I just read Penquin’s update for Bingo which prompted me to update all my challenges........ Bingo.......2 to go, Art and Microhistory. I just checked out The Monopolists https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17978108-the-monopolists for Microhistory which has been hard for me to really click with a book. We collect Monopoly games so hopefully this will be a subject I enjoy! Never heard of the book before today! A to Z author......I am done! Woot! I will list soon..... A to Z books, I require this to be first meaningful word.......2 to go.....J (seriously J) and X.......both are on hold or in stack. Flower challenge.......Marigold needs an I (in stack) and so does Daisy (not in stack) Brit Tripping.....Technically I think am done but I really need to find one more mystery that works for either Worcestershire or Shropshire. I really want to complete on the mystery bus. Any fresh ideas Amy or @tuesdayschild , anyone? I have read all the Cadefel books but will reread one if I need to for Shropshire but somehow it’s not exciting me. @aggieamy please just tell me a Cadefel that works, I can’t remember the books well but have watched them so very many times. I actually think he is away from Shropshire in quite a few books so am worried I will read one that doesn’t work. I am also hoping to improve a few hopefully in the coming weeks. I have a couple off of Robin’s 52 Books that I am working on but the Agatha Christie in order is ongoing and the Sci Fi/ Fantasy one I need to go through my books better, I didn’t fill a Goodreads shelf or take notes. Not sure that I will manage the Sci Fi Challenge this year.

I think Remembrance Day is probably the line when decorations in shop decorations are lit etc too in the UK. We had Christmas pudding and mince pies available back in September. I actually bought Dd a single serving pudding because after seeing it she was craving it!

Up to this point I have always been able to be my own advocate while in the hospital at least in terms of calling DH if I needed him to intercede. Visitors if things are sort of gross are embarassing......who really wants their friends to see the bed pans beside your bed? I spent 100 days with bed pans when pregnant and preferred to be by myself. Only a few visitors were enjoyed. I know advocates are important especially if you are older because people just don’t believe you. I used to do volunteer work for the hospital and had a training day and popped into BF mom’s room, she was so not right, saying weird stuff that was inaccurate, and was being released later that day. I stopped by the nurses desk to let them know how off she was, someone did check into it and she had a mega infection. I called BF too so the family could go and check now. For my back surgery a couple of friends came on a night Dh couldn’t and we had a blast but that was my not scared to death time in the hospital. I was bored and lonely, and I don’t think people are actually hospitalized after that surgery anymore.

Christmas sweets were appearing back in September in supermarkets, as in an aisle devoted to Christmas goodies. Christmas concerts should be starting soon. Lights can go up anytime but most places turn it to a bit of an event.....Our village has a big street party when the big tree is has it’s lights turned on with late night shopping, food booths, .......which normally falls on Thanksgiving. That obviously has created years of conflict for our family. ? I think trees are a December thing for most but several keep them up until Twelfth night, so through first week of January.

There are lots of private fireworks and bonfire displays. They actually happen more than just bonfire week. I think it's the darkness that brings on the fascination because it is one of the things that surprised us with the move, occasional fireworks all winter. The quality that just anyone can buy was a bit of a surprise. You can buy a huge roll that is a 15 or so minute display, set it in a field, light the fuse and it's quite a show. Not a cheap show but impressive quality considering how easy it is to get apparently. The Lions put on a pretty spectacular display on the cricket grounds for the community......major fundraiser. There have been a few insurance issues with the event insurance for the huge bonfires so not quite as many as 10 plus years ago. Btw, we missed bonfire this year and did feel the loss. Definitely a fun tradition. Trying to make the dc's a bit more comfortable in their other country. ;) Assuming Silva is the right series the few I have read were quite different in terms of location etc. They were books I checked out without knowing they were connected until I read a bit. There was one set in Vienna(I think) that was great! Not sure if the spy element or the Art was what your dc liked but but Iain Pears series (more Art) is quite good but more gentle. I started a book by V.E.Schwab this morning titled Vicious and it is a page turner. Close to done but I don't quite know how to class it.....it's a supernatural book about people with extraordinary powers that appear after near death experiences. Oddly page turning is all i can say. Sort of the ultimate anti hero book as I find myself cheering a character on who is definitely lacking in most good qualities.

