Month: October 2019

Books Read in 2019

142. *A Memory Called Empire, Martine, Arkady
141. *Bitterwood, Speedwell, Rowan
140. *Not For Use In Navigation, Sharma, Iona Datt
139. *Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett, Terry (re-read)
138. *The Dark Days Club, Goodman, Alison
137. *The Scottish Prisoner, Gabaldon, Diana
136. *Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, Gabaldon, Diana
135. *Wickedly Dangerous, Blake, Deborah
134. *Seonag and the Seawolves, MacGriogar, M. Evan (short story)
133. *Lord John and the Plague of Zombies, Gabaldon, Diana
132. *Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Gabaldon, Diana
131. *Lord John and the Custom of the Army, Gabaldon, Diana
130. *Lord John and the Hand of Devils, Gabaldon, Diana
129. *Lord John and the Private Matter, Gabaldon, Diana
128. *Wolfsong, Klune, T. J.
127. *Unnatural Issue, Lackey, Mercedes
126. *Reserved for the Cat, Lackey, Mercedes
125. *The Wizard of London, Lackey, Mercedes
124. *Phoenix and Ashes, Lackey, Mercedes
123. *The Gates of Sleep, Lackey, Mercedes
122. *The Fire Rose, Lackey, Mercedes
121. *Reticence, Carriger, Gail
120. *Competence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
119. *Imprudence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
118. *Prudence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
117. *Poison or Protect, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
116. *Mrs. O’Leary’s Boarding House: Aliens Only, Halsey, W. F.
115. *The Color of Magic, Pratchett, Terry (re-read)
114. Coraline, Gaiman, Neil (reread)
113. Northwest Smith, Moore, C. L.
112. Transcription, Atkinson, Kate
111. *Hither, Page, Sebastian, Cat
110. The Fifth Gender, Carriger, G. L.
109. The Wild Wood, de Lint, Charles (re-read)
108. Tales From The Inner City, Tan, Shawn
107. Good Omens, Pratchett, Terry and Gaiman, Neil (re-read)
106. *The Lightning Struck Heart, Klune, T. J.
105. *Today I Am Carey, Shoemaker, Martin L.
104. *The Corinthian, Heyer, Georgette
103. *Wanted, A Gentleman, Charles, K. J.
102. Tales From Outer Suburbia, Tan, Shaun
101. *The Man With Two Left Feet And Other Stories, Wodehouse, P. G.
100. The Arrival, Tan, Shaun (graphic novel)
99. *Hell or High Water, Cochet, Charlie
98. *Manners and Mutiny, Carriger, Gail
97. *Waistcoats and Weaponry, Carriger, Gail
96. *Curtsies and Conspiracies, Carriger, Gail
95. *Salt Magic, Skin Magic, Welch, Lee
94. *Enemies with Benefits, Martin, Annika and Chambers, Joanna
93. *Lark and Wren, Lackey, Mercedes
92. *Tribute Act, Chambers, Joanna
91. *Brat Farrar, Tey, Josephine
90. Fortune’s Favor, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (novella)
89. *The Soldier’s Scoundrel, Sebastian, Cat
88. *The Lawrence Browne Affair, Sebastian, Cat
87. *The Ruin of a Rake, Sebastian, Cat
86. Shout of Honor, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (novella)
85. The Little Paris Bookshop, George, Nina
84. *Brilliant Devices, Adina, Shelly
83. *Magnificent Devices, Adina, Shelly
82. *Her Own Devices, Adina, Shelly
81. *Lady of Devices, Adina, Shelly
80. *Romancing the Inventor, Carriger, Gail
79. *Cast In Honor, Sagara, Michelle
78. *Cast In Flame, Sagara, Michelle
77. *Cast In Sorrow, Sagara, Michelle
76. *A Gentleman Never Keeps Score, Sebastian, Cat
75. *Cast In Peril, Sagara, Michelle
74. *Cast In Ruin, Sagara, Michelle
73. *The Damnation Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
72. *The Ripper Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
71 *The Red Plague Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
70. *The Iron Wyrm Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
69. *The Underwater Ballroom Society, Burgis, Stephanie, editor
