Nittnut - Replanted and Blooming 2017 Part 6

Maidenhair fern

I'm Jennifer. I read in bed. Also at the pool, in restaurants, at the beach, but not in the car. I have been married 24 years to my best friend. He puts up with my reading addictions, mostly, although I am not allowed to read while watching sport. We have three children ages 18, 13 and 11 and I often find them reading in bed after lights out. Success!

We have lived in California, Oregon, Colorado, New Zealand, and now we live in North Carolina.


The bridge to Old Salem

My thread toppers will be photos of native North Carolina plants - going along with the theme of Blooming where I'm planted.

Reading goals (flexible, of course):

Wheel of Time series - continued - This will be a long term effort. I have the next 2 on the floor in my room...
American Author Challenge - LOVE this
ANZAC Challenge
Nonfiction Challenge

Challenges

American Author Challenge

Jan - Octavia Butler - Unexpected Stories
Feb - Stewart O' - Emily, Alone
Mar - William Styron - The Long March
Apr - Poetry - Tracy K. Smith - Life on Mars: Poems
May - Zora Neale Hurston - Dust Tracks on a Road
Jun - Sherman Alexie - pass
Jul - James McBride - The Color of Water
Aug - Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr. Ripley
Sep - Short Stories
Oct - Ann Patchett - This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
Nov - Russell Banks -
Dec - Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea

Non-fiction Challenge

Jan - Prizewinners - Founding Brothers
Feb - Voyages of Exploration - The Warmth of Other Suns
Mar - Heroes and Villains - Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
Apr - Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions - Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays
May - History - Hidden Figures, Dr. Mutter's Marvels
Jun - The Natural World - Birdology
Jul - Creators and Creativity - Manderley Forever, Knitting Pearls
Aug - I've Always Been Curious About ...
Sep - Gods, Demons and Spirits
Oct - The World We Live In: Current Affairs
Nov - Science and Technology
Dec - Out of Your Comfort Zone

ReRead Challenge

ANZAC Bingo

January Favorites



January Reading

1. First Frost -
2. Middlemarch
3. The Memory of Water
4. Cress
5. Maniac Magee
6. Winter
7. Unexpected Stories
8. Cotillion
9. The Wild Girl
10. City of Djinns -
11. Founding Brothers -
12. A Monster Calls
13. Running for My Life
14. Code Name Verity
15. The Warmth of Other Suns
16. The Westing Game

February Favorites



February Reading

17. The Woman on the Orient Express
18. Birdy Flynn
19. Pax
20. Emma: A Modern Retelling
21. The Stone of Farewell
22. Emily, Alone
23. Girls Guide to Moving On
24. Siege and Storm
25. The Mermaid's Daughter
26. Shadow and Bone
27. Ruin and Rising
28. The Johnstown Flood
29. Hell's Bottom, Colorado
30. All the Stars in the Heavens
31. The Bear and the Nightingale
32. Hillbilly Elegy
33. Shadow of A Bull

March Favorites


March Reading

34. The Chimes
35. The Mutual Admiration Society
36. Talking To the Dead
37. Love Story, With Murders
38. The Fire Raiser
39. The Long March
40. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
41. A Man Called Ove
42. Giants: the Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

April Favorites



April Reading

43. The Girl With Seven Names
44. Wish Upon A Star
45. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths
46. When the Sea Turned to Silver
47. Paper Boats
48. The Silent Songbird
49. Life on Mars: Poems
50. This Thing of Darkness
51. Powder and Patch
52. Raymie Nightingale
53. The Light of Paris
54. Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays
55. A Wind in the Door
56. To Green Angel Tower Part 1
57. To Green Angel Tower Part 2
58. Dust Tracks on a Road
59. The Wright Brothers

May Favorites



May Reading

60. The Persian Pickle Club
61. Dr. Mutter's Marvels
62. The Quake Year
63. Dragonflight
64. News of the World
65. Dragonsdawn
66. Hidden Figures
67. The Dead House
68. The Severed Land

June Favorites



June Reading

69. The Thief
70. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
71. A Spool of Blue Thread
72. Roller Skates
73. Our Lost Constitution
74. Bronze and Sunflower
75. The Stars at Oktober Bend
76. The Shadow Rising
77. Birdology
78. The Night Beat and Lev in Glasgow
79. The Queen of Attolia

July Favorites



July Reading

80. The Essex Serpent
81. Words in Deep Blue
82. The King of Attolia
83. The False Prince
84. A Conspiracy of Kings
85. Knitting Pearls
86. Thick as Thieves
87. The Crossing Places
88. All She Left Behind
89. The Deepest Grave
90. Secondborn
91. Serafina and the Black Cloak
92. Manderley Forever
93. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
94. The Janus Stone
95. The House at Sea's End
96. A Room Full of Bones
97. Flora and Ulysses
98. A Dying Fall
99. The Color of Water
100. The Goose Girl
101. Enna Burning
102. The Lioness of Morocco

August Favorites



August Reading

103. The Outcast Dead
104. The Talented Mr. Ripley
105. Honeymoon in Tehran
106. P.S. From Paris
107. Warleggan
108. John Quincy Adams
109. The Golden Boy
110. The View From Saturday
111. Ways to Disappear
112. Snow Treasure
113. The Toll Gate

September Favorites



September Reading

114. The Maze Runner
115. Mockingbird
116. The Nonesuch
117. The Mountain Between Us
118. Woman Hollering Creek
119. The Convenient Marriage
120. The Pope's Last Crusade
121. Dreamer's Pool
122. Atlantic: The Biography of an Ocean

October Favorites



October Reading

123. Every Woman For Herself
124. The Call
125. Tangerine
126. I Never Had it Made
127. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
128. The Festival of Trial and Ember
129. Wizards of Once
130. Peter and the Starcatchers
131. Tower of Thorns
132. Den of Wolves
133. A Tangled Mercy

