We do not care that you have a disability parking placard. We have one too! Not so much to park close to the building but to be able to get in and out of the car. How entitled do you have to be to park astride the line between the only two handicapped spaces in the lot? #wdncw

Clever story and some deeper insight into what makes the main character tick. I‘m looking forward to reading the next installment! #serieslove2025

My reading fell off a cliff for most of last week, then I went to ballgames two days in a row. For tonight‘s #hyggehourreadathon I‘m easing back in by dipping into more lighthearted territory.

I don‘t really have a reading nook. I want a reading nook! For now, the closest thing is to curl up on the couch while watching TV or to sit and read on the patio if weather permits. In the fall I like going to the sports bar with my husband and friends and reading while they watch football. #sundayfunday

In a year of bittersweetness, this week has probably been the bittersweetest. Still, there is joy.
1. A lovely remembrance gift from a thoughtful Litten. @dabbe
2. A basil plant kit from the library, a prize for completing the adult summer reading challenge.
3. Mid-week evening Still Hour service.
4. Girls Night Out at the local shopping place.
5. My friend made me earrings for Girls Night Out at the local shopping place.
#5joysfriday

1. I loved (and still love) summer vacation, even if lately it‘s more of an ideal than a reality. Anyway, I‘ve also appreciated returning to the structure of the school year, even if my younger self didn‘t necessarily articulate it that way.
2. In elementary school I loved music class in whatever form it was offered.
3. In high school I loved Spanish class.
#TLT #threelistthursday

I also love that there‘s a BTS Leslie Meier cozy mystery!

We do not care that it‘s “almost” autumn. It‘s still summer! Don‘t try to sell me a sweater! #wdncw

Earlier this year I was shopping in the little co-op store next to the faraway bookstore. I saw a very cute necklace and earrings made to look like the Maryland flag and said: I can do that!

I‘m not completely happy with the necklace and want to redo it, plus make some earrings for which I haven‘t found charms I like.

#ShowAndTellTuesday

So many of you provided kind words of condolence on the loss of Kili, I lost track. Thank you all. It‘s one of the things I love about this community.

It was strange to get up this morning and not have a cat to feed. I bundled up his food and donated it to the county shelter, but I‘m keeping the treats. They‘re good for another year! When the time is right, I expect the CDS to do its thing.

I had to say goodbye to Kili this morning, and I‘m heartbroken. He was in respiratory distress around 5:00, and I hustled him to the emergency vet where things escalated quickly. Long story short, the tests uncovered two serious conditions with completely opposite treatments. In other words, treating one would worsen the other, and vice versa. So for the sake of his quality of life, we let him go. 😭💔🐈‍⬛

Here he is working from home.

I read Are You There God… when I was much closer to the demographic target, so this looked like an interesting change of pace. I snapped it up when it was offered in my free cycle group.

It was a compelling story of coming of age amidst tragedy. For the most part I was pulled along and wanted to know how the story turned out, but some of the plot verged melodrama with characters that got on my nerves. #authoramonth

1. Grateful Dead Night at the ballpark. The game got out of hand quickly, but it was a pleasant night anyway.
2. I rearranged a couple shelves in the bookcase, a mix of read and to-be-read.
3. I sorted a big folder of recipes and in the process found one for vegetable curry that I thought was long lost. I think I need to rewrite it!
4. Finally! A woman will umpire for a regular season MLB game.
5. MASCB concert.
#5joysfriday

“You are too generous to trifle with me.” - P&P

“General Lee, I have no division.” - Gettysburg
https://youtu.be/rGv1VKAybcI?si=rpcggW5s-ic7pCCj

“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” - Bottleshock
Quote from Galileo, voiced by Alan Rickman

#threelistthursday #TLT

In the truth is stranger than fiction department…

Can you imagine
Joe Biden walking around
On the White House roof?

