LaughingCat
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Posts posted by LaughingCat
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Don't forget the Happy Hollisters or Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series -- and regarding Madeleine D'Engle, I always thought of her as more of a 'growing up' author -- although I'll admit I never read past A Wrinkle of Time (never even knew there were more actually) but did read all the Austin Family books.
I liked Spelunking Through Hell ok, and definitely better than the previous two books (which both felt like a slog at the begining), although I agree if it (any of the last 3 really) had been the first book, I would not have continued the series. Also enjoyed Hunt the Stars that several listed this week 😄
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17 hours ago, Janeway said:
Here is the thing..if there is no will, it has to be split. There are varying laws by the state, but the GC will not get more than the siblings.
In my case, I am sure there was a will. But, it went "missing." And now I am getting my portion so far. The executer has made sure of it and none of my other siblings are objecting.
This is not correct. The will or lack of will only affects assets that don't have beneficiaries already listed. This means that for financial accounts, the beneficiaries listed are primary and override anything stated in the will. It is often only actual 'stuff' that usually falls outside of that -- house, cars, furniture, jewelry, knick-knacks. The only thing I've ever heard differently is that a spouse can sometimes override named beneficiaries in many states (unless has notarized signature giving up rights in my state).
So if OP's mother puts the brother as beneficiary on all her accounts, and he already owns the house, then really, what is left in this case?
Obviously not everyone fills out the beneficiaries -- or updates them to what they actually want -- that is the only thing that would make the accounts go to OP if there is no will.
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3 hours ago, Kareni said:
If you have a chance to read Linesman, I'll be interested in learning your thoughts.
Regards,
Kareni
I read the Linesman a few years back but it didn't really stick with me -- I've meant to read the series again for a while now only because I know you love it so much but for some reason I've haven't felt like doing so (and I definitely go by 'feels' for rereads 😄 )-- that's how I ended up reading this other series by the same author actually, saw it when i was looking at Linesman once again at the library site
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By happenstance, I also just read Stars Uncharted and Stars Divided -- the first was very good, the second was not quite as good 😄
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It's interesting to read these diferent takes on rules -- I would have said we do have rules, but reading some of the posts, we match to people who say they didn't have rules. Our rules have only rarely been 'explicit' -- and only then when there was a specific issue. However -- I am very aware that I was that kid who was just totally oblivious to some obvious to most rules -- so I try to say general society type rules out loud often (and talk about my troubles following some of them too LOL -- ETA: like closing kitchen cupboard doors 🤪).
OTOH I am all about allowances (NOT attached to chores -- helping around the house is part of everyone's job as part of the family) -- because I think it helps the child to think more about money (as in if you spend all your money then too bad about <fun thing> you wanted to do because no 'pocket money' for you from mom or dad) and with older having dyslexia I did not want to make money reliant on having a job (school was her full-time job unlike many kids). And anyway I have a lot of clothes related 'stuff' from my own childhood (my mom bought 90% what she wanted me to wear vs I wanted to wear -- or even what actually fit sadly) so additional clothes allowance started in high school (we'll see how that works with younger though who is just about heading into high school and could care less about clothes).
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12 hours ago, Danae said:
“It’s not flattering” is horrible feedback.
If there’s something specific, say that. Like, “The back side seam is in an odd place and makes it look like you have a weird bump on your butt.”
If you just don’t like it say something like “It’s not my style, but if you like it, go for it.”
If what you really mean is “You are not shaped like societies’ current body ideal and this outfit doesn’t hide that” then think hard before speaking.
I love the first part of this, but I am equally honest for the last line as well. I will say it more like "IMO that doesn't work with your body type but if you want to buy it because it's in style now then go for it" -- but then she and I have had lots of discussions about body types and how hard it has been for me to find things that worked for my body type (we both have more extreme body types although somewhat opposites). She also had a clothes allowance since starting in high school so she didn't need to have my approval to buy anything from that point on.
Of course personally I love shopping with my one friend that will be completely totally honest with me, so probably that matters too 😄
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21 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:
DH and I have a college friend (male) who was 5'5" when he graduated from high school. He grew 12 inches during college...puberty and growth again is individual (genetics) thing!
Someone I went to high school with had same thing happen -- I clearly remember running into him and not recognizing him until he spoke (and almost fell down in shock at that point!)
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On 1/27/2022 at 4:36 AM, BlsdMama said:
It lengthens your fast so it is ideal. However, if you want something, what about a cup of frozen berries half thawed?
I have had problems with fruit alone for breakfast in the past -- but one could easily add some heavy cream or coconut cream to this as well.
I'm in the skip breakfast category myself -- I realized some years ago (before IF got so popular) that I was only eating breakfast at all because "it is the most important meal of the day", and have never looked back.