68. *Cast in Chaos, Sagara, Michelle
67. *It Takes Two to Tumble, Sebastian, Cat
66. *Cast in Silence, Sagara, Michelle
65. *Unnatural, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
64. *Seasons Pass, Chambers, Joanna (reread)
63. *Enlightened, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
62. *Beguiled, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
61. *Provoked, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
60. *Merry and Bright, Chambers, Joanna
59. *The Ruin of Gabriel Ashley, Chambers, Joanna
58. *Once Burned, Frost, Jeaniene
57. *Night Shift, Harris, Charlaine
56. *Day Shift, Harris, Charlaine
55. *Midnight Crossroad, Harris, Charlaine
55. *Cast in Fury, Sagara, Michelle
54. *Any Old Diamonds, Charles, K. J.
53. *Tea With the Black Dragon, MacAvoy, R. A.
52. *The Omega Objection, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
51. *Summage Solution, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
50. *Marine Biology, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
49. *Threshold, Hawk, Jordan L.
48. *Widdershins, Hawk, Jordan L.
47. *Band Sinister, Charles, K. J.
46. *The Hollow of Fear, Thomas, Sherry
45. *A Conspiracy in Belgravia, Thomas, Sherry
44. *A Study in Scarlet Women, Thomas, Sherry
43. *Poison or Protect, Carriger, Gail
42. *Cast in Secret, Sagara, Michelle
41. *Cast in Moonlight, Sagara, Michelle
40. *Think of England, Charles, K. J.
39 *A Case of Possession, Charles, K. J.(reread)
38. *The Magpie Lord, Charles, K. J. (reread)
37. *A Gentleman’s Position, Charles, K. J.
36. *A Seditious Affair, Charles, K. J.
35. *Cast in Courtlight, Sagara, Michelle
34. *Cast in Shadow, Sagara, Michelle
33. *Inside Job, Willis, Connie
32. *The Tea Master and the Detective, de Bodard, Aliette
31. *Waiting on a Bright Moon, Yang, Jy.
30. *A Fashionable Indulgence, Charles, K. J.
29. *The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t, Carriger, Gail (reread)
28. *The Parasol Protectorate: Timeless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
27. *The Parasol Protectorate: Heartless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
26. *The Parasol Protectorate: Changeless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
25. *The Parasol Protectorate: Blameless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
24. *The Parasol Protectorate: Soulless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
23. *How To Marry A Werewolf, Carriger, Gail (reread)
22. *Romancing the Werewolf, Carriger, Gail (reread)
21. *Competence (The Custard Protocol, Book 3), Carriger, Gail
20. *Imprudence (The Custard Protocol, Book 2), Carriger, Gail (reread)
19. *Prudence (The Custard Protocol, Book 1), Carriger, Gail (reread)
18. *An Unnatural Heir, Charles, K. J.
17. *His Consort, Calmes, Mary
16. *An Unnatural Vice, Charles, K. J.
15. *An Unseen Attraction, Charles, K. J.
14. Chanur’s Legacy, Cherry, C. J. (re-re-read)
13. *An Enlightenment Story: Unnatural, Chambers, Joanna
12: *An Enlightenment Story: Seasons Pass, Chambers, Joanna
11. *Enlightenment Series: Enlightened, Chambers, Joanna
10. *Enlightenment Series: Beguiled, Chambers, Joanna
9. *Enlightenment Series: Provoked, Chambers, Joanna
8. Chanur’s Homecoming, Cherryhh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
7. Chanur’s Venture, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
6. The Kif Strike Back, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
5. The Pride of Chanur, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
4. Alliance Rising, Cherryh, C. J.
3. *Introducing Mr. Winterbourne, Chambers, Joanna
2. *Mr. Winterbourne’s Christmas, Chambers, Joanna
1.  Merchanter’s Luck, Cherryh, C. J. (re-reread)