#ranttime #longtimefed #haikuhive #haikuaday

This was a bit intense! I won‘t say much more until the discussion Saturday except…it‘s interesting timing that I‘ve seen some stories about recent earthquake swarms at Mt. Rainier.

Anyway, I‘m chipping away at my #14books14weeks list. Nine down, five to go, and sixteen total books read.

Ballgame on TV, leftovers for dinner, and a compelling story for #hyggehourreadathon

This afternoon I went to the Maryland All State Community Band concert. It was a wonderful performance by a group of dedicated adult amateur musicians. They played a total of five pieces with an interesting range of styles and moods. I wrote about for the #haikuhive and #haikuaday

Lush harmonies and
Some dissonance, but not of
The cognitive sort

My favorite was this piece by Johan de Meij. ⬇️
https://youtu.be/gBW8Dtgkljw?si=KLQf8zG3Ni-ew8Up

Easily half of my reading is from the mystery genre, so it‘s hard to pick a favorite. I‘ll lean on an author I love and my favorite from the ongoing series. It‘s several mysteries in the same book! #sundayfunday

It was hot and blah earlier in the week, so I stayed inside and played with my files. There‘s always space for joy in any case. #5joysfriday

It was close, but Lula Dean and her library was my favorite book from July reading. #wrapup

This was available on CloudLibrary when I was out and about without a book to read. 😱

I‘ve been reading this series somewhat out of order, but each story is self contained and entertaining.

@Andrew65 I hope you are well? Would you like some help with this challenge?

#serieslove2025

We do not care that you think you‘re doing something by calling it the democrat party when you know it‘s the Democratic Party.

#ranttime #petpeeve #wdncw

Bonus entry for #kittens !

Amanda Flower has a new book coming out that‘s not in the database yet. All profits will go to support her and her husband‘s cat rescue efforts. I think they live on a farm.

She also sells jewelry on Etsy (amandaflowerdesigns) and writes a bunch of books every year. When does she sleep?!

#julyjazz

The Golden Hall of Meduseld in Rohan.

IRL it‘s probably Edinburgh Castle.

#sundayfunday

The Dolphins might make Darius Rucker cry, but for me it‘s the MLB Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 🥲

Congratulations to Tom Boswell, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and the other honorees!

https://www.mlb.com/video/thomas-boswell-honored-with-bbwaa-award

#kittens #julyjazz

A few months ago Skechers had a big sale, and I got a couple pairs of slip-ins that I really like except for this issue with one pair…

Why does my shoe squeak
When the other one doesn‘t
It‘s a mystery

#haikuhive #haikuaday

1. Exuberant crape myrtle bushes (photo from internet)
2. My sister‘s shirt from her book club
3. Lunch today with a friend from church
4. Successful trip to faraway bookstore
5. Rosé and a tuna sub for dinner last night
#5joysfriday

I stayed up too late and finished this. Can‘t wait for the discussion tomorrow!
#14books14weeks

It‘s another day with multiple topics for #ranttime but I will stick to disaster aid. Western Maryland is ruby red, but their funding was still denied. https://marylandmatters.org/2025/07/24/lawmakers-call-denial-of-disaster-assista...

But it‘s “laughable” that anyone would quit over the situation in Texas. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kristi-noem-dhs-fema-chief-resign-texas_n_6880f8e...

Oh no! I nearly forgot about #wdncw since this actually happened on Monday.

We do not care that your horn works. WE didn‘t run the stop sign. YOU DID. We were just minding our own business and going to Michael‘s for thread.

I drove home from the store listening to an interview with this book‘s author on the Daily Beans podcast, then I opened Facebook & saw this fodder for #ranttime

It covers all the bases:
-Inaccurate
-Racist
-Hypocritical

In other words, all in a day‘s work for this regime. He is particularly evil though.

Here‘s a rebuttal: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-miller-fox-news-immigrants-empire-state-b...

