I don’t think this cupcake would have pleased that OP requirements! 😂 Nuts....... that said it’s a cake in my humble opinion.......I think it’s a peanut butter cup (type of) cake like chocolate cake.

I went with my kids today to the free drive in student clinic where they got their flu shots. Just one jab. They got the A and B combined shot. Now Dh and I need to get our flu shot.

I was already looking forward to reading the next Verity Kent!

I loved The Benedict Option and he talked about his return home some. He has a new book out........ @aggieamy Not leaving you alone! Has John tried Encyclopedia Brown? He might like those......

OK, I remember the initial poster as be seriously upset because the school her kid went to had rules about birthday treats......so cupcakes. No one followed the rules ...........I think sugar was part of it.

😂😂😂 The return of the Cupcake! I read the first couple of posts and went on vacation.......next time I looked it was a massive thread. I totally missed out!

The last we heard a Disney water park reopening isn’t until March..........I hope they are reopening one sooner! Did you see anew announcement? Typically water parks here are only open on days when our temps are 70 and above. My kids love to go in the winter because the lines are short!😉

Regarding the vaccine......we will be getting it but don’t expect to be allowed at the front of any queue. Our focus will be to get my YA’s vaccinated so they can resume a bit more of a normal life. Honestly my current feelings are trending towards pushing myself to the front of the queue! My husband is in charge of the decision because he has worked with determining vaccination numbers for herd immunity in a professional capacity. He is simply hoping for that 40% that is acceptable in flu vaccines with a high degree of safety. With that we won’t be out hugging strangers but can return to our somewhat germ adverse previous state.......I have always carried and used Purell.😉

I spent a couple of hours yesterday thinking/google searching spooky book ideas........after much contemplation I am going with light fun cozy type books that include ghosts, witches, and pumpkins! I added a few to the stack.......I also included the audio for a book in the Otherworld series by Kelli Armstrong that I appear to have missed. Waking the Witch is the story of Savannah all grow up......so far I am loving it. The Otherworld is a favorite series which I already reread parts of more than once ......oddly I actually did a buddy read with dh’s bestie a few years ago. The guy was hooked and shared his book stash 😂 Somehow we missed this one! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6725785-waking-the-witch I am also reading the first in what appears to be a fun cozy series sets in 1920’s Cotswolds. In Nobody’s Sweetheart Now Lady Adelaide’s husband’s ghost rather inconveniently reappears......I am only a few pages in but enjoying it . @aggieamy you might want to put this one on hold! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39970739-nobody-s-sweetheart-now Finally dogs...... @Penhave you tried Susan Conant? I used to love her series and ran into them yesterday. I have a few new to me’s in that series too. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367674.Ruffly_Speaking?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Y8Rk6qf9hB&rank=1. I also finished a cute Bassett Hound (mistaken identity by dog walker) romance. Probably not for Pen but a fun light romance with dogs featured. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49109508-you-lucky-dog

I have always been extra careful during flu season even with annual flu shots as I didn’t want to transmit it to the vulnerable people in my life. I have never owned a mask before so am happy to add them to my purell stash for the future., So if I am sick or if I am going someplace that I am apt to encounter more risk than I consider normal......maybe doctor waiting rooms etc. I definitely plan to mask on planes in the future........ That said I am so looking forward to seeing people’s smiles again.

I finally finished last months spelling challenge! SEPTEMBER - Sarah Dunant S.........River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey A.........In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander R.........Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik A.........The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison H.........The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa D.........A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vince U.........Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins N.........Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh A.........The Bromance Book Club by Lissa Kay Adams N.........Burn by Patrick Ness T..........Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima

I finished listening to the new book by Katherine Addison of Goblin Emperor fame on BaW. The Angel of the Crows had very little in common with the Goblin Emperor......no fantasy otherworld but a steampunk London inhabited by all sorts of atypical creatures mixed with some vampires and werewolves. It was an interesting world and well developed. That said it was a very familiar world inhabited by “odd” creatures retelling very familiar mystery stories to most of us. The main characters name is Dr. Doyle which is as much of a clue as I feel comfortable giving........https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52378874-the-angel-of-the-crows. I totally enjoyed listening to the book/stories but it wasn’t The Goblin Emperor’s level of good. I gave it four stars......the narrator was excellent and I ❤️Crow. I moved on to listening to Burn which was recommended by a BaWer......maybe Kareni. I am enjoying it.... and great Dragons! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50175239-burn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IJvJE8IvTn&rank=1 I also read Hidden by Laura Griffin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49189727-hidden. Another excellent book by this author in the romantic suspense genre. It’s the first in a new series but still set in Texas. I have some cozy mysteries on my kindle that are next up!

My family is heathy and happy. Shall I make that bored but happy and I am grateful. My husband was able to order Win Schuler’s Bar Cheese as part of our curb side. 😉 Tangerine La Croix is really good! 😉

FWIW, I received a lot of Pyrex glass containers with a plastic lid as wedding presents 32 years ago. I used them hard for almost twenty years before handing the lot to my BFF and moving to England. She is still using them.....had to buy replacement lids but they are now her dog bowls. Which for her means they have an assortment of people food put hot inside, stuck in the freezer, and potentially rapidly thawed. Plus her Newf’s eat out of them and occasionally abuse them. I haven’t asked but a few years she commented that she hasn’t broken a single one.

