Congrats! DS18 received his Silver in time for college apps, and he is continuing forward towards the Gold.

So true, @Alte Veste Academy ! I am six weeks away from being done as a homeschool mom, but I am keeping my TM to Mathematics as a Human Endeavor forever! On the other hand, I do not feel attached to the Jacob's Geometry tests. I'll keep the textbook for sure. I'd like to get rid of the tests. I don't know yet how I feel about letting go of the TM! (If anyone is interested in the 2nd edition test book, shoot me a PM. I'd sell it for a lot less than what I see it currently listed for. I simply do not have time to list things until we get through graduation.) Good luck, OK Bud. I think I did pay nearly $100 for my TM. Farrar's idea of thinking about it as a lease is a good one. It does seem to retain its popularity, unlike some other homeschool books that fall out of favor.

I started reading 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded, a social history of 1966 told through the lens of the music. It is divided into 12 chapters, January through December. Each chapter talks about the #1 hits that month, musicians that were on the rise, the youth culture, and the current events. I am on April, and I would say it is limited to what was happening in (or relevant to, e.g. Vietnam) the USA and the UK. I'm really enjoying it, and I have started making a Spotify playlist to go along with it. @Robin M I thought of you while reading the January chapter! One of the very first songs discussed is Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." It was the first #1 US song of 1966.

Nice bingo, @Quill ! (I am at a minor league baseball game with my family. I brought my book because baseball is about five innings too long).

Good for you! I spent countless hours on the course descriptions. It really is a big task.

I missed posting last week. Perfect for National Poetry Month, I am in the midst of a book by a young Danish poet: Digte by Yahya Hassan. In 2013, at the young age of 18, Yahya Hassan became a literary sensation in Denmark. He is of Palestinian heritage, and both he and his poems have stirred up a lot of controversy over the years. I think he is enormously talented, and I hope he continues to write and to publish. I finished two books this week: The Blood of Emmett Till. At least four stars, and maybe five. My recent trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture prompted me to read this, and I learned a lot. It fit into two of my 2019 categories: The American South and the 1960s. The murder occurred in 1955, but I can't think of a better place to being reading about the 1960s than this book. The Outsiders. Five stars. I can't believe I never read this before! I think it just might be one of my all-time favorite YA novels. And it is mind-boggling to me that S.E. Hinton wrote it while she was still in high school. It fits into two of my categories: the 1960s and 50 states (Oklahoma). ETA: I think I finished The Goblin Emperor since the last time I posted. 5 stars. Many, many thanks to those who recommended it! I recall that several of you have read it.

I would love that! Since it is on topic, here is an anecdote: We have moved a lot, and I was used to presenting my kids' vaccination records when enrolling them in school. I asked the administrator at the high school if I should give him a copy of my son's vax record, and he replied "Why? Is there something wrong with him that I need to know about?" The recommended vaccines also differ somewhat, which I find interesting.

While living in Denmark (2011-2016), I became a lot lot lot more liberal. I was a free spirit in my youth, and then I had my more conservative phase. Now, I feel like I maybe I've got my old self back. I was never anti-vax. Vaccines are awesome. I hate being sick 🙂

Hi, everyone. I missed most of last week's thread, but plan to go back and read it. I had houseguests from both Denmark and NC last week, which was quite wonderful. One of the highlights of the week was showing my Danish friend around Washington DC. This was her second trip to the USA, but first time on the East Coast. We did tons of things, but I want to talk a bit about the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. This was my second time there, and both times I spent three hours...and did not have time to absorb everything. My friend said it was one of the best museums she has ever visited, and I concur. Somehow, I managed to miss the Memorial to Emmett Till the first time. It is in a corner off the walking route, so unless you look at the map it is easy to miss. Emmett Till's body was exhumed in the 2000s, and the original casket is now the focus of a memorial room to him. It is a powerful exhibit, and now I really want to read The Blood of Emmett Till. Other reading notes: I started Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook before my guests arrived. I got to about page 100 and found it meh. I had no desire to continue after setting it aside for a week. Instead, I have started The Goblin Emperor which I am loving so far. @Quill You asked about cultural memoirs. You might like Cafe Europa: Life After Communism by Slavenka Drakulic. It is certainly not as lighthearted as The Year of Living Danishly, but I found it an insightful read. The author is Croatian, but the book roams around Europe a bit. Oh, and I also have Chesapeake Requiem on my TBR. If you read it, I would love to know your thoughts.

@tuesdayschild I am glad to know that I can keep my hopes up for Harold. Despite the ending of #3, I plan to continue the series. I will note the spoiler tag for the future. I knew there was a way to do that, but could not recall the details. Fwiw, I typed my spolier in black then changed the font color after typing!