* Ebook

Fishing

Longtime readers of this blog might remember me mentioning a thing called “Mag Challenges.”  A woman who had a blog called Magpie Tales, would post a photograph or picture, and challenge her readers to use that image as the inspiration for a bit of writing.  Alas, she has moved on, and no longer issues her challenges, but I continue to challenges myself, and you might find the results here and here   Such is this fabric of my being
Woven by the sleepless spider of my mind
From the weft of the unending now
Through the warp of passing time
Into a seine of memory by which
The picture of a bird can sieve
A phrase of half forgotten song,
A twine of Celtic knotwork black on cyan silk
The taste of buttercream and lemons.
Out of the dark, still depths
Of the lake of all my yesterdays.

Fall Has Finally Fell

For a couple of weeks now, our temperatures have been faffing about in the 80’s F/26.6+ C, with intermittent pyrotechnics and gullywashers.  I’m still in summer bed linens — top sheet and a heavy cotton spread — but night before last, it got so cold in my bedroom that I went rummaging in the blanket chest for that little fleece twin blanket that I use as a lap robe when the weather gets below-zero, two-feet-of-snow-on-the-ground cold, and put it over my side of the bed.  I think it may be time to get out the waffle blanket.

In the early owls of the morning yesterday, the thermostat in the hallway said 72 F/22.2 C, and the one on the box of my desktop computer said 71 F/21.6 C which was a real eye opener, because that particular location is usually the hottest spot in the house, whether the computer is on or off. (Don’t know why.  The only window in that room is covered in aluminum foil, shiny side out, to keep the sun out of my eyes and out of the house. That should make it cooler, no?)  Supposed to be a high of 83 F/28.3 C tomorrow, then down into the 70’s F/21+ C again for the forecastable future.  I’m in long-sleeved, mid shin cotton now.  If this keeps up, I may have to start putting socks on.  (The city I live in is at the same latitude as Casablanca, Morocco.  Your climate challenges may vary . . . )

I have been in a kind of slow bummer for the past couple of days.  The “Rememberance” for my friend BL who passed away Sunday before last was this afternoon. It was a kind of secular wake, no body, no clergy, just people sharing food, beverage and grief.   My mom went with, as much out of solidarity as because I don’t do well in those sort of situations.  On my part of the spectrum, emotions are very close to the surface and often quite intense.   Her poor husband and daughter were practically propping each other up. He’s doing as well as can be expected for a man who has just lost the love of his life.   She and her daughter were particularly close, and it’s been a steep hill for her, too.

L.O.R.D. Critical World

I’ve run across another couple of those Chinese “historical fantasy” TV series, “The Untamed” and a spinoff of “L.O.R.D. Legend of Ravaging Dynasties” called L.O.R.D. Critical World.  The plots are what I would call “high Wagnerian” — i.e., convoluted and involved, deadly serious in tone, and with various characters and groups of characters being put through the wringer of traumatic experiences for no apparent reason.  The first one is the only one of them I can find with subtitles, which is really not all that much help, actually. Most of the time I have no clue who’s on first or what’s going on.   But they are visually stunning in terms of  hot young actors in long wigs and gorgeous costumes martial arts-ing about on fantastic sets, and who the heck cares if it makes sense or not? it’s just so “oooooh, shiny!”

I am slowly but surely being sucked into the super massive black hole that is the Outlander franchise.  I’m fighting it, but it’s a loosing battle, especially the TV show, because I keep running across clips from it on YouTube featuring Lord John Grey, a character I’m kind of hooked on at the moment.  In the books, Lord John is 5’6″ tall with blond hair and blue eyes.   The actor (David Berry) they’ve cast to play him in the TV show isn’t.  But, I know exactly why they cast him.  If you could CGI him shorter, and give him blond hair and blue eyes, his looks would be as perfect as his acting.  The fact that Lord John is so short, and that Jamie Fraser, the male main character, is well over 6 feet tall is part of the interpersonal dynamic between these two characters. . . . grumble. . . grumble. . . grumble. . . If I can just hold off until after Christmas, I will swan dive down that particular rabbit hole with abandon and probably go off on one long bender of binge-watching/reading.  Might make having to live through an election year a whole lot less maddening/infuriating/exasperating/all of the above.

As I’ve mentioned, the main Jamie+Claire story  Outlander books average out at around 300,000 words apiece.  If you’re tempted by the story, but are leery of committing to reading 8 such doorstops, you might try one of the Lord John stand-alone spinoffs,  which range in length from short stories, to novellas, to more manageable-sized novels, to see if you like her style of storytelling.

This just in:  The BJD sweater lacks about 5 rows on the remaining sleeve and weaving in the ends to be complete.  Film at 11.

And this because Steely Dan.

Contretemps and Other Assorted Dentistry

Had another attack of thunder-boomers again last night.  Power flicked on and off a couple times, which did not affect my computer because I have it plugged into a UPS*, but it made my AT&T whole-shebang modem** reboot each time the power went off.  I need to rethink what I’ve got plugged into my UPS and see if I can’t manage to plug the AT&T modem into it as well.

As regular readers may recall, back in August, one of my back teeth threw a shoe, and I had to have that crown cemented back on.   Well, that cement lasted until this past Sunday.  While I was eating a baked potato, off came the crown again.   I got it re-cemented back on this morning with hopes it will hold until we get back from our planned trip.

Unfortunately, the reason the crown came off again is because the stub of tooth left over from the previous root canal is slowly but surely disintegrating.  One way or another, it’s got to come out.  Of course, if he just pulls the tooth and leaves it at that, I’ll lose the tooth above it, too.  (Bone toughens in response to stress.  What keeps your upper teeth in your head is the stress on the upper jawbone that results from chewing.  If you lose a lower tooth, the bone weakens around the roots of the tooth above it and that unopposed tooth slowly but surely starts falling out.)  About 15 years ago, I lost the back molar on the other side with no option to replace it and the tooth above the empty space hangs noticeably lower than the tooth next to it.

