The Bibliophile Files - 8/3/21

Have you missed me? I took a vacation to the Adirondacks and I'm having trouble getting back into the blog. I'll get back to it, I promise, I'm just not back at top speed yet while I work on some summer projects.

I finished 10 of these books while on an 11 day vacation. Woot! There was lots of hiking/walking and sitting around camp in the rain, allowing me much time to listen to some great books. I only climbed one mountain - it was such a bad experience that I nearly decided to never hike another mountain. I'm sure I'll change my mind eventually...

FINISHED

     Salty, Bitter, Sweet

     Stalking Jack the Ripper

     Rook

     The Henna Wars

     The Body Snatchers and Other Stories

     The Ruinous Sweep

     Lost Roses

    The Raven's Tale

    Sunflower Sisters

    The Total Money Makeover

    Don't you Cry

    Yes, Chef

    Saints & Misfits

    Death Benefits

    The Paris Library

    The Library Book

It's too many books to write about so I'll say that The library Book was probably my favorite of the month with Don't you Cry as a close second although there were at least 4 others that I really enjoyed. Lost Roses and Sunflower Sisters were the last in a wonderful Trilogy.

And now it's your turn - what have you read lately? Anything counts: novel, magazine, quilt patterns and cereal boxes!

Feline Friday - 7/9/21

 These are what Momma calls my bedroom eyes:

I like to hold her arm while she scritches my cheek...she stays longer this way.
Wink!

Wednesday Weather Report #216 - 7/7/21

Friday was Hexie Club and since I (the only working member) had Friday off we moved the meeting to 1pm instead of 6pm so that we could also have potluck. It's a fun treat, only possible because I have Friday's off in the summer :)

The drive home was very armageddeon-y to the East but the sun was trying to break through to the West. I made it home between two heavy downpours.

Twice over the weekend, I walked to our local state park. Mind you, I leave as early in the morning as I can, trying to beat the heat on this long in and out walk. I've still never made it for sunrise - of course it does take ~50 minutes to get to the next picture location with another mile to go so I would need to leave quite early to make that happen. I keep trying...

 

In case anyone still questions how rural my area is: corn and hay fields as far as the eye can see, with one roadside tree there on the left. There used to be a lot more trees as windbreaks but in the fight to grow as much cow/people food as possible, those trees are being taken down to expand the fields.

This was a nice little treat waiting on my favorite bench on the Fourth of July. And yes, I carried it all the way back home to add to my small rock collection.

Turkey Vulture is that black smudge in the middle. LOL

My favorite bench is in the shade on the edge of the river gorge. The hot spells alternated with cool breezes as the thermals rose out of the gorge. If was fun to watch the Turkey Vultures rise and fall with the thermals but it's also a family joke that if the vultures are around, you aren't moving fast enough (they eat road kill, etc) and it's time to move on so I didn't stay long, knowing I had that long walk back home in the sun.

June 30, 2021 :: 80 F
July 1 - 6, 2021 :: 72 - 61 - 69 - 74 - 83 - 77 F

The Bibliophile Files - 7/6/21

Hello and welcome to this month's reading list! We are past the half way mark on both the calendar and my challenge to finish 90 books for the year. Woot!! Thank god for free books from the library - I would go broke buying all these books.   

FINISHED

      The Bookwoman of Trouble Creek - Inspired by the blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the Pack Horse Library Service

      The Lost Apothecary - An aspiring historian finds and researches an antique apothecary bottle found at low tide in the Thames River while on what was supposed to be her tenth anniversary trip to London.

      What Makes Us - this is a nature versus nurture story of why we are the way we are.

      Trell - Based on true events, it's the story of a has-been reporter, along with the help of a neighborhood kid, who solves a murder after the wrong person has been jailed the teen's lifetime.

      Extinction - a multimillionaire tycoon wants to sponsor an endangered species management program while also pushing his (harmful) mining project.

      Lilac Girls - Inspired by the true story of a NY socialite during WWII, this book looks at the intersection of 3 women: the socialite, a polish teenager helping the resistance and a German female doctor at an internment camp. I can't wait to read the next 2 books in this series.