I am pretty excited about trying some of these recipes -- but it will be for lunch 😄
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Just want to mention that Seanan McGuire also has a couple other series not mentioned in previous posts,:
Incryptid Series: I really liked this series at first. The first book is Discount Armageddon. I made it through book 8, then tried to read book 9 and barely made it in to it (books 7 and 8 were just ok, but 9 jumped to a new main character so I had high hopes for it) I do have it on hold again right now because I thought I'd try giving it another shot (maybe it was just bad timing after all) since book 11 is coming out in March and looks interesting (although if I can't make it through maybe I'll just try to skip to book 11 since book 10 is a continuation of book 9's story and book 11 is moving to a new main character 😄 )
Ghost Roads: I really liked the first book in this currently 3 book series, Sparrow Hill Road, and then couldn't get into book 2 (and I thought book 1 had high reread potential but when I've looked at it again, I find I'm not interested)
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6 hours ago, Dmmetler said:
And even if they don't, most don't allow costume attire, including animal ears, etc.
Those "onsie" jammies were pretty popular here for a few years -- many of which are basically animal costumes. The local high school had no issue with kids wearing them to school (and we don't have any public schools that require a uniform -- people would be up at arms here if someone suggested that!)
Note: haven't heard of anyone here pretending to be an animal in the sense they mean
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I finished "Where the Drowned Girls Go" by Seanan McGuire, most of whose series I have started out liking a lot and then slowly fell away from. This series started out "meh", but since they are so short I have read most of them anyway. They are a bit dark for my liking-- and I find the premise somewhat disturbing as a parent since it is a look at what might actually happen to children who open doors into other worlds and then come back (would have probably loved it as a tween thru young adult tho).
It's interesting that I generally have no problem stopping reading a book I'm not enjoying -- but I find it hard to step away from authors I like who go in a direction I don't care for so I keep giving them another chance LOL
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On 1/20/2022 at 2:38 PM, Laurel-in-CA said:
And "Laughing Cat" is from "Mouse and Dragon" - right? Theo's new logo?
Love Lee & Miller. Have you seen the new anthology "Bread Alone"?
Maybe so - I always remember I chose that name because of my pic of then baby cat's super grumpy face-- but looking at their book list I think that Laughing Cat Limited is created in "Dragon Ship" that came out in 2012 (wow! time flies! ) so the timing makes it seem likely that is what put it in my head. (Mouse and Dragon is Aelliana and Daav's continued story after Scout's Progress)
Haven't read Bread Alone yet -- I believe I've read all the stories in that chapbook except the new one, and I always waffle around for a while before buying chapbook type offerings for some reason no matter the author or how much I like them. Looking forward to their new book of short stories though: Liaden Univers Constellation 5 - coming out start of Feb (which I've probably read all the stories in too -- but somehow when it's a full book worth of stories I have no problem buying it LOL)
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My DH is the cook -- what he ended up doing was to make the carbs seperately, Sometimes, like for asian or creole type dishes where it would be hard to make everything seperately, he only serves the carb seperately. But for many of our meals, everything is seperated out -- so a bowl of starch, a bowl or two of veggies, a plate of protein and a cup of sauce. I LOVE it this way!! It's SO much nicer to be able to take as much or as little as I want of each item.
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I'm not a coffee snob; I'll even drink instant if I have creamer to put in it -- but I don't care for K-cups. We had K-cup machines at my work for several years (provide your own) and even though I tried many brands, I never found one I liked --they are like instant coffee to me: drinkable only if you put other stuff in with it. In which case I'd rather buy the instant coffee than the expensive K-cups 🤣
Additionally even the small K-cup machines I've seen are the same size as a small drip machine. And the K-cups themselves take up much more room than a small pkg of ground coffee.
This is really the problem with trying to make your coffee drinking guests happy -- there are so many choices and so many opinions. Really I would probably go with the cheapest smallest easiest choice (probably a tiny drip machine), keep in the garage and pull it out only when the guests are visiting 😁
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Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are my favorites for space opera. They have a long running series that I jumped in the middle of (picked up an attractive cover at the library as I remember) -- some of their books are less stand alone and some are more stand alone -- although as I said, I jumped in the middle of a non-standalone set and still completely enjoyed it (and went back and read the previous books). However I'll offer Scout's Progress and Conflict of Honors as good starter stand alone books( though within the same on-ongoing saga) .
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If you really want to have something small -- then get a 'pour over' device. There's plastic and metal ones. It's like having a super mini drip maker -- about the size of a single filter. I got one for myself because I am the only coffee drinker in the house and I only have one cup most days. It was such a waste to have this big appliance on the counter for that -- and we already had an electric tea kettle as well for my husband's tea. But you don't need the electric tea kettle -- just hot/boiling water (depending on how picky the coffee drinker is) poured over grounds in the 'pour over' device. You can keep the coffee in the freezer to keep it more 'fresh'. And if the person is pickier than that --then they should bring their own acceptable alternative IMO 😁
This one looks close to what I have for $12 : https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-LHS-Paperless-Reusable-Non-slip/dp/B07MX87HH9/ref=sr_1_8?crid=37QZOET17ERNC&keywords=pour+over&qid=1642394123&sprefix=pour+ov%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-8
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Thanks Kareni and mumto2.
