@Kareni I hope you feel better soon! @Negin thanks for the pictures! Beautiful beach! Rose Cottage was a surprise as I discovered I apparently read it in 2018 while Brit Tripping! I knew it was set in the rather elusive Tyne and Wear but did not this I read it then.......Goodreads says differently!😂 It was good and it fit my mood so I quickly reread it in one sitting! I still plan to read the Gabriel Hounds in the next month or so.https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/51042385 The Vanishing Man is the second Charles Lennox prequel and I thought it was rather good. It was “another” book based on a Willian Shakespeare theme, this one centered on a lost play. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the third prequel in a couple of weeks! Good audiobook series btw. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863477-the-vanishing-man Finally I finished What the Wind Knows which may be a new favorite! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40407141-what-the-wind-knows The time travel elements were very romantic and satisfying and for those who like a serious helping of history this book did a good job on the Irish situation for the 1916 Through 1923 or so. This is significantly fluffier but in some ways reminded me of a Milkman prequel.@aggieamy not sure if you and your Dd have read this but both of you would like it! i have one letter left in my Mary Stewart spelling challenge and have been enjoying a contemporary romance called Anyone but You with a seriously cute stinky basset hound.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33732.Anyone_But_You?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VVIqD44a8e&rank=1 I have a rather bland Poirot on audio happening......Cards on the table.

Praying

I spent Thursday morning chatting with a new friend at a Bible Study and discovered her Dh recently returned from Hong Kong after like a half hour.....she mentioned he was now out of the quarantine window. I said that was great and resisted asking 14 or 21 days........ I think this is the world we now live in and it is scary. Most here have never really had to worry about things like Polio because the herd immunity protects us........ That said go and have a great time!

Saw an article that the U.K. government is now looking for the 120+ passengers that were on the Westerdam in order to test them further. . Considering my friend received the advice immediately after her return via the 111 line to go about her normal life and call again if she has symptoms, it seems a bit late. They have self quarantined and did not take the advice fortunately. Not from the article but..........Apparently when you look at the fatality numbers closely they indicate a 20% mortality if over 80. Obviously the numbers so far have lots of unknowns but it does make me extra worried about my village in England which has a huge elderly population. I am so glad that my friend chose to self quarantine.

Dragon Bound was so good! I read it last month and have the second in the series Storms Heart ready to go after I finish my Mary Stewart spelling challenge, I only have R (Rose Cottage by MS) and Y(a fluffy romance with You in the title). I started reading What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon while waiting to give my kids a ride home from a dinner party last night and it is wonderful! It’s also another Thank You to Kareni............

I finished listening to the first Charles Lennox prequel The Woman in the Water and really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know this much younger version of a favorite character. I moved right on into The Vanishing Man which is the second prequel and have the third on hold. I have to say I am really enjoying these. I did a binge read through several in the original series a couple of years ago when I discovered my Overdrive had them all but left the last one because. he was starting to write prequels which made me think I might not like the ending book.......I have been planning to read the last one this year but may put it off in case the prequels keep coming! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34953108-the-woman-in-the-water I also read Nalini Singh’s A Madness of Sunshine which was not at all what I was expecting. I know the author as a writer of urban fantasy/ paranormal fiction and this was a pretty competent mystery with absolutely no paranormal elements or intense adult scenes. The book was set in New Zealand and made me want to travel there. Not the start of a series I suspect, but enjoyable.

@Pen Thank you, I am currently on the side of having medications that might help available. I think Tylenol will be ......I hate to say in short supply but on everyone’s list. Hopefully we have time to watch what works before it reaches us. Willing to take it at this point if symptoms call for it. Right now I am living with a super high pollen count with citrus starting to blossom so Sudafed etc was actually pretty high on our otc need list! I skipped allergy meds yesterday because I forgot and am trying to get things back under control again for being in public. Lots of people are going around coughing and sneezing probably in part because of allergies but it is frankly freaking me out. A trip to Costco made me have to shower after the lady behind me......as in a foot behind me sniffled all over me. She sounded completely contagious. I even lysoled the car because I sat in it after.

I have been doing the same. So many of our common items come from China now. Supply shortages and huge price increases are a possibility. Then there is the fact that we may not want to enter a drugstore fore things like Tylenol! I keep thinking that being prepared is smart and then I think about ending up with a huge stack of stuff we won’t be happy about needing to use up . I also know I am looking at this from a position of privilege........I have an opportunity to prepare. I tend to. buy my cleaning supplies at big box stores and am currently one box ahead on things like bleach etc. The paranoid part of me thinks two boxes might be better. I have also taken a quick inventory of wardrobes especially the athletic shoes which we buy ahead on sale so can easily switch out when worn out. Everyone has at least two pairs ahead which normally takes us into the fall. I picked up new socks for all....... Dh has gone over the otc meds. Well stocked for colds, allergies etc for the next few months. Not sure what to do about food at this point. I have a freezer full and may just leave it there.