Currently Reading

Pages: 50546

Currently Reading: The Bear and the Nightingale

Newbery Award: Bud, Not Buddy

Currently Listening: To Kill A Mockingbird, Hero of the Empire

AAC

Octavia Butler - Unexpected Stories - completed
Stewart O'Nan - Emily Alone - completed
William Styron - The Long March - completed
Tracy K. Smith - Life on Mars: Poems - completed
Zora Neale Hurston - Dust Tracks On A Road - completed
Sherman Alexie - PASS
James McBride - The Color of Water - completed
Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr. Ripley - completed
Short Story Month - Woman Hollering Creek - completed
Ann Patchett - This is the Story of A Happy Marriage - completed
Russel Banks -
Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea

Non-fiction Challenge

Founding Brothers - Joseph J. Ellis - completed
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson - completed
Giants: Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln - completed
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays - completed
The Wright Brothers - completed
Dust Tracks on a Road - completed
Dr. Mutter's Marvels - completed
Hidden Figures - completed
Birdology - completed
Knitting Pearls - completed
Manderley Forever - completed
Honeymoon in Tehran - completed
John Quincy Adams - completed
The Pope's Last Crusade - completed
A Little History of Philosophy - completed

Re-read

Cotillion - completed
The Bear and the Nightingale - completed
Black Sheep - completed
Powder and Patch - completed
A Wind in the Door - completed
Dragon Flight - completed
Dragsondawn - completed
A Swiftly Tilting Planet - completed
The Thief - completed
The Queen of Attolia - completed
The King of Attolia - completed
A Conspiracy of Kings - completed
The Goose Girl - completed
The Nonesuch - completed
The Convenient Marriage - completed
Dreamer's Pool - completed
Tower of Thorns - completed
Den of Wolves - completed

ANZAC -
The Wild Girl - Set Outside Australasia - C
The Slow Natives - Award Winner (Miles Franklin) - abandoned
The Chimes - Dystopian
The Quake Year - Number or quantity in the title
The Fire-Raiser - WWI - C
The Severed Land - under 200 pages
The Stars at Oktober Bend - YA
Words in Deep Blue - published in 2016/2017
Maori Boy - journal or memoir

November Favorites



November Reading

134. As You Wish
135. The Black Moon
136. The Book of Pearl
137. Heart of A Champion
138. Frankenstein
139. This is A Story of A Happy Marriage
140. The House of the Scorpion

December Favorites



December Reading

141. The Fill-in Boyfriend
142. Son of War, Daughter of Chaos
143. My Fair Godmother
144. The Old Man and the Sea
145. Heart's Blood
146. A Little History of Philosophy
147. Maori Boy
148. I Am Legend
149. All the Crooked Saints
150. Blue Monday
151. The Bear and the Nightingale
152. The Girl in the Tower
153. Shadrach Girl

Summary

153 Books
28 non-fiction
50546 Pages

Come on in and make yourselves at home!

>7 nittnut: love that sign :) :) :)
You are well travelled, even if for not good reasons, and if the aftermath of a death in the family isn't time for some family time, then no time is. So I am glad you at least got that. (Such a mangles sentence, but this isn't my thesis so I don't really have to try, right?)

I've been away from your thread for a long time, and happen in on awful stuff here. Terribly sorry about your father-in-law. So shocking. So glad you and your husband managed so well.

Just curious about that drive. Did you have a police escort?

Then your reading pace! Oh my. Just just broke the 75 barrier, and you've darn near doubled that. And all the while doing Etsy stuff.

Love the covered bridge with its Moravian star. Three of our granddaughters are students at the Moravian Academy in Bethlehem.

Happy new thread, Jenn!

>9 LovingLit: Hi Megan! That sign is in front of my sister's Local bookshop. They have good stuff. When I was there, they had suffered a broken window. The boards covering the window said "So many books, so little time, but please, use the door." LOL

>10 weird_O: Hi Bill. Thanks - we manage pretty well most of the time. There are moments... I did not have a police escort, Lol, and I stayed relatively close to the legal limit, most of the trip. *grin* We rocked the audio books on our very long drive. 60 odd hours of driving gives one plenty of listening time. It's been great living near Old Salem. We have a family membership and go often. So interesting to learn about the history there, and I adore the stars.

>11 scaifea: Hi Amber!

Happy new thread, Jenn!

Happy new thread, Jenn!
>7 nittnut: Another lover of the sign and the window board you mentioned in >12 nittnut: is hilarious :-D

Happy new thread. Looking back through your lists above I find many of my favorites listed there too.

>8 nittnut:

Love your wreath! - I've been making small ones from grapevines
(grow wild on land), pumpkin stems (find little pumpkins at local Horse Farm),
and star anise (Penzey's Spices online)
to top Holiday presents.

Happy new thread!

>13 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

>14 FAMeulstee: Hello Anita.

>15 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! I am sure I got some of those favorites by visiting your thread. :)

>16 m.belljackson: I would love to see a photo of your little wreaths. They sound wonderful.

>17 drneutron: Hi Jim! Thanks.

Happy new one, Jenn.

Jenn--Happy new thread! I love how you have pictures of your favorite monthly reads in each month. Might have to borrow that next year....

#134 As You Wish

Like many people, I adore The Princess Bride, both book and film. I wasn't entirely sure that I would like knowing more about the making of the film, but this is a charming memoir. I have really enjoyed listening to Cary Elwes narrate such a joyful remembrance of what seems to have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Highly recommended.

>19 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul!

>20 Berly: Hi Kimberly :) Thanks. I have to finish that...

We are slowly getting back into our schedule. I've started teaching a second water fitness class at the Y, and my Etsy business is picking up a bit, so things are busy busy. I only manage to clean bits of the house (keep up with dishes and vacuum when it's desperate) and do a load of laundry now and again, so I'm falling a little further behind every day. Sigh

Mr. E just came down stairs and told me that he could Not go to sleep and he had Tried Everything. I said fine, lie down on the sofa. 2 minutes later he was snoring. Lol.

I'm off to sleep. Weekend ahead!!

Hi Jenn!

