I started listening to it after you posted about it (in a podcast thread, I think), Laura. That article does describe a lot of why I have kept with it. I'm so glad you recommended it.

M*A*S*H -- I hadn't thought about that show or movie in awhile but I grew up watching the TV re-runs on all the time, probably way too young (definitely too young with the movie) but I never got around to the book. But looking back at all that explains a lot about my book/entertainment tastes. Almost done with the Margaret Drabble short story collection. I think I should stick to short stories for the rest of the year! I got through some thick books and with craziness going on IRL, I should probably work with the attention span I have, not the one I want.

I think I might have water trying to escape from my eyes. The other day I was thinking of someone who struggles with those sorts of issues and I can't think of anything more that someone like that needs than what you said -- it's work, that kind of friendship, but worth it. I have avoided John Green books (not out of dislike, but out of avoiding heart-in-a-blendery content after a spin with one of his books) but thank you for sharing that quote.

My Father's Dragon -- I still have a vague memory of my 1st grade teacher reading that aloud to me! It is one of the first books I read to my my kids. :001_wub: I said it last week and will say it again -- Catch-22 is a favorite. Read/listened to it earlier this year and yes, Stacia, it is so quotable! I have not read much lately. Just started a short story collection because my attentions span has been rather short: A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman by Margaret Drabble. I haven't read anything spooky yet, but am reading (or re-reading?) Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of a Craft. I read his fiction for the first time this year & plan to read more but not this month. I keep checking in to see updates from Rose & everyone in the midst of the fires. :grouphug:

I haven't read much lately. Still listening to Anna Karenina. I did finish Galileo's Middle Finger by Alice Dreger, which was not at all what I thought it was going to be about, but that's what happens when I just grab a book off the library shelf without looking at more than the title. Glad I read it, though. I saw Catch-22 mentioned and I both read & listened to that earlier this year. I loved it. :wub:

For a simple oatmeal muffin, I use this recipe as a basis. I have lowered the sugar (but not salt) too. The oatmeal variation is towards the bottom & it talks about adding berries. There is a blog post about the variations. Hope one of these recipes works for you :) King Arthur Flour Basic Muffins

I'd go as is, neat and tidy. I rarely leave the house without at least lip gloss & tinted sunblock (more for sun protection, the tint is just bonus). But I used to interview cashiers and never noticed either way. My focus was on reliability and skills. Since I like to use it for fun, I do notice well done (or really unflattering) make up but I do not care or judge if a person wears it.

Finished Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and started Galileo's Middle Finger by Alice Dreger. The second one is not at all what I thought it would be but with only one chapter finished, it's interesting so far. I had grabbed both from the library display shelf, not really knowing what I was getting into with them. As usual. :laugh: I was so excited, I PM'd an incomplete address. Must run in the family because on the same day I asked my mom to send me the address of someone she knows and she did the same mistake. Thank you, Jane, for helping me out!

Checking in for the first time in a long time this year. Between a move and some other IRL turmoil (nothing tragic, just beyond my coping skills at the time!), I have been out of touch. Thinking of everyone dealing with the hurricanes. Been keeping tabs on friends & family in Naples & Sarasota and hope all here are safe. Sending big :grouphug: to all those who have had difficulties, tragedies, challenges. I have skimmed threads here and there and saw some heartbreaking news, I know I missed out on others. Rose, so sorry to hear about the Lyme issues. I have a friend struggling with chronic issues and she's doing well, but I know it is so difficult. Books: finished my Goodreads challenge by book count. Quite a few were speed reads (Louise Penney, hello repetitive recapping) or YA/kid books that I read on my own just for fun. Also I got through some of the long ones (Middlemarch, David Copperfield, and Anne Karenina is almost done) via audiobook. I listened to all at regular speed except Anna Karenina. I read a different translation before and this version on audio just felt slow to my ears. Of them all, I didn't outright hate any of them. Some were a bit of a challenge to finish (Gold Fame Citrus, some Louise Penney). I love Dava Sobel's writing. Stephen King was a nice surprise -- I've read his non-fiction& always enjoyed him but realized I hadn't gotten into his fiction, which is odd. Some of my favorites were rather brutal or dystopian but as usual cozy mysteries were my default for when I was 1Q84 is a special one because the lovely Stacia sent it to me, & I enjoyed it. It is still up for grabs if anyone wants it & is patient since I can be slow to get to the post office.

The here and on previous BaW threads about this book have me less inclined to read it, too. I was interested because, birds, and it kept showing up on recommendations. But I have so many other books to read and while the book may be worth a try, it sounds like it's not for me.

