I feel like I've had a bunch of stuff going on. Bookish Thing #1: The coolest thing that happened is that my son finished the first draft of his sci-fi novel. He worked on it for over a year, and it is over 100,000 words. I will be a beta reader whenever he is ready for me :) Bookish Thing #2: I went to see The Winter's Tale at the Folger Shakespeare Theater in DC. Swoon. Also saw the cherry blossoms at peak bloom along the Tidal Basin. Swoon. Health Thing #1: I had my annual MRI done. It was the first time in this state. The report came back as incomplete because the imaging enhanced well circumscribed "somethings" on both sides. I had a bilateral mastectomy in 2006, and the "somethings" are in the vicinity of my scars/implants. The location and the regular borders (well circumscribed) were good signs. BUT it wasn't until the images could be compared with my previous images that the "somethings" could be declared stable since 2015 and therefore marked as benign findings on an amended report. I see my oncologist next week to discuss it all. I didn't cry about it, but I came close. Health Thing #2: My skin has been flaring on my face since January. I haven't cried about it, but I have sure come close. Off to google Quercitin. ETA: Read a little, enjoyed some houseguests, and took the youngest on his first college visit.

Why, hello. I just discovered that clubs are sort of back online. I am at 51% for Middlemarch. The copy that I ordered was a disappointment - it had no notes at all. I have been reading the Dover Thrift on my Kindle.

Social Groups /Clubs that I am supposed to be in: Global Citizens Lit Hub Parents of Adult Children WTM Politics There may have been others, but these are the ones that I remember and that are still active.

ETA how do I get rid of that image of the link? I don't like that, and I can't figure out how to take it away. Here is the link

Actually, I fulfilled TWO wishes in DC this weekend. We saw the Cherry Blossoms at peak bloom. They are NOT over-hyped as a must-see :) If you like flowers, they are absolutely worth seeing. We were tracking them online for weeks. As far as reading goes, I am almost finished with Book 4 of Middlemarch. That is the half-way point. As soon as I get there, I am going to take a break and read Catherynne Valente's most recent book for children. In The Glass Town Game, in which the Bronte children find themselves within Glass Town - the world that they created. Has anyone read Tales of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal: Selected Early Writings by the Brontes? ETA: Loading pictures is so easy now. Hooray for that!

I fulfilled a wish today - I saw Shakespeare performed at the Folger Theater in DC. A friend and I saw The Winter's Tale this afternoon. It was so lovely - both the staging and the venue. We were able to peek into the Reading Room, but you can't go in without a tour. While waiting for the theatre doors to open, we were able to view the current exhibition Beyond Words: Book Illustration in the Age of Shakespeare. It was a great day :)

Terra Sweets & Beets are SO yummy! Whole Foods has unsalted tortilla chips. If you have Wegman's, Trader Joe's and/or Whole Foods you will find lots of good things. Utz makes unsalted potato chips, but I am not sure that they are available nationally. For baking, try to find recipes that use baking powder instead of baking soda, and buy the low-sodium version of the baking powder.

I usually make soup, but I am not above convenience :) Unfortunately, taking out salt seems to make the price go up :( I buy Healthy Valley soups. The best prepared broth I have found is Pacific Low Sodium Chicken (3%).In my pantry, I have Wegman's no salt tomato paste, Eden Organic No Salt Beans (canned), and a jar of Francesco Rinaldi No Salt added Spaghetti Sauce. Also no salt cans of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce.

I eat low salt and have been doing it for about four years. But probably not very low salt. How low is very low? Are you looking for at-home suggestions or for eating out suggestions? I find it to be pretty easy at home, but I might not be as strict with myself as you need to be. If you can give me an idea of your tastebuds and what areas are challenging you, I might be able to help.

The clubs have been taken down temporarily.

I just completed my third fix. Each time, it has been the same experience - I love 4/5 pieces but keep all five because it costs less to do that than to send back one piece. I am currently scheduled for one fix every other month, and I think I will stick with that schedule. I absolutely love getting clothes that seem trendy. I haven't owned trendy clothes in decades because I am a terrible shopper. How do you find out about specific pieces to request? Is the FB group the offical FB page for Stitch Fix or is it a different group? ETA: And where do I find the photos to show you what was in my fix? Thanks!

Mine were already connected - I didn’t manage to keep them separate. Sorry if I confused you!

When emails were showing up as user names, I was wishing that I had created my account with a different email. I’m not sure if it is possible to change the email associated with the account, but I am going to ask. And see what you are saying about connecting accounts. In general, I avoid doing that.

Since it seems like posting photos is easier now, I am going to try that later! I love looking at Bookstagram photos on Instagram, and would like to take some book photos but I don't want to put a ton of time into the photography. But I don't think you guys would be super harsh critics :)

I took my 11th grader on his first college visit. And I tidied up my Goodreads shelves. Otherwise, I think I pretty much did the same things I do when the forums are up :)

Yay for being back! While we were gone, I read The Girl in The Tower, which is the sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. I gave it four stars. I definitely think that the author has improved her ability to write endings since the first book, but somehow it still did not get me into 5-star mode. I also read Mighty Ugly: Exercises and Advice for Getting Creative Even When It Ain't Pretty by Kim Werker. I have read so many books of this sort over the years that there wasn't really anything new for me, but I did learn about some new artists that were worth checking out. I have watched Kim Werker's crochet classes on Craftsy, and she is adorable. She comes across as pretty adorable in the book, too. I didn't do any of the exercises, but I did crochet during the WTM Blackout :) I finished Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabo right before the break, but I don't think I posted about it. Beautiful prose and a heartbreaking story. Right now, I am reading Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale because I am going to see a live performance of it soon. And continuing with Middlemarch.

Member profiles can be clicked on and viewed without being logged in. I'm pretty sure that was not the case before.

Testing! ...and editing

Same problem. Where is the support page?

A huge deal, indeed! :grouphug: and :hurray:

Such a fun and heartwarming thread! Even if I don't post every day, I do read the boards every day and value them greatly. Looking forward to seeing all of you again next week!

I was on the original board (1999?) but then I did not end up homeschooling at that time and drifted away at some point until...idk, 2010 or so. I really wish that I never would have drifted away and could claim to be an original board member! Anyway... I resolve to finish The Arabian Nights while our board is down. I have been pecking away at it since 2016 and have a mere 50 pages left to go. I will also be picking up The Girl In The Tower by Katherine Arden from the library and continuing with Middlemarch. See you next week! :seeya:

I would pick Tolkien. And would use his work over and over again to learn foreign languages so I would always feel like I was reading something new.

I finished two children's books last week: Pax by Sara Pennypacker: a beautifully written story about a 12 year old boy and his pet fox. Due to separation, Pax has to learn how to survive in the wild. The inner world of the animals was my favorite part of the book. Chapters alternate boy-fox POV. It is a bit tricky to know whether or not to recommend it, though. It is a melancholy book and set against a backdrop of war. But I loved it :) Brøderne Løvehjerte (Brothers Lionheart) by Astrid Lindgren. Another melancholy book. An exciting fantasy novel in a unique world with an ending that completely caught me off guard. I am still trying to process it :svengo: I am almost done with Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabo, a heartbreaking mother-daughter story translated from Hungarian. ETA: Might be time for something cheery after such a sombre trio of books!

I have not read the book but I did live in Denmark for six years. Yes, candles really are EVERYWHERE.