      The Survivors - Going home always brings up the past and The Survivors, statues over a shipwreck, have witnessed a lot of things...

      This is What I Know About Art - from a series of "pocket change" books meant to share knowledge in a quick format. Unfortunately, this was not the topic to glance over, I didn't learn anything or become invested in the author or her career evolution.

      The Music Of What Happens - 2 teenagers revamp a food truck to pay the mortgage before the house is in foreclosure but find each other in the process.

      Sasha Masha - written by a transgender author about a teenager deciding if he is trans himself.

      Crescendo - the story takes place during the Depression. He's a music genius by age 3 but his poor family pushes him away from his talents - which he eventually returns to.

      Poemsia - While I expected a lot more poetry, this book evolved into a lesson on how fast you can rise in social media and how quickly you can also fall.

      Mexican Whiteboy - the half Mexican teen is too Mexican for his White friends and too White for his Mexican friends. He visits his relatives for a summer and learns to fit in between both worlds.

      The Disappearing Act - I thought I had this solved in the first few pages, thinking it was the same "formula" as several other recent books but boy was I wrong. I'm not saying anything else :)

      Dust - Not only should there be a rule about no music in audiobook recordings but there should be a rule about no huge cliffhangars. This book is a followup to Peter Pan but it ends as soon as the characters find out how to get back to Neverland. The problem is, they don't arrive until the next book in the series, which my library system doesn't carry. Grr.

IN PROGRESS

      Salty, Bitter, Sweet

And now it's your turn! What have you read recently? Anything counts: novel, magazine, quilt pattern or cereal box!

Feline Friday - 7/2/21

 Hey Momma - 

Can I catch a ride the next time you mow the weeds grass?!

PS - it’s soooo hard to get good help around here. Momma didn’t notice until today/Sunday that this didn’t publish on Friday as scheduled.  I’ll therefore take the opportunity to wish all my American friends a Happy Independence Day!!!

Wednesday Weather Report #215 - 6/30/21

I have a hard time complaining about our weather when I know it's so much worse in the Western USA but I'm going to do it anyway...

We've had some rain the last couple of days but 10 minutes of torrential rain doesn't do much in the face of a another extremely dry summer. It's also been hot enough to make this girl melt as soon as she leaves the air conditioned office. I don't think I've been able to accomplish anything meaningful this week other than walks in the morning where I arrive home dripping with sweat. It feels good to accomplish a long walk but gooder to step directly into a cool shower! LOL!

I would like to say these high temps are more like late July or August weather but my excel spreadsheet with the daily temps since 2017 is on a thumb drive that isn't working at the moment so I can't really confirm that. Anyone have a surefire way to rescue files from a non-cooperative thumb drives?

June 23 - 29, 2021
66 - 82 - 80 - 83 - 87 - 87 - 90 F

I walked to the local state park again on Sunday. I happened to wake up early enough that the temps were comfortable but I didn't sit at my favorite bench very long to enjoy the view since the caterpillar poop was grossing me out. Do you have the gypsy moth problem like we are having ? The caterpillars are eating trees bare of their leaves and they poop a LOT. The little pellets fall from the trees and cover everything - it sounds like rain if they are hitting the right surface. Luckily or unluckily they are now changing in to their chrysalids to become moths so the leaf munching and pooping will stop - we will just need to deal with the moths... Ah nature!

Feline Friday - 6/25/21

There's nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap in my favorite nursery tray! 

Yipp - right here next to the recycling bin!

Ahhhh ... that was a good stretch!

Enough Already, Momma!! Enough with the pictures!!

Wednesday Weather Report #214 - 6/23/21

It's one of the best seasons of the year : Strawberry Season!!!

And these beauties are from a new coworker's strawberry patch. Soooo sweet and juicy. Rumor is she's bringing more so that I can make strawberry ice cream!

June 16 - 22, 2021
65 - 69 - 71 - 80 - 76 - 82 - 55 F

Your eyes are not deceiving you - it was a mere 55F yesterday. It was quite rejuvenating, especially for my morning walk, but also a shocker since summer has finally and officially begun.