My oldest was quite independent as she got older but I always knew exactly how she was spending her time. Read the papers, found the books she wanted. I joked that I was her facilitator! We could have gone on happily for years....... My son needed a more organized facilitator, one who provided definite direction. He had lists because he needed his tasks for the week in Black and White. Honestly we did whatever was needed to keep the kid sort of on track. He loved programming and spent hours. Computers are his thing and has a degree to match. Getting something like history done was a challenge. He finally did the history Clep exams to prove he knew it to an acceptable level. His high school was a definite working with the kid I had, not my lofty plans. The level of independence grew as the kids did. We were still doing read alouds when dd entered high school so independance was totally by course. I did give small bits of independence at a young age. Essentially from the time they could read. Things like read the directions for this section of the math worksheet and do the problems which I instantly checked.......if they had a problem we reread the directions together. As they got older they did more independently. For us math was our somewhat independent thing but my kids loved math and gobbled up as much as was provided. They were also close enough in ability that they enjoyed it together.

Glad you are feeling a bit better. ? I have to say NZ imported the better of the fall celebrations! Although I would guess it isn’t generally a cold wet evening standing as close as you dare to the bonfire........... Oddly I have the first Daniel da Silva in my stack. I think I have read a couple random books in this series in the past and hope to read them all over the next year assuming I have finally picked the right series. The hold was huge! It has taken me awhile to identify this series which I remembered enjoying. I wish I had had Goodreads or just continued my old fashioned list keeping. Actually I did it on Lotus so I could sort by author, anyone remember that accounting program? I stopped my list for several years when the kids were born and then recorded their books for years! Back to keeping my own now but on Goodreads. Anyway, planning to use Silva for my Art Bingo square so it will be a useful read. I have read Still Glides the Stream thanks to the library collection. It was a good typical Stevenson, as in a nice gentle read.

Sending hugs and prayers.

Hugs, No experience other than with my mom. The meal train is a good thing and much easier than hubby doing it (at least my hubby) so sign back up! FYI, My mom was also told to move her watch to the other arm.

I totally get what you are saying and I could be putting some personal feelings into this book ? But parishes have tons of power within a village. I think she was married in her village church in Cumbria the second time too. It has been awhile. I was thinking he knew her, thus knew she was alive.

Let’s see if I can do this..... Laura was committed using Anne’s name, so Anne not Laura was insane.. I think the marriage occurred using the legal names. I typed in white and have no idea about typo’s! Essentially I think a Parrish Vicar could make the decision at that time.

I thought that was what I needed to do but can’t get it to work when I tap, but I just quoted and that let me read it. I think the answer would be that incident happened when using a different name then the problem is under. When I have a chance planning to have dd show me how to highlight at Wtm. All I do is accidentally highlight while reading on the iPad and when I want to I can’t!

@Matryoshka I can’t seem to read the whited out area on my iPad. I never needed to know the trick because it was a very light gray on my fire so I could read spoilers if I desired by enlarging the type. Just found a Fire to read it on and can’t, must be a board upgrade. Anyway not ignoring your question simply can’t read it. I don’t guarantee I know the answer as Woman in White was a book a listened to several months ago........

I now take two forms of kindle readers!?. My kindle died, truly dead a few years ago on the train to the airport to go to the US and hubby had convinced me to skip a paper book. I had to buy a less than satisfying book for my journey....I wanted something different that dd could read too, so YA. Probably the most inappropriate YA ever. ( No, I don’t remember the title before someone asks) Gak....dreadful, eye burning, no way I could give it to my daughter, I donated it to the airline. I was lucky for the movies.....