This wasn‘t my favorite by her, but I enjoyed it. I liked Mrs. Blossom as a character and appreciated the check-in with Tess Monaghan (since it‘s unclear whether there will be another installment in that series). The Seine River cruise was an interesting backdrop, but I also enjoyed the Baltimore references here and there. The author‘s note at the end is touching. #14books14weeks

ARE YOU DISTRACTED ENOUGH YET?

Today‘s #ranttime is about how this man has to have his fingers in every. Single. Pie. Just because he thinks he can. And to distract us.

I don‘t care what the Washington football team is called. If he wants to change the name again, how about the Epsteins? Or the Orangeskins?

This regime doesn‘t exactly have a great record when it comes to Native Americans or respecting the city of Washington either. News links⬇️

I like to relax and chill with a book and a meal in a busy (but not too busy) restaurant or brewpub. I like the feeling of being by myself and at the same time amidst a group of people who are doing their own thing.

I also like to chill with my cat, though he doesn‘t always appreciate it! I like to relax and chill by taking drives in the countryside. But not in traffic!

#mentalhealthmonday

Tonight‘s #hyggehourreadathon book is the latest from Laura Lippman. Then I‘ll dig back into some #camplitsy stuff.

I took a drive on surface roads to the faraway bookstore, and I passed many fields of various crops. Including…

A random cornstalk
By the road near some soybeans
How did it get there

#haikuaday #haikuhive

Ariadne‘s story was one of the first Greek myths I remember learning about in grade school. This book takes it to another level. #sundayfunday

My husband wanted to come to the game even earlier than usual, so I‘ve been passing the time in Compass Coffee, which also serves wonderful cold drinks.

Hibiscus sunrise
Tasty and refreshing drink
On this summer day

#haikuhive #haikuaday

This was at times a little tedious, but there are some interesting thoughts in here. #authoramonth #14books14weeks

1. Ben Folds on the Daily Beans.
https://overcast.fm/+AATNUDkAZig
2. New jeans bought with birthday bucks.
3. Mid-year TBR list review.
4. Mexican food on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
5. Bingeing Midsomer Murders.
#5joysfriday

Photo from Finn, a musical that was uninvited from the Kennedy Center earlier this year, which was a purely “financial decision.”

Today‘s #threelistthursday / #TLT assignment is three movie soundtracks you love. I don‘t have patience to fiddle with Pic Collage today, so here‘s a gratuitous picture of Eomer. 😍

My choices
1. The Return of the King (Howard Shore)
2. Gettysburg (Randy Edelman)
3. The Boys Are Back (Sigur Ros)

Honorable mention because it‘s not technically a soundtrack: Songs from District 12 (various) (Hunger Games)

Diversity is a strength. #ePluribusUnum #JulyJazz

We do not care that seeds from our everything bagel fell into our cleavage. #wdncw

1. It gives me joy to have compiled the 2025-26 slate of selections for the book club at my church.
2. I just finished the long version of this list, with covers and synopses. It‘s been a good distraction from…all this.
#mentalhealthmonday

The Rue Montorgueil wasn‘t painted for #BastilleDay but I love the riot of French flags. #JulyJazz

The good news: I‘ve read 11 books in 7 weeks.

The bad news: I‘ve read 5 books from my #14books14weeks list. One of those I read between making the list and the start of the 14 weeks!

The okay news: I have most of the other books on hand or on hold.

A few hours ago the sky opened and it rained buckets. A little later the sun came out and I took an unscheduled nap. Just now I took an abbreviated walk around the neighborhood because the rain left behind some humidity.

Seen on my walk: an
Upside down flag and mushrooms
Sprouting from the rain

#haikuaday #haikuhive #welcomenewmember

Was it going to be anything else? #sundayfunday

After telling me it was no longer available, the inter library distribution system sent me a well-loved copy of this charming little book. There‘s even a painting he did of turkeys that I‘d never seen before.

#picnic
#JulyJazz