All I can do is echo everyone else, she is such a beautiful baby. Those eyes........... So glad you are doing well too! Glad your nephew arrived safely also.

Congratulations!

@Ausmumof3My friends who were on the Westerdam are now at home in the UK under self quarantine . They were not told that a fellow passenger had tested positive until they arrived at their house this morning. Last I heard they have received no advice regarding what they should do. Honestly when I heard about the Holiday Inn I expected to hear they were there.

Praying

Pretty sure she hasn’t. I will let you know if I hear something.

I am so very sorry. Praying for the best outcome possible on Tuesday.

What is your go to nature preference when you want to get away: Coast or the mountains? Definitely Coast, I am honestly not sure that I have ever spent more than a couple of months, willingly, away from the water. I enjoy mountains but watching the water is definitely my happy place. Last week I finished Waypoint Kangaroo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114364-waypoint-kangaroowhich was entertaining but not great. My library has more in the series and maybe someday I will read more...........the main character in this Sci Fi series is sort of a cross between James Bond and Macgyver. Clever but one was enough. Ok, I think I am having a negative week........Dorothy Sayer’s Have Her Carcase was a bit irritating. It took them so very long to figure out a very obvious point in this mystery, I remember figuring that part out pretty quickly the first time through and the second time was a bit of “seriously, how could that elude all those people”.........maybe today’s culture has read too many Romanov histories because anyone familiar with Russian Romanov royalty would clue in. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37906597-have-his-carcase Finally, I finished First Cut https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44284641-first-cut last night. It’s a recently released pathologist mystery by .........yes, a real pathologist and her husband. As a fan who has read almost all of the Patricia Cornwall and Kathy Reich pathologist mysteries I think this series has potential. It isn’t perfect and it took the whole book to unpack what I think will end up being the backstory if the series continues. That said it ended in a good place with lots of potential for future story lines. Currently reading a Jane Yellowrock/ Faith Hunter. Still listening to Charles Lenox but will probably switch back to Julia Spencer Fleming’s series as soon as I finish Woman in the Water. I also finished two of my books with red covers so Dh is really happy with his idea! ❤️ I had forgotten that I can read a Harlequin in under two hours........he offered to source more.............😳🤣🥰

I just wanted to say congratulations and that I will be watching this thread. Weddings appear to be much more expensive then in my day. I do know many are opting for casual.......simple ceremony and a dinner in a private room as opposed to major venues. Before you get to far along make sure you understand what your Dd really means by small. Honestly I have no idea about the wedding planner beyond I get the desire to not be the one in charge. Since one of your friends dd’s is a wedding planner you are in an uncomfortable position because “shopping” for one is sort of out I guess. You need to go into this with exact knowledge regarding what you want her to do or you probably will be unhappy with the outcome. Back when my friends and I were the age when we were all getting married someone knew a party planner who helped with some of our weddings....I was already married when we (as in my friends) discovered her. She was helpful......had done charity events for years as a volunteer. She had check lists, recommended venders, etc. Cute easy ideas for things like party favors........

Sending prayers for a good outcome tomorrow.......

We had a good experience on Norwegian https://www.norwegian.com/us/ We all boarded with just a backpack and didn’t pay for anything extra. Bought huge bottles of water before we boarded and were not bothered once by anybody. I actually slept quite a bit on that flight! Eta Since it sounds like your Dh travels quite a bit you might be able to throw a relatively small number of air miles at ds’s one way and make it work. We did that many years ago.

Glad you are feeling better and enjoyed the Flavia!😀 Not sure if you have tried Charles Lenex on audio or not. The traditional gateway to the series is https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1044816.A_Beautiful_Blue_Death?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bTrYtmssu5&rank=1 but the author seems to be writing full length prequels......I am currently listening to the 0.1 Woman in the Water and enjoying a younger Charles. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34953108-the-woman-in-the-water This is another series I listen to when available.😉