>21 nittnut: I loved the movie. Daughter got me As You Wish for Christmas 2 years ago, and I still haven't read it. I need to finish up the non-fiction read that I've bogged down in and read that one next, I think! Uplifting and positive.

>22 nittnut: How sweet, Mr. E snoring on the couch.

>18 nittnut: Ahhh. How nice :)

>22 nittnut: LOL about Mr E and sleeping. Hurray for the weekend! Nevermind the darn dishes.

Happy new one, Jenn! Love that bridge photo up there. Hoping your Friday is full of fabulous!

Hi Jenn and happy new thread! I happen to be in NC even at this moment. I'm visiting my sister in Asheville. :-)

I should know this but what do you sell through your Etsy business?

>23 karenmarie: I think you will enjoy it Karen, whenever you get to it. :)

>24 RebaRelishesReading: :)

>25 Berly: Nevermind the darn dishes - I will try...

>26 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! My Friday was full of busy, but pretty good nevertheless. I have higher hopes for Saturday. Haircut, etc. :)

>27 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! What a perfect time to visit Asheville. I make ruffly old fashioned nightgowns for little girls. www.lavenderave.etsy.com

I've hit a wall or something. Going to make my bed and get in it early as tonight. No matter what everyone else is doing. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

>28 nittnut: Those are gorgeous nightgowns!!! I am jealous of your capabilities. I sewed a shirt in HS Home Ec class, but I try to avoid sewing as much as possible. It is not one of my gifts. ; ) Hope you have a great weekend.

#135 The Black Moon

The Poldark saga continues, with some new characters. I am a still little annoyed with Ross from the previous book. Demelza's brothers enter the story, adding interesting dimension. Aunt Agatha opened a can of worms that will cause a lot of trouble going forward.

>29 Berly: Thanks Kimberly! I like sewing, but it's not for everyone. There is some sewing I don't enjoy, mostly fiddly things like dolls and toys. My daughter loves that stuff.

Beautiful nightgowns you make, Jenn! Thanks for posting the link!

Hi Jenn - Happy new one. I hope you and yours are getting back to normal.

Hi Jenn! Gorgeous nightgowns. You're very talented.

I, too, hope you and your family are doing well.

>32 EBT1002: Thank you Ellen! Thank you for asking. :)

>33 BLBera: Hi Beth. We are sort of getting back to normal. We have a new normal that includes regular phone calls with my MIL, and weekly budget chats where my husband goes over her bills and accounts with her. It is really interesting to consider the division of labor over many years. Skills get rusty. Something to think about. She hasn't done bills, auto maintenance or laundry for Years. I guess I should let my husband show me how to use the ride-on lawn mower... *grudgingly* Also, the cousins are circling - they want to sell a jointly held property that provides income to the one remaining sibling - going to require a lot of finessing to keep that peaceful. It's a bit early to be making that sort of decision, but my husband has inherited the say-so. Ugh.

>34 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Thank you. :) You are very kind. We are well. I am tired, but getting back into the routine. My house is clean. That is something.

I'm off to bed to finish The Book of Pearl, which is the ER book I won last month. It's pretty good.

#136 The Book of Pearl

This is a tough one to review. The translation is beautifully done, the language is lyrical and fitting for a fairy tale. The fairy tale world is fascinating and well drawn. When the story jumps to WWII France, the setting is also perfectly done. The story moves along well and is engaging, to a point. On the other hand, I had trouble buying in to both the love story and the conflict. I didn't like the narrator, who had no real love story of his own to bring any feeling into his narration. It's possible that parts of the story just needed development. The shifting points of view and the occasional forays of the fairy tale world into the "real" world sometimes felt random and disorienting. Mixed results for me. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

I am reading Heart of a Champion, another ER book, Still working on Maori Boy, and listening to Frankenstein. Well, I was, until they took it away. Can anyone explain to me why my library Overdrive system only loans audio books for 7 days??

>37 nittnut: - Have you accessed your Overdrive account online to check the lending times? I can adjust mine and make the lending times 7, 14, or 21 days and I can make the loan period different for each format (audio, e-book, etc).

>38 katiekrug: Thanks for the tip Katie. I checked out my options and it looks like I have to choose the lending time per title, but it may set future loan times based on the last one. We shall see. :)

Jenn - I have just caught up on your last thread. I'd seen some of your roadtrip photos but hadn't read what had happened. I'm so sorry.

Loving reading about J doing so well in community college.

On a lighter note, as usual you put my NZ reading to shame!!! But it's Term 4. I know what that means...

Jenn, when you find your grandmother's fruit cake recipe, please post it. My husband adores fruit cake and I don't much like the candied fruit version but yours sounds like it would be a winning one for both of us. I'd love to try it.

>40 cushlareads: Hi Cushla! Thanks. It's been a rough month, but we are doing OK. Hooray for term 4 when we see you around LT again. :) What are you going to read first?

>41 RebaRelishesReading: Here you go Reba! It's adapted from the old Betty Crocker cookbook. You will notice the absence of alcohol. We don't use it. You could soak the dry fruit in brandy or whatever you like to obtain the flavor. Also, we use the cherries and pineapple as our preferred dry fruits, but you could use anything you like. Just be careful that it's fruit that will get soft.

Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups sugar (I do half white and half brown)
4 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup fruit juice (orange juice is our favorite)
1 cup more sifted all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups seedless raisins (we use golden)
2 cups cut up dates
1 cup maraschino cherries cut in half
1 cup dry pineapple cut into raisin size bits
1 cup nuts (my grandma used walnuts, but we use pecans)

Heat oven to 275 F. Line 2 loaf pans with parchment paper and grease well.

Mix oil, sugar, eggs and molasses. Beat well for 2 minutes. Sift 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and stir into the oil mixture alternately with the fruit juice. Mix the additional cup of flour with the dried fruit and nuts. Pour the batter over the fruit/flour mixture and mix well. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let stand 15 min. before removing from pan. Wrap well and store in a cool place. Refrigerate cake after cutting.

Hi Jenn!