@tuesdayschild Let's hope I did this right. Wow, I feel much better now just typing that out. Awful ending revealed below. It is in white text. Can you read it? News from Thrush Green (Thrush Green #3) Phil (a female) is an attractive single mom. She is in her early 30s. Her husband has abandoned her for another woman. She starts to put her life together by moving to the cozy village of Thrush Green. Her son is six years old. At about the 75% mark, her estranged husband dies in an auto accident. So now she is REALLY eligible, and two men are smitten with her. The classic love triangle. Richard is about her age, but they are not really compatible. Richard is a bit of an annoying guy, but he is not a jerk, so if Phil had ended up with Richard, that would have been OK. Harold is about 60 years old and has never been married. He lived an exciting life in Africa and has retired to the cozy village of Thrush Green. It is no secret to the reader that Harold is in love with Phil. Harold just isn't sure of himself. What about the age difference - would that be fair to Phil? Has he been a bachelor too long to be a good husband? Harold is a great guy in all regards. Page 215: Enter Frank. Frank is Harold's friend. Frank is 55 . Harold introduces Phil to Frank, because Frank is an editor and Phil is a writer. Frank and Harold have an intimate talk, and Harold admits to Frank that he is in love with Phil. He asks for Frank's advice. Frank says "Try your luck." Harold is still hesitant. Frank suggests that Harold put the whole affair out of his mind for a month or two, and then maybe his feelings will be clear. Page 231: Richard tries his luck with Phil, but is gently rejected. Page 237: Harold has reluctantly decided that marriage is not for him. Perhaps, as Frank had once suggested, his own feelings were actually "a compound of pity and protectiveness." Page 238: Phil tells Harold that "Frank has asked me to marry him." And then she asks Harold if he will give her away! Page 239: Phil and Harold have a conversation that breaks my heart. THE END What cozy world permits a back-stabbing friend to get the girl?

Can you (or someone) tell me how to type with the spolier tag?

Do whatever makes you happy! I don't remember what I did for my 40th, but I went on a very special weekend trip with my mom for my 50th. It was just the two of us, and we will never forget it.

@aggieamy I probably would have thrown the book if it hadn’t been a library book! And you are absolutely correct about the genre expectations. This ending blew it.

@Robin M Thanks for the Nora Roberts link. I am a bit lost, as the blog assumes one knows what happened. But I am very interested in the story. Nora Roberts sounds like a force to be reckoned with. It also seems like she is willing to stand up for victimized writers who don’t have her financial resources. I have yet to read any of her books or visit her bookstore yet, and I feel remiss about that. @Quill I liked The Year of Living Danishly, too. Glad you are enjoying it! Maybe we need to take a day trip to Nora Robert’s bookstore someday! It is near Antietam. — I just finished News at Thrush Green (Thrush Green #3) by Miss Read. Wow, what a shocker that was. I was blissfully enjoying my comfort read and tthen at the very very end Miss Read hit me with an ending that I HATED. I can’t remember the last time an ending made me so angry!

I load the YouTube video on my laptop and connect to our (not smart) TV with an HDMI cord. The TV does have to be new enough to have an HDMI port. This is also how we stream Amazon Prime videos/movies.

Yes, this is what I will probably do! And I will be more than content! The Liberty Bell is a definite. I doesn't look like we need advance tickets for that, though.

We have plans to spend a weekend in May in Philadelphia. We will have Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. I got timed tickets to Independence Hall for Saturday morning. What else would you recommend? I will be with DH and DS18. DH and DS18 are going to an event Saturday evening, and I will be on my own after an early dinner together. Thanks!

I have been reading, but not finishing much. I do have one book worth gushing about, and that is Alberta and Jacob. It was originally published in Norwegian in 1926. I'm surprised that it is not better known. I thought it was a beautifully written (and translated) novel about a young woman's life in the far northern portion of Norway. It is a turn-of-the-century classic, and part one of a trilogy. Alberta is a restless, shy young woman who wants to escape the life that is planned for her. Jacob is her extroverted, adventuresome younger brother. Five stars. I am also learning Dutch using the Jip and Janneke stories. Dutch children are very lucky to grow up on Jip and Janneke! I love them! --- @madteaparty If you scroll up, JennW posted her review of Milkman.

Welcome! Thanks for the link, that is a very nice Etsy shop. And I sent you a Goodreads friend request - a lot of of here are on Goodreads.

I also enjoyed this. Thank you for the reminder to reread it on occasion.

What happens after you accept an admission offer? Do you get a barrage of exciting emails and start applying for housing? Is there any real advantage to accepting sooner rather than later? Like a better choice of housing, maybe? What are best practices for declining an offer? I was thinking that he should send an email in addition to answering on the portal. Anything else to think about?

I am glad that you had a good experience. My experience with pawn shops is an unpleasant one. Once, I went to a pawn shop looking for my stolen jewelry. One piece was indeed there. So then I went around to all of the pawn shops in town (there were several) looking for the rest of my jewelry. No luck.

If you can work it out, you won’t regret it. I can all but promise!

Lucky me got to have lunch with @Quill today. In case you didn't see the thread, here is a link to her post with our picture in it.