Feline Friday - 6/18/21

I have the best kicker toy collection east of the Mississippi and west of the Genesee!!

You would never guess this started as a neat line of shoes by the door =^..^=

Wednesday Weather Report #213 - 6/16/21

As an eclipse picture, these are unimpressive but as sunrise pictures with the fog rising over the Genesee River (one of few that flows north) and the lush farm fields, I think they are stunning.

Sunrise, Thursday, 6/10/21 @ 05:46
Lunar Eclipse

Sunrise, Thursday, 6/10/21 @ 05:50
Lunar Eclipse

I walked to the local state park Sunday morning, ate breakfast at my new favorite bench (quiet and shaded!) and then walked back home. You can see the haze in the air as the day was destined to be a hot one. The river gorge you see below is home to the same river in the pictures above.

Sunday, 6/13/21 @ 8:05
Letchworth State Park

June 9 - 15, 2021
81 - 77 - 81 - 74 - 81 - 60 - 68 F

Wednesday Weather Report #212 - 6/9/21

It's been hot and muggy this week but there have been been some lovely sunrises and sunsets as I struggle to find cooler weather for my virtual challenge walks. 

Sunrise Friday, 6/4/21
The sun was rising and the fog was lifting

Sunset Sunday, 6/6/21
Life is better with sunsets and cell towers

My county is very hilly - before the cell tower was built in my village just a couple years ago I could only get decent internet on my cell phone in certain areas of my house and couldn't move while talking on the phone or it would cut out. The service is much better now but I also spend a lot more time on the internet. I'm not always sure it was a better trade off...

June 2 - 8, 2021
74 - 70 - 76 - 90 - 85 - 84 - 79F

That Saturday it was 90? I was at the NYS Yoga Festival. You know, exercising in the sun for 5 hours. The Sunday it was 85, I mowed the lawn at 9am and still was about to pass out from the heat and humidity. MY face was beet red! Tomorrow's high will only be 79. That's better, right?!

PS - The hexies are posed on the Sea Serpent (Village mascot) bike rack. The actual Sea Serpent was used as a marketing hoax at Silver Lake in the next town. It worked as lots of people came to search the lake for it a hundred years ago until the local hotel burned and they found the "serpent" in the attic next to the bellows that filled it with air so that it would rise from the water. 

Feline Friday - 6/4/21

 Do you think I could be a model?

Maybe a whisker model? It's gotta pay more than being a hand model or a paw model, right?!

Wednesday Weather Report #211 - 6/2/21

Hello and Welcome to the last report of May 2021 - we've had some wacky weather. Keep in mind that we just had some near 90F days and then this came...

May 26 - 31, 2021 :: 75 - 62 - 38 - 48 - 60 - 68 F
June 1, 2021 :: 72

You eyes are NOT deceiving you - that is a blue day at the end of May. The windchill was only 30F/-1.1C!! Brrrrrr!! Never fear tho as we are doomed headed towards 90F again next week.

I took advantage of the long weekend to refill my "weather" box. Considering the number of days already in the 70s/80s this year it was time. You can also tell the colors that don't get used that much as they aren't topped off.  I'm pretty well stocked for the next 18 months or so.

Did you know the full moon last week was a super blood moon? That made it the largest and brightest moon of the whole year. I went out for one last walk after the day had cooled off to find the  moon rising up over the neighbor's houses. 

As with any sun or moon pic, they are always so much better in person, meaning you'll have to trust me when I say it was a stunner and so worth the surprise.

The Bibliophile Files - 6/1/21

Welcome to my monthly reading list. It was an exceptional month of reading, only to be rivaled by most summer camping trips. Can you believe I am already 10 books ahead of schedule for the year? Woot!! Most of the (audio) reading takes place during my daily walks. I had a little set back over the weekend thanks to the rain but I'm back on track and hoping to have another successful month in June.

FINISHED
     The Whistler - a mysterious whistle blower files a misconduct charge against a judge and The Florida Board of Judicial Review must determine if the judge is actually involved with the mafia and their monetary scams. 