Glad you found the recipe, Jenn. Looks yummy. It's funny how different they all are. I need to transcribe my grandmother's from her handwritten recipe, but it has figs and she notes that she baked the cakes in coffee cans!

Thank you so much Jenn. I've added it to my recipe collection and plan to surprise my husband with a homemake fruitcake around Christmas time.

Just to be clear, it looks like you don't soak the fruit at all -- not even in the oj, right?

>43 karenmarie: Figs would be yummy. Maybe I'll add some of those. :)

>44 RebaRelishesReading: My mom doesn't, but sometimes I do. It depends on how moist my fruit is. But you have to remember to pour off the juice into the batter, then mix the fruit with the flour...

>45 nittnut: Thank you. I'm excited to try it. I'll probably wait until next month though since it seems more a "Christmas thing" than a "Thanksgiving thing".

>42 nittnut: Yes it feels nice to be back (even if your thread is the only one I have visited so far!!). I've been buying books and reading a tiny bit all year, so now it's time to catch up on what I've bought. I'm halfway through What You Did Not Tell: A Russian Past and the Journey Home"} by Mark Mazower. I read a good review of it in the FT last weekend and bought it for my Kindle straight away. I own a couple of Mazower's history books and this one's about his grandparents and family history.

Might do a Christmas cake this year now that I have the Kenwood. I love it and never understood why lots of Americans seem to not like fruitcake when I lived there! I think Mum has soaked the fruit with orange juice instead of brandy some years.

>46 RebaRelishesReading: It's definitely a Christmas thing, but I guess most people make it in November because they like to "age" it. I might try the aging thing this year. I don't know. Mostly we are too anxious to taste.

>47 cushlareads: Ooooh! You visited me first! *preens just a little*
I have a couple Mazower books on my wish list. I probably heard about them from you. I am loving seeing all the cakes T is making. She's getting to be an impressive baker.

So busy this week trying to unravel all the healthcare info for my MIL. She got a letter cancelling Dad's insurance and thought hers was cancelled, and I'm the go-to insurance person, so I've been calling the PPO and asking lots of questions. Also, I never knew that one had to go through Social Security to sign up for Medicare. Sigh. Also I have to call their auto insurance and sort out changing it to one driver and all that kind of thing. On the bright side, other than keeping Two calendars in case she loses one and sometimes going down random side paths on topics other than what we are trying to do, she's being very sweet and generally lovely right now. May it last. *makes a note to ask if the two calendars are being kept in separate places...*

>48 nittnut:

Page-A-Day Calendars kept on the kitchen table also work really well - turning page over each day jogs memory in different ways.

I have the Book Lovers one (on sale at Daedalus for $4.98, as are others) - the cat, dog, country, & language ones are great too.

I'm seeing talk of paper calendars here and on Susan's thread. Do people really still use those? I've been keeping my calendar on my computer since the late 90's. First it was just there so I had to keep a paper one in my purse for when I wasn't in the office but then came Palm Pilot and then smart phones. Calendars on my phone, iPad and computer link and update each other so I have it with me all the time. So much easier.

Hi Jenn. Stopping by to get caught up and see that a lot has been happening for you over the past few months. Congrats on the truck purchase and my deepest condolences to you and your family on your FIL's sudden passing.

>2 nittnut: - Love that bridge pic!

>28 nittnut: - What fabulous nightgowns!

>42 nittnut: - My dad loves fruitcake. Me, not so much. May consider making one next year and your recipe looks like something that won't "overwhelm" me. I love to bake, but not fussy baking. ;-)

>49 m.belljackson: Great suggestions! Thanks!

>50 RebaRelishesReading: I don't use a paper calendar, but I still make lists on paper. :)

>51 lkernagh: Hi Lori. I am rather impressed that you read all that, Lol. Thank you for your kind thoughts. You'll have to let me know if you ever make the fruitcake. I'm not a fan of fussy baking either.

#137 Heart of a Champion - ER

This is a lovely little book. It looks to be meant for middle grade readers. Set in Canada, and told from the point of view of an 11 year old boy, it's about what it was like to be a Japanese-Canadian during WWII, to be suspected of being an enemy and sent away from home. The author did a great job balancing those who acted with prejudice with people who were kind and considerate. This story is also about persistence and optimism, even in the face of great injustice. I enjoyed it very much.

Currently listening to Frankenstein and reading This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.

>52 nittnut: Me too -- although I have some of my longer term lists on my phone & iPad

Hi Jenn!

I use a Lett's Week-to-View Desk Diary. This is my 25th year. I like a paper diary for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the ever-increasing privacy aspects. Lists are in Word of Excel.

>54 RebaRelishesReading: Don't forget to back them up. My hard drive on my laptop died, and I lost everything. Apparently my cloud wasn't always working. I don't seem to have the wiring to comprehend the cloud completely either. Or I don't want to? Something.

>55 karenmarie: My private information is also in a paper diary. I think everything we put on a computer will get seen by someone, sometime. Yuck.

Well, I have finally finished all my Etsy shop orders and they are boxed and ready to ship. My older son arrives tomorrow afternoon and the Thanksgiving frenzy will begin. I am hoping that I feel less stressed when I wake up tomorrow, lol. I have definitely decided to skip Black Friday, both in my own shop and in regards to personal shopping.
I made fruitcake today, and it smells heavenly. I tasted a corner and it tastes heavenly too. It's cooling and then I'm going to wrap it up and find a cool corner. Tomorrow I am making the rosemary pecan cornbread so it can get dried out for stuffing. Yum. The kids have put in pie orders and it amounts to 7 pies for 5 people. We are in negotiations.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving pie? I'm a fan of pecan pie, but I really love pumpkin too.

Hi Jenn!

Yes, everything we put on a computer will get seen by someone sometime. Yuck. Just think - if you have a smartphone it's all in the cloud!

Congrats on getting your Etsy orders out. Good luck with the T-day frenzy. No to stress.

