What a stunning gift, @mumto2. @Robin M, you are a fortunate woman! Happy birthday once again. Regards, Kareni

I thought I'd buy it and send it to @SusanC…. ah, just kidding! Regards, Kareni

I found this in depth author interview that you might enjoy: Powell's Interview: George Saunders, Author of 'Lincoln in the Bardo' by Jill Owens And, just to make you laugh, when I was adding Lincoln in the Bardo to your quote above, the autocorrect had Munchkin in the Bardo! Regards, Kareni

Here is a truly UNIQUE gift: Taxidermy Toilet Mouse Regards, Kareni

Those are indeed lovely pens! (I have to admit that I like some of the stickers in the background as well.) Thanks for sharing, vonfirmath. Regards, Kareni

Ooh, I like your idea. One thing you might consider is adding a personalized shot glass. I'd recommend something etched or engraved as designs often wash off over time. Here are some etsy sites to consider: One Two Three Regards, Kareni

I think I would like one, too! (If you decide to make two, wintermom....) Regards, Kareni

Wow, that is indeed a regal dog! Thanks for sharing, J-rap. Regards, Kareni

My book group is meeting tomorrow to discuss Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel by George Saunders. It was an unusual book, and I expect the conversation will be lively. (Which seems counterintuitive since the majority of the book deals with death.) I searched and see that several here have read this. I found the book easy to read yet poignant; I'd recommend it. "February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body.From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? " Regards, Kareni

Oops! In that case, @Stacia, here's a pin or two. Regards, Kareni

@Stacia, do I remember correctly that you like The Raven? Raven earrings Regards, Kareni

Has she already read the Asterix books? I remember enjoying those when I studied French. Books I've enjoyed: French Milk: Lucy Knisley My Grape Year by Laura Bradbury Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod Is she a Harry Potter fan? If so, Harry Potter a l'ecole des sorciers Regards, Kareni

I'll second that. My daughter enjoyed Ladybug when she was very young then moved happily on to Spider magazine. Regards, Kareni

Just what you must get for that certain someone: Beardaments Lights Regards, Kareni

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~ On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, Also currently free: Contact: a sci-fi alien romance Dear Anne: Love Letters from Nam The Five Hive Plateau (Tales of the Dissolutionverse Book 1) Regards, Kareni