I have read the whole Captain Lacey series (Ashley Gardner ) -- after started it from previous recomendation on these threads 😄
-- I'll look into the Stray book though
ETA: Apparently I already downloaded this one too, just hadn't gotten to it yet LOL
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I don't think I have book lust as much as I just love re-reading books over and over. Then again I have been comfort reading big time this year -- I know I posted some months ago about a close family member with pancreatic cancer -- then my Dad ending up passing away the end of July (relative with cancer is thankfully doing better than expected at this point but was touch and go at the same time). I was BINGE reading Murderbot series when we went out for the memorial -- it was funny because Murderbot talks a lot about how it wants to watch it's serials when it gets stressed out, and here I was reading Murderbot because I was stressed out 😆 Also re-read the entire Ilona Andrews Innkeeper series, plus a bunch of other random comfort reads (and general re-reads too -- that I knew would be fine). Thank goodness for books!
As far as new things I have read:
I have started trying to go through some things I downloaded from Amazon for free -- and unfortunately cannot recommend any of them: Ink Witch, Lindsey Sparks; London Stranger, Joyce Alec; House trilogy, Jenny Schwartz (this is actually 1 book but sold as 3 books)
I did read a few T.Kingfisher's over the last months that I enjoyed: Paladin's Grace, Paladin's Strength, Swordheart, Clockwork Boys + Wonder Engine -- the only negative thing I would say is probably not a good plan to read them all close together as I did. Swordheart and Paladin's Strength were my favorites.
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We hung out at the local drugstore all the time -- but I would say it was the comic books that drew us. I could spend a couple hours purusing all the comic books. It had an old soda fountain when we first moved to that town but it was long gone by the time I was old enough to walk there by myself (although the downtown drug store kept it's fountain for another 10 years or so).
I'm in those who would call Walgreens or CVS a 'drugstore' -- and I still see kids hanging out at our local Walgreens, although they tend to be out in the parking lot eating the candy they bought. No comic books anymore though.
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This may sound the opposite of what you want but I would suggest Plato's Closet if you have one near by. Being a resale shop they of course have all that stuff that your daughter doesn't like -- but IME they have all the other stuff too.
My younger DD is 12 but shorter/smaller than your DD and about half her wardrobe is from there (most of her shirts and jackets but only a few of her leggings because she's still too small for most of the pants) even though she still fits in L kids clothing. It's actually way cheaper than buying her kids clothes new since she mostly wears workout shirts (t-shirt style with wicking material) -- which are hard to find in the kids section and usually expensive to boot.
I've seen jumpsuits like what you've shown, and they definitely have normal t-shirts and all styles of jeans (which is much my older DD's go-to -- although she prefers leggings to jeans). For casual clothes they can't be beat IMO.
The only downside is that of any resale shop --the selection is random on any particular visit, and you have to try everything on -- but as I told older DD, as she keeps shopping there she'll find her 'brands' and then she can buy them direct.
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"The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle"
Have this one in my TBR pile -- maybe it will have to jump up to the top 😄
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Controls are not intuitive -- I still haven't figured out how to look at the chat at the same time as sharing for example. Sharing also sometimes slows the computer down and has caused lost connectivity (vpn connectivity not internet connectivity). Note: I have watched far more Zoom meetings than hosted so can't really compare one to one.
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My Murderbot is also pretty much genderless -- I picture a person where you can't figure out which gender via the normal social cues. Plus I think of it as wearing 'work' clothes -- not necessarily coveralls but close to that -- the type of thing that doesn't show off the body at all. Kinda like when you look at a picture of women in army combat uniforms, you can't really tell them from men, because the outfit itself is so generic.
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Rewards, hands down
https://www.voyagersopris.com/literacy/rewards/intermediate-secondary
It is not phonics though. It focuses on prefixes, suffixes and syllables.
Fast Track/Dancing Bears was helpful too (that dmmetler recommended above). We did that before Rewards so it might depend on what level your son is reading at now which would be better.
For my dyslexic, the phonics never stuck no matter the program (even Barton which she HATED!!!! and did nothing to improve her reading -- although according to Barton's philosophy we just didnt spend long enough at it) -- looking back (as she heads off to college) the things that helped her most were things that gave her different ways to attack the word.
Book a Week 2022 - BW14: Classic Children's Mysteries
in The Chat Board
Posted
Regarding the Bobbsey Twins - I remember reading quite a few of these at a young age, but when I downloaded one off of Gutenberg when my oldest was that age, I couldn't get past the descriptions and language used for Dinah the cook on the very first pages!
Note: As an adult I think have only reread the first Hardy Boys book, and the first Boxcar Children book (another where I had no idea as a child that there was a whole series of mysteries) so can't speak to how any of the others might have held up (or not)