I am a big fan of The Cat Who’s and cozy’s in general. If the cat’s antics are what she enjoys I find Miranda James series similar .......Murder Past Due is the first https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7337871-murder-past-due?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6YAHtv5f8L&rank=2. If poodles would be OK the Melanie Travis series is fun https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48058.A_Pedigree_to_Die_For# Perhaps my favorite light cozy series is by Donna Andrews. Lots of animals but not really the companion animal in crime solving....the titles all have birds. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/545766.Murder_With_Peacocks?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zmzVL4SD2E&rank=1.

Sending prayers and virtual hugs! I hope you have a mild case and a fast recovery.

Question about the Travel John for someone who has used one.......there is a bag that needs to hang free right? So kneeling or standing? Not a bed pan type concept where you pull it out from under you and the bag fills or it just soaks into the pellet things. Trying to decide if I should order some or not.......

I would be upset. Try not to stress too much.......the parents being negative is good. This is said by someone who is currently worried about potential 6 foot away masked exposure. So I am trying to find my don’t totally panic zone too.

Thank you! I just put the audio on hold. Btw, I am now halfway through The Angel of the Crows. I am still enjoying it and as a bonus it can count for my Steampunk 10x10.

We started with secured credit card for each kid. We kept control of the card which they happily agreed to as the credit score was the goal. Basically we charged a tank of gas and paid the card until they qualified for a better card. Did the same with an unsecured with a low limit. They both have good scores now.......and both have cards with higher limits stored with us. They still just run around with their campus prepaid card for snacks etc on campus and a low limit one for other purchases off their bank account.

We had one that folded up like a briefcase when the kids were little for the van the used ziplock bags. It was used a lot as we did a 20 hour drive each month. We all used it at some point. I never had a bag issue but we were normally able to dispose of the bag right away.

I started listening to Angel of the Crows today and am enjoying the unusual Sherlock Holmes retelling. This book is nothing like the story told in Goblin Emperor so far except that the characters are vivid to me. I am actually giving up my nightly Monk episodes to continue listening, so it’s good!😉 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52378874-the-angel-of-the-crows?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DmyxtJ2Vcv&rank=2

I finished listening to The Last Runaway which is my antebellum bingo square and have to say I am a bit disappointed in it while at the same time loving it. A strange mix of emotions......Tracy Chevalier is such a respected author that I never expected to have a bone to pick with accuracy but a couple of scenes were rather bizarre. Goodreads is all over these lapses so I won’t risk spoiling the book for someone here who might enjoy it for it’s marvelous quilting descriptions and its glimpse into immigration in the mid 1800’s.....Many of my ancestors passed through Ohio in that time period so I found the descriptions of the settlers simply stopping to rest there for a year or two to be especially interesting. The book centers on Honor’s desire to help slaves at a time the Quakers were turning their backs upon them.......the Underground Railroad. That part was very interesting and well done. There are adult scenes...... I simply loved reading her quilting descriptions.......Honor preferred the accuracy of English Paper Piecing, respected the American styles like the Ohio Star, but looked down upon whole cloth and appliqué as being incredibly lazy. That part cracked me up because I dislike the work involved in appliqué but adore EPP.

Sending hugs, no real advice beyond popping a piece of peppermint gum in your mouth which would help with the nausea. Gum helps me and I am prone to nausea.

Robin, Thanks for the thread and all the links! I have been busy sewing again so listening more than reading. I finished another Psy Changling on audio which are currently my go to when I am waiting for hold’s. I started the second in the Locke Lamora series which is over 25 hours long........Red Seas Under Red Skies https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40604556-red-seas-under-red-skies has a slow start and now that I know what happens to Locke next I am questioning the 25 hours spent listening to that book (even the 13 hours at 2x speed). I am almost done with the latest in a favorite series by Tasha Alexander on audio. I am reading In the Shadow of Vesuvius https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263432-in-the-shadow-of-vesuvius on audio because that is the only way it is availiable.......I am not fond of the narration on this one. This installment takes Lady Emily and her entourage to Pompeii where a murder occurs. I am enjoying the setting and it seems to be an easy listening book for crafting which is a plus. I just finished Voodoo River (Thank you @Pen) and overall liked the book. I plan to continue reading through the series for now at least until I reach The Promise and Maggie the awesome K9 reappears. On a side note, I have been reading so many “dog” books that the recommendation algorithm is now giving me books with dogs on the cover!😂 I also finished An Old, Cold Grave https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34696033-an-old-cold-grave which was the third in the Lane Winslow series. I wasn’t as interested in the bit of history highlighted in this particular mystery and that probably affected my love of this particular book....which was simply better than average. Looking forward to the 4th in the series. I have no idea what is next beyond the fact that Overdrive will be taking the next Timber Creek K9 book away if I don’t read it soon!