What we’ve decided to do is to go for a second dental implant.  The tooth just ahead of the misbehaving molar is the implant I got in 2017, and I have been totally satisfied with it.  The bone graft took right away, and everything went well.  The implant process takes about 6-8 months from when the tooth is pulled to when the crown is installed.    I get the tooth pulled on 4 November.  (So not looking forward to that!)  I’ll have to be on an antibiotic both before and after the extraction because of the stents in my heart, and I’ll be chewing right-handed for the foreseeable future.   Joy electric.

In 2017, my dentist moved to new premises WAY the heck out on 122nd Street***(I live on 66th Street).  The town where I live is expanding south and west at a fairly fast clip.  Developers are building large clusters of houses (we call them “housing additions or subdivisions; the Brits call them “housing estates”) on the outskirts of town.  This photo is looking back toward town from the parking lot of the little strip mall where my dentist has his office.  There are large plots of houses to the west, south, and east of where this was taken, with a cotton field right in the middle. (Evidently this plot of land either hasn’t been sold to a developer yet, or else the developer has no plans to build on it right away and the guy he bought it from has enough time to get one more cotton crop out of it before it gets dozed and they start putting streets in.)  If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see that the cotton bolls (white dots) are already starting to open. (Groan!)

That means we’re moving into my worst allergy season of the year — cotton stripping and ginning time.  This is when the cotton is harvested from the plants, cleaned of plant trash, and “ginned” of its seeds.  Particles of dirt and plant trash coated with herbicide, pesticide, and defoliant, as well as fine pieces of cotton lint are thrown into the air by  both the stripping and ginning processes.  My lungs and sinuses will be having a hissy fit until about February.

Here’s one of the usual suspects in action.  The below video was made northeast of us, fairly close to the state line between us and Oklahoma.  (The land there is not quite as flat as it is where I live.)  This cotton stripper not only picks the cotton bolls off the plants, it takes the boll off the cotton and discards it, so that what it rolls up into that nice round plastic-covered bale is about 95% cotton and only about 5% plant trash.  You’ll notice the lint and dust blowing off the machinery as it heads down the rows.   Oh, and by the way, one of these little buggies will set you  back about $700,000.

In the knitting news, the BJD sweater is coming along. I’m writing the pattern up as I go along and I’ll publish it in my knitting blog. I need to mail it next week for it to arrive in time for Jane’s birthday.  You’ll notice in the picture on the left what looks like a piece of slightly bent wire.  That’s the tapestry needle that I was using as a cable needle.  I will have enough yarn to finish the sweater (whew!), and probably enough yarn left over to make a stocking cap to match. So, that.

Here in the flatlands we have what is described as a “semi-arid” climate, which means our humidity rarely goes above 60% (usually only when it’s pouring down rain) and can get down in the teens and nobody thinks too much about it.

I have one of those thick plastic mats that you put under office chairs so they will roll easily on carpet. If I’m wearing my ear buds listening to stuff on the computer, and I shuffle my bare feet on the plastic mat, I will get static sparks in my ears.  (Gets your attention, I can tell you!)

Feeding my Aunt’s Chickens, aged 3

This GIF is so evocative for me. As a child, I was a tow-headed blonde with fine, flyaway hair. When I was about 3 years old, my parents had an old green Studebaker that had bench seats, and seat covers woven out of plastic thread, (like that stuff they put on lawn chairs).  This was way back, long before the days before child protective seats.  When we went somewhere in the car, I stood on the seat beside my mother.  In order to get out of the car,  I had to slide across the seat on my tummy until my legs were clear of the edge and then climb down; and when I stood up, I looked a lot like this little girl. (Except blonde.)  (And cuter.)

*Uninterrupted Power Supply, AKA battery backup/surge protector.  I've got 10 minutes worth of battery to allow me to save computer files I'm working on so I don't lose stuff when the power goes out.

**  a cable company modem that controls everything you get from their service with a single modem.  In my case, that's cable TV, a  VOIP land-line phone and internet access.  If you lose power, the modem goes off and you have no internet, no TV and no phone.

*** Because we're in the flatlands and there's pretty much nothing but a shallow canyon in the way of putting a town anywhere you want to, my town (pop. 261,000) was laid out on a grid, with the east-west streets numbered north to south, and the north-south streets named alphabetically  east to west,  which makes 122nd Street 56 streets further south than 66th Street.

Oh, It’s Knitting Time Again, The Weather’s Cooler*

Our weather has been consistently cooler (finally!) and rainy of late, with crashy-bangy T-storms rumbling in out of the southwest, heading for Oklahoma and points SE. I stepped outside this afternoon wearing a short sleeved tee shirt and the thought actually crossed my mind that I might want a light jacket.  (Must have gotten down into the low 80’s F/26-27 C.)  If it cools down any more, I’m going to have to start wearing clothes in the house again. . . That’s ok, though because I have long-sleeved, ankle length sleep shirts, too. (Cotton is my friend. . . ). . . . And would you believe, only two finished, wearable shawls?