You're in worse shape than I am re pies. I'll have 3 pies for 6 people, but even if were just the three of us, there would be 3 pies - homemade with homemade crust Pumpkin, Pecan, and Banana Cream. Real whipped cream, too, NOT cool whip and not whipped cream in a can. What are the 7 pies in negotiations?

Jenn, the rosemary pecan cornbread sounds amazing - do you share that recipe? And pies! I love pie - especially for breakfast with a cup of coffee. My favorite is pumpkin with a streusel topping, but I also love pecan.

Like Karen, I want to know which seven pies are in negotiations.

>57 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Real whipped cream for sure. If I'm going all in on calories, I'm having it all.

>58 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! We always have to make extra pumpkin, because we have it for breakfast. :)
I am happy to share the cornbread recipe. It is courtesy of healthyaperture.com.

Rosemary Pecan Cornbread
4 Tbsp. oil, divided
2 cups cornmeal
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 F. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to 8" cast iron skillet; place skillet in oven and heat until very hot.
Stir together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pecans, green onions and rosemary.
Combine egg, buttermilk and remaining 3 Tbsp. oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined. Let sit 5 minutes, pour into hot skillet. Bake at 450 F for 30 minutes or until browned and set.

Pies under negotiation are:
Pumpkin (not negotiable)
Pecan
Apple
Lemon Merengue
Key Lime
Cherry cheesecake (not pie)
Chocolate cream (grandpa's favorite)

I am losing the negotiations. When they bring up grandpa's favorite and "but I'm not going to be here for Christmas" and we've always had it... so I'm off to start the pie crusts and count the pie tins.

#138 Frankenstein

I've had Frankenstein on my to read list for years. This summer, my 14 yr. old niece was telling me about how it's her favorite book, so I decided to bump it up the pile and read it. I will be very interested to talk to her about this book. I really didn't like it. It is a miserable story and it makes me wonder whether anything could have been different, if, for example, Frankenstein had been kind to his monster? Everyone dies, everyone is unhappy, and it's so pathetically sad that any creepy factor gets totally lost. Sigh. I never thought I'd say that I liked Dracula better, but I did. I liked Dracula better.

>60 nittnut: Funny, when I recently read Frankenstein I expected to dislike it. At the end I thought it wasn't that bad, it was the lonelyness that struck me the most. I haven't read Dracula, should get to it someday...

Oh! Thanks so much for that! Your pie negotiations are cracking me up. I would dump the lemon merengue, key lime, and the cherry cheesecake, but that's because those aren't my favorites. Heh. And I would make them help with the making of the pies.

I'm so boring, I just like apple pie. And I'm not even a huge fan of that... I do like strawberry-rhubarb but that's not really Thanksgiving-y, I guess. My father always made apple-cranberry-raisin pie that everybody just loved. Except me. I never understood why he'd ruin a perfectly good apple pie :) I like about two bites of pumpkin pie and then I remember I don't like pumpkin pie. I've basically given up on Thanksgiving desserts and just devote myself to the mashed potatoes and stuffing...

Gobble, gobble, Jenn! Happy Thanksgiving!

>56 nittnut: I don't have the wiring to actually understand computer things either. As long as they work I get along fine but if something goes even a little wrong I'm lost. I would love to have enough understanding to be able to fix things but then not enough to actually try to learn :(. I do have everything automatically backing up to the cloud and I back my laptop up to an external hard drive every couple of weeks but that's more because all of my photos for the past umpteen years are on there...which reminds me...time to back up.

All the baking talk is making my mouth water Jenn. And the rosemary cornbread sounds lovely. I've never seen green onions or cornmeal here otherwise I'd give it a go (that's my excuse, anyway!)

I remember my mother making our Christmas fruitcakes and soaking the fruit overnight in ginger ale. Fairly sure that the recipe was from an old Edmonds cookbook.
I have a recipe somewhere for a fruitcake that uses a can of crushed pineapple.
This looks to be it, really easy to make, though I used to bake mine in the oven, don't think I've ever seen one that was cooked in a saucepan.

>61 FAMeulstee: Hello Anita! I agree, the loneliness of both Frankenstein and his monster were striking. The book just made me so sad.

>62 Crazymamie: The kids won. We have a lot of pie. I like lemon and key lime, but I could live without chocolate cream and cherry cheesecake. Oh well. I made the pumpkin and apple, Costco made the pecan, the kids are making the rest.

>63 katiekrug: Hi Katie :). It's funny, I like the idea of apple pie, but I don't end up actually wanting to eat it much. I'm not sure why, because I love all the components. I truly love pumpkin pie though. It's definitely a love or hate food, isn't it? Gobble -gobble to you too! Lol

>64 RebaRelishesReading: I have Dropbox for photos, which I've been really happy with. That way anything on my phone automatically goes there, as well as anything on my laptop.

>65 charl08: Hmm. I wonder if it's Polenta there? We found polenta (in NZ anyway) to be more like our coarse ground cornmeal than the "corn flour" which we call corn starch. No green onions? Spring onions maybe?

>66 avatiakh: What an interesting recipe Kerry. It's almost steamed. I've made a recipe for Boston Brown Bread before that was cooked that way, but it's not the usual. It looks nice though.

#139 This is the Story of A Happy Marriage - AAC

Ann Patchett is a little bit hit or miss for me, and it's not a neutral hit or miss, really. I loved Bel Canto and State of Wonder, and I hated The Patron Saint of Liars and The Magician's Assistant, for example. I loved this collection of essays. They were personal and thoughtful, and even though it's probably not true, I feel like I got to know her a little. 5 stars.

I am way behind on the threads and just caught up with the end of your last thread today, Jenn. I am sorry to hear of your family's loss and I am glad to hear that your family is getting back to normal routine.

>22 nittnut: I only manage to clean bits of the house (keep up with dishes and vacuum when it's desperate) and do a load of laundry now and again, so I'm falling a little further behind every day. I can relate to that. I just did the basics all the time I had a full time job, now there is so much to get caught up with. *sigh* Face it, there are just more interesting things to do!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Jenn, to you and yours.