     The Turn of the Key - A little bit psycho-thriller, a little bit Big Brother and a little bit family drama.

     The Last Juror - The new/young owner revives the failing small town newspaper after writing many articles about the 1970 murder trial of a young white man who raped and murdered a young black woman. While the man is given life in prison, he is released after just a couple of years and begins hunting down the jurors who convicted him.

     They Went Left - The story of a young woman looking for her little brother after being liberated from WWII Polish prison camps.

     Hello Sunshine - a good summer read about food, betrayal and frienemies.

     Into White - a young black teenager prays for Jesus to turn her into a white teenager. The story is partially about who still sees her as black while others see her as white. I never figured out why some only saw her as black after she was white.

     Easy Prey - Told from the point of view of 3 high school students. It's essentially a warning about being careful with technology: sexting, the internet, etc.

     Circling the Sun - raised in Kenya, this is the story of her "wild" upbringing and her disastrous family and romantic relationships.

     Cold Mourning - a new-to-me series of a First Nations police recruit who must solve a mystery by herself over the Christmas holidays when her peers don't quite believe in her.

     Behind Closed Doors - If ever I wanted to hate a character, then this book is about him. I kept reading solely to see if he got his comeuppance.

     Kindred - the sci fi part of this story was hard for me to like but I did appreciate the historical story of a (black) woman who saves a (white) child in order to assure the blood line continues, despite the slave-owner dynamics.

     The Magic Barrel - this was a free YA book from the SYNC summer series. Each year they include a LA Theater Works production that I really look forward to for the multiple actors, sound effects including applause, theater atmosphere, etc. This year's offering was so short, it's almost like it wasn't a LATW. The short story about finding a wife for a young Jewish man was good but predictable.

     Of Beetles & Angels: a boy's remarkable journey from refugee camp to Harvard - I kinda thought that Harvard was a small part of the story given the mention in the title. It was an interesting take on the refugee journey to making good in the USA.

     Alive - this was another free YA book. It's also a graphic audio novel or a "movie in your mind" meaning there are lots of annoying sound effects. I've not yet decided if I want to finish the trilogy..

IN PROGRESS

     The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek

And now it's your turn - what have you been reading? Anything counts: novel, magazine, quilt pattern or cereal box!

Feline Friday - 5/28/21

I've taken on a side hustle! I suppose it's the least I can do for eating the neighbor cat's food.

I'm now inspecting the neighbor's flower gardens, especially the blackberry bushes!!!! 

Momma says I have to tell you the following as a full disclosure kind of thing:

• This picture was taken a month ago. Not only are the plants all much bigger but please don't confuse it with today's weather which is rain and 38F. Yes, a "blue day" at the end of May! Brrrrr.
• I like to rub my face against anything that's mine and I often come home with short lacerations to my nose. Momma thinks it might be from rubbing against the spiky berry bushes. I ain't admitting to nothing!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Wednesday Weather Reports #209 & #210 - 5/26/21

Not much to report here on my end. I haven't been getting much stitching done as I've been out and about for one reason or another quite a bit recently, including working on a 434 mile (virtual) walking challenge. I'm getting lots of reading done but not much else. I started 5 weeks later than most of the participants so there is lots of catching up to do on the 4 month event. 

#209
May 12 - 18, 2021
56 - 62 - 65 - 68 - 66 - 71 - 74 F

Just in case you think I'm totally bonkers for doing such a challenge ... I totally am but it's beyond motivational!! My long game is that, thanks to the broken foot last summer, I haven't climbed a mountain or done much of anything since 2019 and I need to build my stamina back up before my annual summer camping & hiking trips.

#210
May 19 - 25, 2021
80 - 86 - 85 - 78 - 75 - 68 - 81 F

I'm looking forward to this coming long weekend for a little extra time to catch up on stitching and mileage. What are you doing this weekend?!

Feline Friday - 5/21/21

Momma promised (again!) to catch up on her temperature hexies this weekend and post them next week. Instead she has been working on this test pattern for a friend. What you are seeing is actually two blocks tessellated and filled out on the sides. It looks way more complicated than it really is, it just took Momma a while to finally settled on a design.