Mom and I have a flying visit to Pearland scheduled toward the end of October, and after that, the top priority item on the knitting agenda will be making the “talents” for this year’s scholarship auction at that Sekrit Klub my mom belongs to.  (The members are suppose to utilize their talents to make items for the auction.  My mom’s talent is getting me to make stuff for her. . . )  It’s going to be knitted Xmas balls this year.  Three sets of three.   I think I’ll make a red and green set, a red and white set, and a blue and white set.  I’ve got the red and white yarn, and I think I have the green, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have the right blue in the right yarn.  I’ll have to go stash diving to make sure, though, before I hit up Michael’s.

So now that the weather is getting cooler, I’m feeling more knitty (and less gritty!).  I got this little mini-hank of fingering weight yarn at the knitting group Xmas party year before last.  A lady who was not part of the group, but known to several of its members (she is both a drop-spindle and wheel spinner, had chickens, dogs, goats and alpaca, and would have had a long drive into and out of town at night, and anyway, with all that livestock, who has time??) dropped by the party on her way back out to her place.  She evidently had a RACSB moment and, without preamble, handed me this mini skein of hand-spun yarn in a plastic sandwich bag.  I don’t remember the exact fiber content, but there may be some alpaca involved.  It’s this not-quite-teal shade of blue/green.

It’s a neat trick for one person to wind a traditional skein without a swift, but I improvised.  Most of the yarn I buy is cheap and (hypoallergenic) acrylic and comes in pull skeins (pull skeins are tools of the Devil**, y’all.  Just sayin’. . .) and have no pressing need for a swift.  It’s when you start getting into the pricy, big name and/or “artisanal” woolen yarns — i.e., yarn from a big name European company, or yarn exclusively from only one breed of sheep, or artisan hand-spun/hand dyed yarns,  or yarns blended with fiber from truly exotic species (yak, musk ox, saluki. . . ) — what I refer to as “snob yarn” — that you start needing a swift.  ( Compare Caron Simply Soft acrylic yarn at around $5 per 315 yd/170 g skein –depending on where you buy it, and Malbrigo yarn (from Peru) at $18 per 440 yd/100g skein.  A sweater’s quantity — depending on your size — of the Malbrigo can run you more than $100!)

About six months ago, I sprang for some skeins of Malbrigo sock yarn (Peruvian) in a luscious dark teal (are you beginning to detect a color palette here?) and  some donuts of Knitting Fever (Australian) yarn in a really zippy two-tone combination of strands of light purple and medium Prussian blue twisted together.  I got both of them (on separate occasions!) from the Must Love Yarn Shop in Shelburne, VT.  Two of the owners of MLY put out a podcast every Friday (I follow their YouTube channel) during the course of which they will feature a particular brand of yarn as “the pick of the week” and give a discount code for 10% off that’s good for two weeks if you buy that particular yarn (in any color they have in stock) either in person from their store, or from their website.

Anyway, to crawl out of that rabbit hole and get back to that little hank of yarn (remember it?), I have been threatening for (literally) years to knit a sweater for the little 25-cm ball jointed doll belonging to the wife of my favorite author (C. J. Cherryh) and I had earmarked the aforementioned hank of yarn for that project. We’re talking fingering weight yarn on size US1/2.25 mm double pointed needles at a gauge of 6 stitches per 2 cm.  I’m having to use a tapestry needle to work the cable because none of my cable needles are small enough in diameter.  (The smallest cable needle I have is US6/4.0 mm).  I have the doll’s measurements, and I’m writing the pattern as I go.  (If God had wanted me to do math in my head, She wouldn’t have given us calculator apps!)  I’m also playing a little knitter’s game called “yarn chicken.” (I do love a challenge!) Thankfully, I have a “Plan B” — some compatible colors in this weight yarn — that I can “design in” to the pattern if I need to.  The US1’s I’m using are from my ChiaoGoo sock set.  Believe me, this sock set is a real bargain.  You get a  really nice, sturdy cloth, zippered carrying case and SIX 5-needle sets of 6-inch double pointed needles:  sizes US0/2mm, 1/2.25mm, 1.5/2.5mm, 2/2.75mm, 2.5/3mm and 3/3.25mm.  These are high-quality stainless steel needles.  (They also have sock sets in bamboo)  I absolutely adore them.