Happy Valentine’s Day! I have to share this with someone and since it affects my reading you all get to hear about my unique Valentine’s Day present........for years we have picked up carry out or gone out for a casual meal and called it good. The plan had been Waffle House this year, ours is doing the table cloths, but we didn’t know about the reservations......very popular apparently. Somehow my Dh stumbled onto a what to get your wife for Valentines Day website that suggested a Harlequin Book subscription..........my mom and I read these together for decades. So he thought the idea was brilliant! He was aware enough to remember we had bought though a used book store so he used EBay lots. I now own a large Rubbermaid storage tub of Harlequin Blaze.....yes the helpful website recommended Blaze. He remembered red covers.....I think Silhouette had a series with red covers. So bought red covers! So I now own 100 plus Blaze romances......... Which we (mom and I ) thought were a bit too blush worthy, and the covers............ I just sorted and he somehow managed to buy only one duplicate. He happily plans that I can supplement my reading with 2 or 3 a week. He will notice..........So not sure what I am going to do with these and my count, anew shelf on Goodreads will be required , I do know that. 😂🥰 .

10 yo me-liked Little Women and all the sequels a whole lot. My friends and I had quite a time finding all the sequels and it was quite an event when someone found the last one at a grandparents house and was allowed to bring it back home to her friends!😉 with that kind of peer pressure I don’t think I had a choice in liking it but do remember Little Women fondly because it was such a group activity. I have finished my first book in my Alfred Hitchcock 10x10 and am frankly doubting my desire to read 10. I listened to Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith and disliked the narrator greatly. The story went on forever........This was one of the books in the category I was looking forward to. I have other category ideas so may just replace and give it up.

Thank you for the recommendation! My overdrive has it on audio and I just marked it for the next time I need an O.😉 So glad you enjoyed your first Mary Stewart experience. I read most of her books as a teen and enjoyed DD’s binge reading them as a teen also. I missed a few with her so will hopefully read some of those this month. I picked up The Rose Cottage and The GabrielHounds the other day......no memories of either.

We weren’t looking for internship opportunities for U.K. undergrad but no one remembers any in the traditional American sense being offered....some friends have worked while in Uni but most just borrow. Foreign language students are required to work while living in their language’s country but have to find their own jobs.....I believe the literature calls those experiences internships. One friend taught English at a school.....another worked in a bank....... I occasionally have heard a U.K. student say they are having work experience......believe it was more a shadowing experience but can’t remember. When I question a bit that experience never equals how my internships worked while I was in US University and I halt the conversation. Can’t remember the details but you need to ask and really explore the subject if it’s something your son really wants. I think this might be a cultural term difference. Btw, I am not saying don’t do Uni in the U.K. I am saying know what you are buying and how it affects life in the US if your child does not find a way to settle there. Unless your son is already a U.K. citizen being able to immigrate is never certain. For my kids a school with a CAE designation seemed like a smart move for Cybersecurity.

Fwiw, Part of my dc’s decision making process regarding which country to go to grad school in came down to anticipated salary post graduation. They are both studying in the CS field and salary in the U.K. at this time is so much lower. Their Post Brexit dreams are for higher salaries for recent U.K. graduates. Btw, they are studying in the US and are very happy. The U.K. publishes lots of tables on all sorts of things relating to University.....good ones regarding salary can be found in the Daily Telegraph but behind a pay wall. I think you can get 1 free read per week. The only example I can think of is one of DS’s friends who is getting an MS in Mechanical (pretty sure mechanical) Engineering......after 5 years on the job he will on average make £24,000 per year according to tables and his research from his pretty decent program. I just found some rather old data that shows a range of $53,000 to $100,000 for US graduates upon graduation with an MS in ME not 5 years out. At current conversion rates no comparison........friend’s math/physics BS was £19,000 after 5 years. Many U.K. schools have scholarships specifically for American students. Essentially the scholarships make it so the US student pays what a U.K. student would pay...... So ask about those.

One of this year’s goals is to finish my Dorothy Sayers reread that I started a couple of years ago....going in story line order through Lord Peter Whimsey’s life. Harriet has finally arrived on the scene so my reading speed should improve and I will hopefully finish this year. My bedtime reading last night was the first few chapters of Have His Carcase. I happily highlighted all my location identifiers which became my habit during Brit Tripping and starting looking for exactly where the book was set this morning and found this enjoyable blog post https://cranberrymorning.blogspot.com/2014/03/have-his-carcase-lord-peter-wimsey.html. Now I want to watch the movies! Btw @Lori D. I am still enjoying your reading notes for the Hobbit. I am going very slowing this time through...........Bilbo is just about to get in the barrel which is a favorite of mine. The quilt has stalled for now as my husband wants a quilt which has never happened before. I will look at the LoR quilt as a very long term project I think......still highlighting all the useful bits pertaining to the quilt blocks.