As you can see it's on "my" dolly bed but I don't plan to sleep there any time soon.

Instead, I'll be outside working on my summer tan!!! We have been in the high 80's this week - what else is such a fine feline supposed to be doing?

Feline Friday - 5/14/21

Did you know my luxurious, silky, furs are really brown? Especially in the sun?

It shows up better IRL - internet pictures don't do it justice at all.

Same goes for my eyes - much more stunning in real life!

Thursday Weather Report #208 - 5/13/21

Can you believe that this week marks the fourth anniversary of my Weather Reports? 

I can't either! 

I'd like to say that I took (found?) the time to catch up on my temperature hexies but I didn't. 

Instead I've been stitching like a mad woman on a test project I'm doing for an online friend.

 Kerri had PaperPieces produce the papers and then asked on Instagram for anyone that wanted to test them. I had never tested a pattern of any type so I quickly raised my hand without thinking of all the other deadlines I had looming. Our deadline was May 1st but that, luckily, got bumped to 5/15 and I am expecting it to get bumped again due to production delays and pattern changes. 

Each tester was given enough papers to make 4 "blocks." Some of the testers made blocks and appliqued them on backgrounds but I saw the opportunity to tessellate the blocks together and ran with it to make a doll quilt. I changed my layout at least 3 times - I'm such a slow "designer" as I like to let a project speak to me as I work on each part, about what to do next. I'm currently confident that I'll be able to finish the top by this weekend so I can catch up on some other projects before I work on quilting it next week. 

May 5 - 11, 2021
47 - 50 - 45 - 51 - 52 - 51 - 48 F

Feline Friday - 5/7/21

This is what Momma calls her furry weighted blanket:

I call it hard work getting her to concentrate on her hexie test project.

After a while I convert to the mini-weighted blanket.

=^..^=

Wednesday Weather Report #207 - 5/5/21

I have a little issue with my temperature project... 

I'm out of papers!!!!

Eek!

OK, I'm not really out - it's more like they are all being used because I haven't pulled the papers out in many, many, many, many weeks worth of daily temps. Just something else on the honey do list that doesn't seem to get done until it's absolutely necessary. Tell me I'm not the only one with this problem?

April 28 - 30, 2021 :: 70 - 50 - 46 F
May 1 - 4, 2021 :: 50 - 64 - 64 - 69 F

The Bibliophile Files - 5/4/21

It makes a body feel old when they start a blog post, Chrome is accidentally closed and the post is totally forgotten until after 9pm when there is no way to finish it at home. Me. Yes. I'm feeling old and forgetful. Or maybe I can just blame it on a busy work day. Sure. That sounds good! 

At least I haven't forgotten to read books. I think I had a pretty good month, especially given that some of these books were much longer than my usual. I'm actually ahead of schedule for my annual goal - something I haven't been able to say in many years until after I go camping.

The dotted line indicates when I finished my Spell that Place challenge. In case you are unfamiliar with my challenges: first I pick a place with a long name (This year I chose Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta, which is a train station in India) from this website list and then I read (28) books where the first letter of a book title word corresponds with a letter in the place name. It's much easier to do than to explain. 

FINISHED

     The Want-Ad Killer - A true crime novel. Gruesome and interesting at the same time but I really expected more about the want-ad aspect given it's in the title. It wasn't his main method of kidnapping women but he eventually was caught/convicted and is still in prison (if we believe Wiki) at the age of 93.

     Trace of Evil - oh look another book with Evil in the title. LOL. Finishing my annual challenge always brings out the weird titles at the end when I need to find 8 books that are A or E books. 

     The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes -- prequal to the Hungar Games series - it explains a lot!

     Just Watch Me - written by the same author who wrote the Dexter TV series. This is book #1 in the series and I almost immediately read the second book. I'm really hoping there will be a third book this year.

     Through the Evil Days - great book from a great series. The book takes place from 2 perspectives, really 2 ends, of the same investigation.

------

     Fool Me Twice - this is book #2 to Just Watch Me.

     The Brontë Plot - a leftover from last year's SYNC season. It's definitely a YA book with young love and a predictable ending but a nice, easy read.