 

There’s a thing knitters refer to as UFO’s, UnFinished Objects — Works In Progress (WIPs) that have run out of gas. I’m telling you.  I have enough UFOs to re-enact  (H.G. or Orson, take your pick) Wells’ “War of the Worlds.”   Most of them are currently in a parking orbit in two of the drawers of my stash bins.  I’ve got four sets of bins crammed full of yarn and another two large plastic bins of yarn on the floor beside them.   I think after the first of the year, I need to go on a serious WIP whup.  A finish or frog-athon. (When I’m not in free-fall down the “Outlander” rabbit hole, that is. . .)(So many books, so little time!)  Sigh.

Today’s earworm is brought to you by the woman who would become Princess Leia‘s mom the year after this film was released, and two of the all-time great song-and-dance men  (Donald O’Connor and the incomparable Gene Kelly).  The unsinkable Ms. Reynolds is  having no trouble at all keeping up in this rarified company, singing or dancing.  The film this scene is from is a classic.

* With apologies to Ray Charles.
**They were ostensibly designed so you could use the yarn straight from the skein, without having to roll it up into a ball or cake first.  However, if you pull from the outside, you always have to be stopping and unrolling more yarn (or else you give it a good yank and it hops off the couch and rolls halfway across the room and you have to get up and go get it).  If you pull from the inside, locating the yarn end in the center of the skein is like Finding Nemo and once you're down to about 20% of the skein, they have a marked tendency to suddenly implode into a big wad of yarn barf.   Either way, they'll have you losing your religion in a New York minute.
***What the little ball chart calls "hankenskein" by any other name is still yarn barf.

In App Purchases and Other Abominations

Some marketing genius came up with this thing for games called “in app purchases” — You give the game away for free but let people buy more of the tokens they need to continue playing the game for some piddly price like $1.99 or $2.99.   Loose all your lives?  Buy five more for just $2.99.  Need more bombs or fizzies?  Buy 10 more for $9.99.  You get the idea.  Insidious and not a little sleazy, if you ask me.   Of course, you can get more lives for free if you wait a set limit of time — like five more lives if you wait 24 hours.  I’ve got about six games of this ilk downloaded to the Fire 10-inch tablet.  When I’m in that mood, I play one until I use up all the lives on that game, then go on to the next one.  I can play for quite a while doing that and I get the additional satisfaction of beating their racket.

I’m teetering on the brink of starting the first of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books.  I’ve read all her “Lord John” books, and I really liked them, but I just don’t know whether I want to get into that whole Stürm und Drang of a soap opera that is the main story line.  I got the first book (“Outlander“) as a free download for Kindle at some point and I’ve bought the second book in the series (“Dragonfly in Amber“).  They’re hefty books — door-stop class. Lord John doesn’t even make an appearance until Dragonfly in Amber and he’s only 16 at the time.  Sheesh.  Maybe after the first of the year.

— Speaking of “in app purchases,” Amazon Kindle frequently takes an older/longer/completed series of books whose sales are starting to run out of gas and offers the first book in the series for free as a limited time offer — which is how I got the first Outlander book as well as several others.  The idea is, of course, that if you like the first book, you’ll spring for more books in the series.  That’s “Amazon” spelled “o-c-t-o-p-u-s.”

Pet peeve number umpty-eleven:  Books written in first person.  Just not into it.  Not sorry.

Here’s your helpful homemaking hint for the day:  How to serve toast (for three or more people).  Cut the piece of toast on the diagonal, from the left upper corner to the right lower corner.  Then close up the two pieces like they were a book cover and stand them up on a plate.

Do the same for each slice. This way there’s room for you to insert a finger to pick up the piece of toast without touching the piece next to it.  (Of course, you’d want to use a bigger plate.)  This would also be a great way to serve Texas Toast if you garlic-buttered each slice, then cut them and put them together like this on a sheet of foil, which you wrapped them up in, then put the foil package in the oven to melt the butter.   You, too, can be the hostess with the mostest.

Nuts.  Now I’m hungry.

n.b.  In case you haven't sussed what I'm doing, I have long made a habit in this blog of linking words to their definitions when I think the usage is idiosyncratic to a particular place (Texas), region (South), or country, or is one of those off-the-wall idiomatic expressions English is prone to; this for those countries who speak a different brand of English, or for whom English is not their first language.