>69 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Thanks for stopping by. Thank you for your kind thoughts. There are so many more interesting things to do than tidy up, it's a real problem Lol.

>70 karenmarie: Thanks Karen!

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things, one of them being my wonderful



I remember the loneliness of Frankenstein. Glad to hear you like the latest Patchett. Must get that....Apple or Marionberry pie.

Wishing you lots of luck spring out all the issues for your MIL : )

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Jenn.

So, how many pies did you make? We just had pumpkin and pecan.

I hope your Thanksgiving went well, Jenn. It is difficult to get into the holiday spirit so soon after the loss of a loved one. Eating pie helps!

>73 Berly: I love a good Marionberry pie. Hard to get Marionberries around here though.

>74 BLBera: We did have a good Thanksgiving! We made 7 pies. We ate most of 4 (pumpkin, lemon meringue, key lime, and oddly enough, the cherry cheesecake. Half the pecan and all the chocolate except one slice "disappeared" into the trash on Saturday. Half an apple pie lingers. I think the stuffing was my favorite thing this year.

>75 Donna828: Hi Donna! It was a good Thanksgiving. We had Jonah for three days. It was too short, but he's got school and work, so that's how it is now. And I'm glad he's busy and relatively contented.

If anyone likes the Fiona Griffiths books, they are a daily deal on Amazon today. All under $2.

You're welcome. *grin*

Hi Jenn!

I saw the Fiona Griffiths deals today but already have all of them.

I hope you're doing well this Monday after Thanksgiving.

#140 The House of the Scorpion - BoB

A creepy dystopian tale with drugs and clones and zombies, this Newbery honor book will keep a young reader up after bed time. There is a zone between what used to be Mexico and the US. This zone has been divided into drug empires named after the drug they grow. What is the value of human life? Is there a difference between a person and that person's clone? Is a clone human? These and so many other questions will come up in the reading of this story.

>78 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I am tired, but well. The younger kids both had head colds over the break, so we had a quiet time. How are you?

I am reading Maori Boy, after neglecting him for a long time. I also started listening to A Little History of Philosophy. I am aiming for 150, and I have 9 books to go. It's a pretty busy time, so we shall see.

Hi Jenn--I also have all the Fiona books. Ready to start book #4 in December. : )

House of Scorpion sounds good!

Hope everyone is well again in your household.

Bye! Gotta go. It's bedtime.

Hi Jenn!

You've had way too much going on this entire year. Too many stress points, for sure. I hope that next year is calmer, quieter, and uneventful for you. Good events are okay, although some of them can even be stressful, too!

I'm doing okay. Had a bit of a kerfuffle on Sunday between husband and daughter so was stressed a bit. Things are calm again, although I think they're both still upset. Not my problem, and I refuse to be in the middle. My stressful year is quieting down. I finally turned the notarized Grant Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure back to Mom's mortgage company so am free and clear of THAT. Sister and I are back on an even keel, even though I want her husband to get coal in his Christmas stocking. I'm ahead of the game for Christmas so far, and am reading good books.

Wow. 150 book goal, 9 to go. I'm impressed.

>56 nittnut: skipping black Friday sounds just the ticket (as my mother would say).

>80 nittnut: I have seen Maori Boy in the shops and really want to read it too, one day :)

>80 nittnut: >83 LovingLit: Very brief visit, but still got with a bb for Maori Boy. Impressive work there Jenn.

Just a flying visit - to my own thread. Life is certainly not boring. More on that later. Maybe.

>81 Berly: Hi Kimberly! Give House of the Scorpion a try if you have time. It's a quick read. :)

>82 karenmarie: Hi Karen. There is no end to the goings on, but life is good. Sorry husband and daughter got into a kerfuffle. My husband and daughter do too, and I try to stay out of it as well, except to back up Dad when my daughter looks to me for support in her sassy business. Lol So nice you're getting things done and boxes ticked and things are good with your sister. I know where you can get some coal...

>83 LovingLit: Hi Megan! Oh how I wish I were having summer with y'all. You will like Maori Boy. But fair warning, you will be wading through much genealogy and so forth. I'd probably be faster if my brain would quit trying to read the Maori names properly.

>84 charl08: Well. And all I had to do was mention it. You're an easy sell, aren't you? It is a really excellent book, but see my comment to Megan above. *grin*

Off to bed for me. I'm doing First Aid/CPR training online prior to the actual training and it's about 5 hours of very boring video instruction. It's a real snooze.

Oh, and I'm listening to A Little History of Philosophy. It's driving me round the bend. Philosophers. Ptooey.

>85 nittnut: - At this time of year, I think fly bye visits to even your own thread is to be expected, Jenn. December is usually quite a whirlwind month for so many people.

>86 lkernagh: So true Lori.

I recently took on some new responsibilities at church that are quite involved, so I have not had a lot of leisure time, or any time for that matter. I've been working on learning how to do my job. One of my friends told me I needed brain candy and gave me a stack of books to read. :) I love friends like that.

#141 The Fill-in Boyfriend

Formulaic, but cute. High school girl has college boyfriend. Boyfriend breaks up in parking lot before prom. Girl needs an immediate replacement due to friends not believing in existence of college boyfriend. Finds available boy in car nearby. Let the games begin.

Still listening to A Little History of Philosophy. It is so out of my comfort zone. I almost think I'd rather read Twilight. Almost.

Hi Jenn!

You weren't busy enough, right? New job! I hope it's going well and that you're enjoying the pre-Christmas build up.

>88 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Ha - I'm never bored, that's for sure. We had a fun night last night baking cookies and visiting our neighbors. We are doing a really neat advent calendar with the kids https://www.mormon.org/christmas/25-ways-25-days that hopefully helps focus us on more than just presents. It's been a great experience so far. I'm having a sick day today - lying about on the sofa and blowing my nose and choosing SantaThing books for my giftee. Someone I know this year!! How cool is that? How are you? I'm hoping to visit some other threads today. :)

Cookies sound like fun, and an advent calendar is a great way to make it about more than stuff. Sorry you're a bit under the weather although choosing books is always good, especially for someone you know!