Kareni, Safe travels! I am glad you will be enjoying being with your sister at a joyous occasion. I think that will make for an easy reunion for lack of a better description. I am sure you have some great travel reading planned. Btw, I started Murder in Honour last night. It is my latest Anne Cleeland in the series. I started it while Dh was watching a movie that I find hard to ignore although I have no desire to watch AGAIN ........the voices get me. Anyway I needed to start a book where the characters would instantly draw me in and I picked Acton and Doyle! ?

Going to be really honest it can be confusing and I try super hard not to hurt anyone’s feelings. I have lots of notations in my address book that no one else understands. For instance I have absolutely no idea what last name a longtime home ed friend’s children use. I know she still uses the last name from her first marriage which is her legal name. Her partner/the father, who I know and like, but I only know his first name. I am always in a quandary when it comes to mailing things. I just put first name/names and the address. This has gone on for 10 years so it is a bit late to ask. My brother has sent me checks with my child’s first name and my maiden name. Now that is weird. I sort of understand when my family sends things with my maiden name to me.

I just wanted to send huds and prayers. What a shock! I am really glad to hear your church brought in grief counselors. I would talk to your kids about what they want to do, what their plan is. They might just have one! I think taking the time off until after the funeral is needed. Geokitty, make sure to give yourself time and grace to mourn your friend’s death. One of my best friends died of cancer, so expected, about a year ago and I am still missing her.

I checked the first Katherine book out of Kindle Prime last night, so at some point this month I will be reading it. It’s easy to over read an author I think, especially one who was really prolific. I find myself thinking this again......probably why I am stalled in my current Robin Paige book. ? Poldark, I am so far behind I am not sure if I am one or two seasons behind. To make matters worse I have seen enough spoilers so it isn’t going to be easy to figure out where I left off. I noticed it on Prime and have been thinking about trying to catch up since I did enjoy it. I really like Daisy and if a book setting is undesirable I just skip it. I skipped the Dentist one! ? Glad you are enjoying these. I actually read som KL last week. Still not caught up but enjoying it but I hate that fat book. My library has The Cross on kindle and I can’t wait to get to that point! I finished Meet Me at the Museum this afternoon and I really enjoyed it. It’s a book of letters between two unlikely correspondents, a Danish museum curator and a farm wife in Norfolk. Both are searching for a friend and find each other via a letter the farm wife sends to the museum in Denmark. The pictures painted by the book were oddly exacting for me regarding life in rural England. I wonder if I should have read this book first! I wonder if the Danish parts were as accurate.......I gave the book a 3 so it was not wonderful.......the parts I enjoyed were bits about stupid suicidal pheasants and the wedding scenes. No one else would honestly find these bits interesting. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36237290-meet-me-at-the-museum. It also was one of those novels with the popular lack of closure, potential for anything endings, which for me at least is disappointing.

Hugs! It sounds like you have no choice but to drive her there but could one of the carpools get her close enough to home to make it possible for you to come home for a couple of hours some nights?

Bad breath.......small teeth......small heads....autism

@texasmom33 Great stack of books! I have never read a John Connolly and they do look good so I put the first one on hold. I am one of those people who really prefer to read in order. So for me the concept of the St. Cyr series out of order is hard but I went and looked at my notes and came to the conclusion that your choice is the only other logical choice for starting this series. Happy reading!

She is so sweet! Thank you for sharing a picture!

The Historian is another huge favorite of mine! Texasmom33 looking forward to hearing what you pick Mom Ninja, glad you checked in. I knew someone really disliked Love in the Time of Cholera and though it might be you. I stopped after maybe 5 pages.........;)

Travel.......hopefully not all needed to be done this weekend!

The first one my kids had was geometry but they went back and did from fractions up for the story. As my daughter put it after her run through the Calculus book, she will never have any fears about Calculus again but definitely needs more to complete the typical course. I think the easy introduction is the benefit. I don’t think the elementary ones really show the quirky Fred at his best...I thought they were rather blah when I read part of one at a friend’s. For the most part they are an introduction to the harder math but Trig stood on it’s own just fine. Btw, I think there are samples on the publisher’s website.