     Come On In - 15 short stories on immigration - the first book from the new SYNC season. It was a nice reminder that immigration isn't always sneaking across a dessert or ocean to get into another country.

IN PROGRESS

     The Whistler

And now it's your turn? What are you reading? What should I read?

Anything counts: novel, magazine, quilt pattern or cereal box!

Wednesday Weather Report #206 - 4/28/21

I think I heard some thunder this afternoon = now it's officially spring :)

Hopefully I remembered to unplug my sewing machine as I had planned to do last night...

April 21 - 27, 2021
34 - 34 - 52 - 61 - 50 - 47 - 69 F

The plant in the tiny greenhouse is a String of Turtles. It's a succulent where, when properly hydrated, each petal is puffed up to resemble a turtle shell. The "flowers" are really white/green spikes at the end of each string and mine appears to be in full "bloom". It's meant to be a hanging plant but it always seemed to dry out too quickly (I nearly killed it last year) so it now sits in the greenhouse on a tray of water/rocks and it's happy as can be.

Feline Friday - 4/23/21

Umm ... yes ... I do know it's snowing. And it's cooold.

But this is my favorite hiding spot in my favorite tiger lilies and I cannot leave them here to suffer alone in the cold and snow.

Wednesday Weather Report #205 - 4/21/21

We had a slight change in the weather today...it's just temporary tho!! 60s and 70s are back in the forecast for the next couple of weeks so I'm enjoying the snow while I can.

Despite appearances, I did have a wonderful walk this morning. I did laugh, tho, when Zorro refused to go outside but I was pleased as punch to do so. It was the perfect temperature to get some exercise and the snow was pretty. I made it home just as the sidewalks got slippery. The only issue was not being able to see through my wet glasses. 

Oh and might I add a Merry Christmas to the mix!

This plant has another flower about to open and the white cactus has a few buds just starting. The red cactus is working on new leaves and the orange cactus is still getting used to its new home and not doing much of anything. I don't think I've ever had blossoms this late in the year - usually late/November, December and January/February. Last fall was an early start with blossoms for election day and it looks like I'll still have flowers in May.

April 14 - 20, 2021
60 - 43 - 41 - 47 - 55 - 58 - 42 F

Feline Friday - 4/16/21

Hey Momma -

When do you think it's gonna stop raining so that we you can rake up the leaves again and polish my throne Adirondack chair?

The throne chair is a much better vantage to watch over my 'hood and work on my summer tan at the same time!

Love, Z

=^..^=

Wednesday Weather Report #204 - 4/14/21

Today is supposedly the warmest day in the next two weeks. I even heard a rumor of the "s" word and we are definitely expecting some much needed rain as my area is already in a moderate drought, which is 2 to 4 months early. Yikes!

This is the time of year when I just don't know what to wear because there is such a temperature difference from when I get up, go to work, eat lunch, get home and go to bed that I could change 5 times. I'm not good at layering so I probably need to work on that...

April 7 - 13, 2021
64 - 73 - 64 - 76 - 60 - 52 - 56 F

For now, we just enjoy the sunshine and the reflection on our dirty blue cars and dusty windows. Ah, the signs of spring :)

Feline Friday - 4/9/21

 Hi!!

Bye!!

Wednesday Weather Report #203 - 4/7/21

Has anyone else felt like they haven't accomplished much lately? I do. 

I've been in a little bit of a decluttering snit but I'm not getting much stitching done.  I do wonder if part of the problem is that I am not 100% in to what I'm stitching at the moment (altho it's a project that needs to be finished "yesterday"). I'm pretty sure I had the same problem with the audio book I just finished. It wasn't a great book and I didn't make it a priority to finish so that I could move on to the next book. 

As always, I'll get over it and get back to stitching. I'm already on to a better book!

March 31, 2021 :: 47 F
April 1 - 6, 2021 :: 34 - 32 - 43 - 52 - 53 - 58 F

I always tell myself that we don't get many days in the 50s and then, look!, 3 days in a row. I might be a weather nerd but I can predict nothing...