it Jennifer. I think you'll enjoy it.
>174 susanj67: Thanks again for recommending it, Susan. I'm always pretty certain I'll like your tips :)

Good morning, Sunshine--NOT! Stay dry and enjoy some baking, Reba.

>176 ronincats: - Ah, but now at 5:20 it is sunny out there :) Hope your day is going nicely.

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan****1/2 (audio)

Marina Keegan was a star student at Yale where she graduated magna cum laude on May 21, 2012. She had a job at The New Yorker and a play set to be produced. She died in a car crash on May 26, five days after her graduation. This book is a collection of her short stories that was assembled after she died. It is stunning! I'm not a big short-story person but this collection really is wonderful.

Picked up my second grocery order today and again got nearly everything and produce was very nice. Then I went to JoAnn to pick up an order placed two days ago on-line and found they actually have the store open (they're an essential service???!??). The line extended for about a block but turned out that was for people waiting to be let in (one out, one in for 13 in the store at a time). I knocked on the door and asked about my pick-up order and was told it wasn't ready yet :(

Just stopping by -- will have to find the Keegan.

>180 sibylline: Hi Lucy -- glad you stopped by. I think you'll enjoy the Keegan.

To all my fellow Doc Martin lovers -- there's a cute video clip with Doc Martin characters and about Covid-19 on YouTube - Doc Martin Meanwhile in Port Wenn -- enjoy!

Reba, is the Doc Martin series over for good? The last episode seemed to imply that but the time between series has always been so long, I've stayed optimistic. I'll check out that video clip.

>183 Oregonreader: It did feel like the end, didn't it Jan? I googled the question and it seems to say that indeed Season 11 was the end. BooHoo, I really loved that show. We even visited "Port Wenn" a few years ago (Port Isaac in real life).

Hi Reba, I like your mask. We've done ours with bandanas, coffee filters, and rings cut up from tights. I plan to go grocery shopping tomorrow so we'll see how mine does.

Take care.

I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Reba.

Happy Easter, Reba!

>185 AMQS: Thank you Anne. Hope you found everything you were looking for -- stay well!

>186 PaulCranswick:, >187 ChelleBearss: Thank you Paul and Chelle! Happy celebration to you too :)

I am going to bake peanut butter cookies today1. But first - I need to go get groceries.

I talked to my sister this morning and she told me that she had 6 dozen eggs to find use up! I told her to bake and angel food cake and then to make homemade pudding out of the yokes. I said that would give her a low calorie desert (the cake) and make her husband happy because he loves banana pudding. And she would have used a dozen eggs in the process.

Darn and drat - I wish I had those eggs!

>189 benitastrnad: well then, I wish you had them too :) Happy Easter, Benita.

The Overstory by Richard Powers ****1/2

I bought this book right after it won the Pulitzer last year but it never appealed to me (it's long, I didn't understand the title, the cover didn't appeal) so it languished on Mt. TBR until Bonnie said how much she liked it and since our tastes are similar and because this year's Pulitzer winners will be announced soon I decided to read it and WOW, it's quite wonderful. It begins by introducing a series of characters which are so different I checked to be sure it wasn't actually a collection of short stories (it isn't). In the next part their stories interweave and the main character, trees, is introduced. The book is about environmental activism and about the life and important to the world of trees and forests. The story it tells is important and also gripping. A really good read as it turns out :)

Just cruising through, Reba, to get caught up.

*waves*

*waves* back -- thanks for stopping by, it always brightens my day

Well, I thought we were going to be done with this rain, but it rained much of the night and into this morning! Dagmar says no more to speak of until next Friday!

>194 ronincats: Hi Roni! I finally caught Dagmar's forecast last night. She's my weather source too:) It does look pretty good for the next several days. I may have to break down and go for a walk -- haven't been out the door since last Friday.

>191 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, I have that one sitting in my pile, too. Thanks for the nudge.

>191 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, I read this in SD. Happy memories.

Hi Reba!

Just an insomniac hanging out on LT... I hope you're hanging in there.

>196 AMQS: Hi Anne -- hope you and your are all doing well. The Overstory is excellent although in the beginning I was wondering whether it was really a novel or a collection of short stories -- just stick with it, it grows as you go. :)

>197 charl08: Hi Charlotte -- those are very nice memories for me too. When are you coming to visit again? ;>

>198 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen. We're doing fine -- hope you are too (sorry about the insomnia)

I'm so glad you liked The Overstory Reba and I have to say that I had put off the reading of it too for similar reasons. Really such a powerful book.

Hope you are staying safe and healthy.