I'm pretty low energy today and it took me a while to figure out that in about 45 minutes one year ago exactly my sister called to tell me that Mom was failing and I needed to get to California as quickly as I could. I'm almost afraid to call my sister because she gets much more emotional than I do, and today's the anniversary of the last day she saw Mom. Sigh. But, I've wrapped Christmas presents and am looking at birds and reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

I'm still dealing with a streaming nose and low energy. It is snowing, but on the bright side, it means we can all stay home. That's a happy thing. I've read a couple more of the books my friend loaned me, and I'm getting ready to finish Maori Boy. I'm also listening to A Little History of Philosophy - almost done! And reading The Old Man and the Sea. A couple of quiet days should help me get through more of those.

#142 Son of War, Daughter of Chaos

I kind of enjoyed this modern version of the eternal battle between Set and Horus. Of course it's also a teen romance/love triangle thing, but it wasn't bad.

#143 My Fair Godmother

I was definitely not the target audience for this one. It's a quirky take on fairy tales with a fairy godmother who didn't do well in school and so is only a "fair" godmother. She is doing extra credit to try and improve her grades. It's quirky, sometimes funny, and perfect for the 11-13 year old crowd.

#144 The Old Man and the Sea - AAC

What a lovely little book. It has all the things I love about a Hemingway story (the ones I like). It's a pure and simple, straightforward tale of courage and perseverance. The relationships between the old man and the boy, the man and the sea, the man and the fish are real and intense. The inner dialogue of the old man as he fights the fish is beautifully written. Wonderful story.

Hi Jenn!

>92 nittnut: Our book club discussed the Old Man and the Sea in February of this year, and I agree with what you wrote completely. I'm not sure how many other books by Hemmingway I will ever read, but this one is exceptional.

Did you get much snow yesterday? We got a trace.

>92 nittnut: - I'll be reading this one, too, for the AAC. And I'm only doing it to maintain my Purist status for this year. I hope I find it as worthwhile as you did!

Morning, Jenn! I also liked The Old Man and the Sea. And >94 katiekrug: Katie, here is a really great audiobook version of it narrated by Donald Sutherland if you can track it down.

>93 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I've read several books by Hemingway, and honestly only liked A Movable Feast. I tried to get through a huge collection of his short stories a few years ago and I couldn't do it. My feeling was that a little Hemingway goes a very long way. However, he does have a few gems and the Old Man and the Sea is one of them.
We got plenty of snow, 3-4 inches, I think. The kids were able to do a little sledding and build a snowman. Saturday was perfect. My work training got cancelled, but my husband's work Christmas party was still on. :)

>94 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I think you'll like it. It's short, but powerful. Good work on remaining a Purist. I didn't manage it this year.

>95 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie :) I might look for the audio as well. I'd like my kids to listen to it. I think they will like it, but I don't think they will read it yet.

Dropping by to report on some books finished. I have one kid with a wonky tummy upstairs in bed, one at school. For now. I have the week off YMCA work because they are cleaning the pool, but I have 4 nightgowns to finish ASAP.

#145 Heart's Blood - re-read

I enjoyed my second read of this magical story, somewhat reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. I love Juliet Mariller's strong female characters.

#146 A Little History of Philosophy - non-fiction

I have finished. Philosophy still leaves me cold, but if I were to ever warm up to it, I suspect Nigel Warburton could get some credit. It's a well written, sometimes humorous, and beautifully concise description of the the major philosophers and their ideas. I admit that I increased the reading speed to 1.25 somewhere around chapter 20, but I am justified by my need to finish the book before I completely lost my mind (thanks Machiavelli).

#147 Maori Boy - ANZAC Bingo

This will easily make its way onto my favorites of the year list. Witi Ihimaera tells his whakapapa (genealogy), the story of his growing up years, and maybe a little of New Zealand whakapapa too. He illustrates how our history remains part of us, even when we don't realize it, and how knowing our history helps us know ourselves.

Life is not about waiting for someone to come and rescue you, but about finding instead the courage to strike out for that distant shore, wherever it is.

I am now listening to I Am Legend. My son has been after me to read it for a long time, but I. Don't. Do. Vampires. Then it was free on Audible and I caved. Ick. But also fascinating.

#148 I Am Legend

Well. That was interesting.

Ah, what Moms do for love of a child!

I didn't particularly like it, either.

>98 nittnut: Made me laugh out loud, Jenn. I remember reading that, and I was trying to recall what I liked about it because there was something...Ended up looking up my review, and here is what I said:

This book was just so very different from what I was expecting. Not scary or thrilling, it is instead a depiction of what it would feel like to be the last person standing in a world that is no longer familiar. Robert Neville has only his house and his wits to help him survive, and when we meet him he has already been through so much that he is practically numb, just going through the paces in a kind of remote detached way. This fact makes the first part of the book drag a bit, and I wonder it it would have been better to have met him just a bit earlier. The action and the internal monologues are plodding and the book begins to feel like too much work as you reach the middle sections. However, don't despair because the second half of the book picks up pace and the ending, for me, really delivers.

SO, I liked the ending, which now I can't remember. Ha!

Just looked up your fruit cake recipe to add needed ingredients to my shopping list. I plan to make it tomorrow.

>92 nittnut: Loved it too! I am reading A Farewell to Arms and liking it a lot, though not freaking-out-loving it.

>97 nittnut: now you are making me feel like a bad kiwi. What is with me that my international pals are exceeding my own NZ author tallies!!??? Maori Boy is on the WL.

>99 karenmarie: I hope he's happy, because No Way am I picking up any Stephen King for him. No. Way.