:grouphug: prairiegirl and everyone struggling recently. I had said this would be a week of me reading less, tackling my to-do list more, but so far reading is winning. Combination of my usual procrastination and avoiding some sad & stressful things. Back to books: I think you can see the most recent books here: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/7514947 The most recent books on my list were mostly enjoyable. I wasn't sure about Pachinko by Min Jin Lee because I'd been let down last year by a few well-reviewed novels with gorgeous covers. I didn't read any reviews closely or have any ideas about the book ahead this time. Am glad I read both that and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey this week. Oh, I'm in awe of the crocheting. I've been crocheting for awhile and everything I do still looks like my first project. My knitting is only a smidge better. I have pretty much come to terms with my ineptitude in the yarn-into-art department. :laugh:

It sure does. I'm due to go through dusty stacks of books in someone's garage this spring and will probably not find anything so obscure (to me, anyway) or even anything worth holding on to. Guaranteed wheezing from the dust and disorder, though! Many hugs to you, dear Rosie, and as with everyone -- just wish we had a way to make it all right for you.

I haven't tried Imitrex. And I'm obviously not having success with mine. But my doctor asked me to read Heal Your Headache 1-2-3 by Dr. Buccholz (link here to articles about his protocol). I should not have tried his diet without talking with one of my specialists. Could be coincidence but since trying it I can no longer eat some foods and my diet was already slim pickings from genuine, serious food allergies. I do think his ideas about medications make sense, from what I remember. (Avoiding rebounding from OTC stuff, using meds like propranolol or amitriptyline.) He's a no caffeine, cold turkey advocate, and I disagree there, unless I'm an outlier. I've quit caffeine and done it gradually, no problem. I also didn't see improvement so I do drink a measured dose of coffee daily, nowhere near a full serving. But I'm not a doctor, so I'm not really arguing for or against his methods. I don't think I'm typical regarding reactions to meds, but I once got a shot of ketorolac and one of promethazine and never, ever again for me. But supposedly it does offer relief. I did it only because I was out of my mind in pain and coincentally had a physical with my PCP. Someone had driven me in and was also just wanting me to feel better, hence the encouragement. I was in pain for days afterward, both migraine and at the injection sites. So sorry you have TN, on top of everything else. And I won't even get started on the small insurance allowance on Axert. ETA: I do take B2 and found the magnesium supplement that was mentioned by crazyforlatin. If I'm brave enough to try magnesium again, I may try it since both my PCP and OB/GYN mentioned it.

I don't notice my sense of taste changing but I am really bad at recognizing my prodrome symptoms. (Silly because I get them often enough.) Dh is more observant than I am. But it used to be I'd have some sort of issue with my vision (losing partial sight or scintillating scotomas) and they always came at the same time of the month. But then I stopped having a regular, predictable pattern. Sometimes, but not always, I get very sleepy for a few hours before the pain -- a sleepiness not explained by poor sleep or diet and feels different than regular sleepiness for me. Apparently I complain about smelling things that no one else does. I will sometimes slur or not be able to talk properly even though I can think exactly what I mean to say. I sometimes get a weird ache in my mouth. I went to the dentist thinking my teeth were going to fall out but had a perfect checkup and all was clear. Turns out every time I get that feeling, I also have a migraine. The least funny of all is when I get roaringly hungry and feel like I'm going to throw up. Glad Imitrex can help you!

You mentioned her being late with reading & writing. One of mine was early with those things and run-on sentences are an issue, too. And I would agree that a good writer isn't necessarily good at grammar. I'm terrible at grammar but at one point in my life, I wrote quite well. After my kid writes a draft full of run on sentences, we both read it aloud. If the run-on isn't noticed right away, I'll ask, "Ok, where did you hear your voice come to a full stop?" Sometimes that works, although if you have a run-on talker, that's not going to do much good. :laugh: But I agree with having her read aloud and listen to audiobooks or stories on podcasts, if that would help. Also agreeing that it is something to work on. But it isn't something I get too worked up over, or at least I wouldn't for her age. My run-on sentence kid is a prolific writer and at this point, I'm doing what I can to keep the love for it going. Grammar is important, and I wish I were an expert but I did well enough winging it most of the time. I was just talking about research, citations, and formatting with one of mine and we discussed how no professional writer gets it all done alone. As mentioned, editors have jobs for a reason. And look at the the number of people thanked or credited by professional authors in their books. I was just reading in a local paper and some news article were full of run-on sentences and commas where even I know commas do not belong. :huh: Finally, for those who just love to talk about punctuation, some fun articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/10/world/europe/period-full-stop-point-whatever-its-called-millennials-arent-using-it.html?_r=0 (This is about texing/social media patterns, but I first saw people using periods. like. this. on FB and just saw it in a print children's book published recently. Also, the comments section is just full of grammar nerds!) http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/09/punctuation-day-brits-call-period-full-stop http://grammarist.com/usage/full-stop-period/ http://www.sussex.ac.uk/informatics/punctuation/stopsandmarks/full