>200 brenzi: Hi Bonnie! Thanks for being the impetus I needed to finally tackle it :)

read the titles in order -- left to right :) Sorry the image is so small but it got fuzzy when I made it bigger. If you zoom in I think you'll be able to read the titles.

I took the time this morning to go look at the Chautauqua schedule after I got the e-mail about the status of the choir director search. I have not talked to Sharon about when she is going to want to go up to New York, but I am sure that at some point she will be making the trip. They do have some interesting weeks lined up. The first weeks events look very interesting to me.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: I have all the titles listed here.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: LOL. I couldn't quite read all of them (the something book of horror stories), but I got the gist. Neat!

>203 benitastrnad: Stay tuned before making any plans, Benita. The powers that be have promised to announce what, if any, season there will be in early May. Alternative seems to be to do a lot of programming on-line. It's an unpleasant thought but for the first time since 2008 we may not be going to Chautauqua this summer :(

>204 quondame: Thanks Susan. I wrote them down and was thinking about putting them in as a "spoiler" but this is easier for me and should be easy for those who want to read them more easily.

>205 jjmcgaffey: Hi Jennifer. It's a fun idea and must have helped someone fill many "stay-at-home" hours finding those books and organizing them. Click Susan's link in >204 quondame: if you want an easy way to read the whole thing.

>205 jjmcgaffey:

This meme is an artistic creation by the artist Phil Shaw from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. There was a big story about it in either "The Guardian" or "The Daily Mail." I can't remember which. He didn't actually own the books. He digitally manipulated the pictures of the books to get them spines out in order to make this message. It became a big sensation in the UK and seems to be spreading around the world.

I thought it was pretty cute and I am surprised that so many nonreaders like it. It went viral.

>207 benitastrnad: Interesting! I was half guessing it had been manipulated someway but it came to me on Facebook with no explanation. Still a clever idea ;)

Hi, Reba! I just breezed through a few months of your thread and got waylaid by the Keegan book. I'll see if my library has the audio, although lately I've been staying away from audio since long walks are discouraged.

I made some masks with elastic and then ties, got obsessed with sewing, and then ran out of fabric. I've ordered some in the belief that this thing isn't over, even though the fabric won't come until May. That's not so far away. I do like yours, and I'm thinking that my microfiber reusable wipes that I bought to replace paper towels might be a decent alternative to cotton.

We are still buying our own groceries in person, but we get HelloFresh deliveries once in a while, and that works out fine in this era.

Stay safe. Read books. I hope you get to CHQ this year.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: Cute!

>202 RebaRelishesReading: & >207 benitastrnad: It is very clever anyway and John, Tony (meanderer) and I can claim Phil Shaw as one of our own since he is from West Yorkshire as are we.

>211 PaulCranswick:
The fact that he is from Yorkshire was not lost on me. That is why I included that tidbit when I did the research to uncover where it started. He is now a UK phenomenon.

>209 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I thought it was very well read but I'm sure it would be great in print as well. Either way, always glad to supply a BB :)

The "pressed/matted/felted (never sure what word is best here) fibers are better than woven or knitted" made sense to me plus it's just so easy to do. I have a couple made for each of us and we can easily wash them out and let them dry between uses. We try to wear ours any time we go outside of our front door. I find them warm and unpleasant to breathe through but hope they're helping stop the spread.

>210 banjo123: Hi Rhonda! Yes, it provides a couple of minutes fun trying to read them and is a clever idea imho.

>211 PaulCranswick: Good morning Paul and hats off to West Yorkshire. Hope to get there gain some day.

>212 benitastrnad: Hi Benita

Roni, you're my heroine! We went out to pick up our Von's order which wasn't ready so we decided to see how things were at Costco. There was no line at all! Straight in, no crowd, everything we wanted in stock. Before we got home there was a message from Von's that order was ready so we're pretty well stocked up. Although I did ask for 4 leeks from Von's because I want to make potato leek soup. I only got one and now am not sure what I'll do with one leek -- maybe make an actual shopping run tomorrow for leeks and some cleaning supplies I need. Thanks for the tip!

You are quite welcome, Reba. Glad it worked out for you.

>178 RebaRelishesReading: I enjoy short stories and that sounds like a great collection, so into the BlackHole it goes. Thanks for the recommendation.

>191 RebaRelishesReading: I loved that one too!

Have a great day, Reba!

>215 ronincats: Morning Roni! We went shopping "in person" at Ralph's this morning and got most of the things that were missing from our Von's order so now I think we're stocked for the next 10 years lol. Have a happy sunny day!

>216 alcottacre: Hi Stacia Always happy to supply a BB :) Hope you have a great day too.