>100 Crazymamie: Yes! The book has a very detached feel to it. The ending where he is tricked by the vampire and she is sorry and tells him to get out of town, but he can't, so they come for him, he defends his fortress and they shoot him, and he's going to die and she gives him pills and he realizes he is now the different (scary) one - he is Legend. was not too bad, but I don't think I ever really connected with the book. Detached is a very good word for the whole experience. Maybe that is a success of sorts too. I do need to call my son and find out why he liked it so much.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: Good luck Reba! I made ours just before Thanksgiving, and it has aged beautifully. The only bit I am not thrilled about was my pineapple pieces. I got dried pineapple slices because it was all I could find, and then I chopped them up, but they stayed too chewy.

>102 LovingLit: I agree. A Farewell to Arms is good, but not amazing. You could be a bad Kiwi, or you could be exploring literature outside your own lands... I have been doing the ANZAC Bingo, which has really boosted my reading of NZ and Australian authors. There are an impressive number of good ones for the size of the population, I think.

I've got one kid out of school (talking Minecraft non-stop) and one kid (grumpily) still in. I'm reading All the Crooked Saints. I am about to go make caramels, IF I can find my candy thermometer. Then I have a bit of sewing to do. I'm making a roasted butternut squash, bacon and pinenut pasta for dinner. I think we will have green beans with it.

Oh wow. That pasta sounds wonderful.

Hope your small sick person is better soon.

>104 charl08: I thought the pasta was wonderful. My kids were not impressed. Butternut squash is, apparently, weird with pasta.
Fortunately, I don't have any sick people. My youngest just finished school and started his holidays on Friday, my daughter, much oppressed, must go through Wednesday.

>103 nittnut: We're really enjoying it! Half of one is gone already :)

BIL and SIL do a major fruitcake baking operation every November. They make dozens of small loaves and give them out at Christmas. Every year we take the one the one they just gave us and stash it in the back of the refrigerator. Then we take out last year's fruitcake and enjoy it. One year in the fridge seems to be just the ticket. It's a fun tradition.

#149 All the Crooked Saints

On the night this story begins, goth a saint and a scientist were listening to miracles.
In the desert in Southern Colorado, there is a place where miracles can be found. There's a catch though. The first miracle is not the one that will heal you. It's the second miracle, the one you have to do yourself, that brings healing. It's an odd, quirky book, but very likable.

One more to go!

I am reading Blue Monday and listening to Hero of the Empire (which I have no plans to finish this year), and I have just discovered that there is a sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, which is very, very tempting.

Merry Christmas to you, Jenn!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Hi Jenn, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

>109 EBT1002: Thank you Ellen! How adorable is that kitten?

>110 ronincats: I will take a Merry Christmas with all of that peace, harmony and good wishes! Thank you Roni.

>111 lkernagh: Thank you Lori!

I got to 150! I'm rather amazed.

#150 Blue Monday

A child goes missing, a detective senses a connection to a very cold case, he enlists the help of a psychiatrist, unexpected twists occur. Traipsing around in the middle of all of this is a cast of very unique characters. A washed up therapist, a Ukrainian handy man, a stroppy teen... I really can't decide what I think about this one. It was such a slow, methodical pace for the genre. It's well written, the characters are intriguing, I will definitely read the next one.

----------------------------------------------------------

Still listening to Hero of the Empire, and liking it very much. I have also started The Bear and the Nightingale (for the third time this year) because the sequel is out. It's called The Girl in the Tower, and I have high hopes for it.

I received what I assume is my first SantaThing book!! Guns, Germs and Steel arrived yesterday. We are off to a very good start. *grin* I am excited to see what shows up next.

I'll be around with Merry greetings sometime tomorrow, I hope. My daughter has big plans for me tonight. The boys are off picking up a ping pong table and a Foosball table - second hand - for our big Christmas gift. My husband, bless his heart, thought he was going to put them upstairs in my sewing room. After I finished laughing really hard and could breathe again, I said the garage would be fine. He's spent 2 days clearing out the garage, and that's what I call a Win-Win.

>113 nittnut: Congratulations! 150. That is notable.

I'm glad you were able to protect your sewing room from ping pong and foosball! Ha.

>114 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen! So, I was wrong. It's not Foosball. It's Air Hockey. We've had a tournament. To the shock and amazement of Mr. E, I beat him handily. His father did warn him, but he didn't believe. LOL

>105 nittnut: Ha! I'm with you on butternut with pasta - with feta and nutmeg, particularly good.

Sorry for my health wishes mixup, when you said "out of school" I thought you meant unwell: not sure if I can attribute that to UK English, but I'll go with that excuse!

>115 nittnut: Sounds like many hours of family fun ahead.

Congrats on 2x 75!

Merry Christmas, Jenn!

Wow, 150! Congrats!

Merry Christmas! Peace and Joy to you all!

>116 charl08: Hi Charlotte! No big deal, lol. Many hours of fun are ahead. I am looking forward to doing some sitting around, even if my young man says I can't really sit around until he's at least 16. LOL

>117 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne! Love the Peanuts image. :)

Hi Jenn!

Congratulations on 150 books this year!



Stopping by to wish you and yours all good things this holiday season.

Happy holidays to you and your family, Jenn!! I hope 2018 is a banner year for you.

Happy holidays! I am thankful this holiday season for all the good friends I have made in this group. You are all so supportive. I don't know what I'd do without you!

(Or in other words, Happy Christmas, to you and yours!)

Dear Jenn, best wishes to you and yours at Christmas!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

>113 nittnut: Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75!

Congrats on 150!!

An belated Holiday Wishes, aka Happy Boxing Day!!

#151 The Bear and the Nightingale

Re-read before reading the second book in the series.

#152 The Girl in the Tower

I love how Katherine Arden creates a magical fairy tale world out of the cold hard world of Russia under the rule of the Khan. It's a great read, I enjoyed it very much. I'm looking forward to the third book.

Reading Shadrach Girl and listening to Hero of the Empire.

Thank you for all the Christmas wishes everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

Hi Jenn!



Peace, Health, and Happiness in 2018

#153 Shadrach Girl - ANZAC

I just squeaked this one in last night before midnight, so I will count it here.
A sweet story of a family, doing family things. Overcoming challenges and working together. I love Joy Cowley.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year!