Books Read in 2019

139. *Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett, Terry
138. *The Dark Days Club, Goodman, Alison
137. *The Scottish Prisoner, Gabaldon, Diana
136. *Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, Gabaldon, Diana
135. *Wickedly Dangerous, Blake, Deborah
134. *Seonag and the Seawolves, MacGriogar, M. Evan (short story)
133. *Lord John and the Plague of Zombies, Gabaldon, Diana
132. *Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Gabaldon, Diana
131. *Lord John and the Custom of the Army, Gabaldon, Diana
130. *Lord John and the Hand of Devils, Gabaldon, Diana
129. *Lord John and the Private Matter, Gabaldon, Diana
128. *Wolfsong, Klune, T. J.
127. *Unnatural Issue, Lackey, Mercedes
126. *Reserved for the Cat, Lackey, Mercedes
125. *The Wizard of London, Lackey, Mercedes
124. *Phoenix and Ashes, Lackey, Mercedes
123. *The Gates of Sleep, Lackey, Mercedes
122. *The Fire Rose, Lackey, Mercedes
121. *Reticence, Carriger, Gail
120. *Competence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
119. *Imprudence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
118. *Prudence, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
117. *Poison or Protect, Carriger, Gail (re-read)
116. *Mrs. O’Leary’s Boarding House: Aliens Only, Halsey, W. F.
115. *The Color of Magic, Pratchett, Terry (re-read)
114. Coraline, Gaiman, Neil (reread)
113. Northwest Smith, Moore, C. L.
112. Transcription, Atkinson, Kate
111. *Hither, Page, Sebastian, Cat
110. The Fifth Gender, Carriger, G. L.
109. The Wild Wood, de Lint, Charles (re-read)
108. Tales From The Inner City, Tan, Shawn
107. Good Omens, Pratchett, Terry and Gaiman, Neil (re-read)
106. *The Lightning Struck Heart, Klune, T. J.
105. *Today I Am Carey, Shoemaker, Martin L.
104. *The Corinthian, Heyer, Georgette
103. *Wanted, A Gentleman, Charles, K. J.
102. Tales From Outer Suburbia, Tan, Shaun
101. *The Man With Two Left Feet And Other Stories, Wodehouse, P. G.
100. The Arrival, Tan, Shaun (graphic novel)
99. *Hell or High Water, Cochet, Charlie
98. *Manners and Mutiny, Carriger, Gail
97. *Waistcoats and Weaponry, Carriger, Gail
96. *Curtsies and Conspiracies, Carriger, Gail
95. *Salt Magic, Skin Magic, Welch, Lee
94. *Enemies with Benefits, Martin, Annika and Chambers, Joanna
93. *Lark and Wren, Lackey, Mercedes
92. *Tribute Act, Chambers, Joanna
91. *Brat Farrar, Tey, Josephine
90. Fortune’s Favor, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (novella)
89. *The Soldier’s Scoundrel, Sebastian, Cat
88. *The Lawrence Browne Affair, Sebastian, Cat
87. *The Ruin of a Rake, Sebastian, Cat
86. Shout of Honor, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (novella)
85. The Little Paris Bookshop, George, Nina
84. *Brilliant Devices, Adina, Shelly
83. *Magnificent Devices, Adina, Shelly
82. *Her Own Devices, Adina, Shelly
81. *Lady of Devices, Adina, Shelly
80. *Romancing the Inventor, Carriger, Gail
79. *Cast In Honor, Sagara, Michelle
78. *Cast In Flame, Sagara, Michelle
77. *Cast In Sorrow, Sagara, Michelle
76. *A Gentleman Never Keeps Score, Sebastian, Cat
75. *Cast In Peril, Sagara, Michelle
74. *Cast In Ruin, Sagara, Michelle
73. *The Damnation Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
72. *The Ripper Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
71 *The Red Plague Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
70. *The Iron Wyrm Affair, Saintcrow, Lillith
69. *The Underwater Ballroom Society, Burgis, Stephanie, editor
68. *Cast in Chaos, Sagara, Michelle
67. *It Takes Two to Tumble, Sebastian, Cat
66. *Cast in Silence, Sagara, Michelle
65. *Unnatural, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
64. *Seasons Pass, Chambers, Joanna (reread)
63. *Enlightened, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
62. *Beguiled, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
61. *Provoked, Chambers, Joanna (re-read)
60. *Merry and Bright, Chambers, Joanna
59. *The Ruin of Gabriel Ashley, Chambers, Joanna
58. *Once Burned, Frost, Jeaniene
57. *Night Shift, Harris, Charlaine
56. *Day Shift, Harris, Charlaine
55. *Midnight Crossroad, Harris, Charlaine
55. *Cast in Fury, Sagara, Michelle
54. *Any Old Diamonds, Charles, K. J.
53. *Tea With the Black Dragon, MacAvoy, R. A.
52. *The Omega Objection, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
51. *Summage Solution, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
50. *Marine Biology, Carriger, G. L. (re-read)
49. *Threshold, Hawk, Jordan L.
48. *Widdershins, Hawk, Jordan L.
47. *Band Sinister, Charles, K. J.
46. *The Hollow of Fear, Thomas, Sherry
45. *A Conspiracy in Belgravia, Thomas, Sherry
44. *A Study in Scarlet Women, Thomas, Sherry
43. *Poison or Protect, Carriger, Gail
42. *Cast in Secret, Sagara, Michelle
41. *Cast in Moonlight, Sagara, Michelle
40. *Think of England, Charles, K. J.
39 *A Case of Possession, Charles, K. J.(reread)
38. *The Magpie Lord, Charles, K. J. (reread)
37. *A Gentleman’s Position, Charles, K. J.
36. *A Seditious Affair, Charles, K. J.
35. *Cast in Courtlight, Sagara, Michelle
34. *Cast in Shadow, Sagara, Michelle
33. *Inside Job, Willis, Connie
32. *The Tea Master and the Detective, de Bodard, Aliette
31. *Waiting on a Bright Moon, Yang, Jy.
30. *A Fashionable Indulgence, Charles, K. J.
29. *The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t, Carriger, Gail (reread)
28. *The Parasol Protectorate: Timeless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
27. *The Parasol Protectorate: Heartless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
26. *The Parasol Protectorate: Changeless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
25. *The Parasol Protectorate: Blameless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
24. *The Parasol Protectorate: Soulless, Carriger, Gail (reread)
23. *How To Marry A Werewolf, Carriger, Gail (reread)
22. *Romancing the Werewolf, Carriger, Gail (reread)
21. *Competence (The Custard Protocol, Book 3), Carriger, Gail
20. *Imprudence (The Custard Protocol, Book 2), Carriger, Gail (reread)
19. *Prudence (The Custard Protocol, Book 1), Carriger, Gail (reread)
18. *An Unnatural Heir, Charles, K. J.
17. *His Consort, Calmes, Mary
16. *An Unnatural Vice, Charles, K. J.
15. *An Unseen Attraction, Charles, K. J.
14. Chanur’s Legacy, Cherry, C. J. (re-re-read)
13. *An Enlightenment Story: Unnatural, Chambers, Joanna
12: *An Enlightenment Story: Seasons Pass, Chambers, Joanna
11. *Enlightenment Series: Enlightened, Chambers, Joanna
10. *Enlightenment Series: Beguiled, Chambers, Joanna
9. *Enlightenment Series: Provoked, Chambers, Joanna
8. Chanur’s Homecoming, Cherryhh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
7. Chanur’s Venture, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
6. The Kif Strike Back, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
5. The Pride of Chanur, Cherryh, C. J. (re-re-reread)
4. Alliance Rising, Cherryh, C. J.
3. *Introducing Mr. Winterbourne, Chambers, Joanna
2. *Mr. Winterbourne’s Christmas, Chambers, Joanna
1. Merchanter’s Luck, Cherryh, C. J. (re-reread)

* Ebook

A Hard Goodbye

My dear friend, LB, passed away Sunday afternoon.  She had been on hospice for the past two weeks, and her death was not unexpected, but as anyone who has lost a friend or loved one can tell you, knowing something is going to happen, and actually having it happen are two very different circumstances.

The thing that stands out most in my memories of her was her upbeat nature.  This was a woman who had been looking down the barrel of breast cancer and its aftermaths for a good 10 years.  She was stage IV, and the odds of long term survival were not good, yet whenever I saw her, she was always cheerful and upbeat,  an interesting cross between Admiral Farragut (Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!) and Pollyanna Whittier (. . .finding something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be.)

I mostly knew her as a fellow knitter.  It was she who got me into knitting chemo hats for our local cancer center.  I met her in our local knitting group and very much enjoyed her company.  She was coming out of another round of chemotherapy, and chemo brain (which is a thing) made keeping up with a knitting pattern tricky, but hats are simple. So are knitted knockers.  She didn’t always feel up to attending and I missed her when she didn’t.  Gradually we formed a closer friendship, going to each other’s houses to spend an afternoon knitting and visiting.  (Handwork such as knitting, crochet, sewing and embroidery uses a different part of the brain, leaving the social part free to do what it does best. )

Involved as I was with my knee surgery in May, I wasn’t aware that her health had taken a turn for the worse.  She and her husband visited me in the hospital and we talked on the phone, but I didn’t realize she was in trouble until just lately.  I had that unfortunate experience of visiting a friend, hearing the medical story, and knowing in my heart of hearts that the handwriting was on the wall, but not feeling able to say anything about it.  I think she knew I knew.   Her husband and daughter made the always agonizing decision to put her in hospice and to bring her home.  She passed peacefully with her loved ones at her side.