Roni Recovers and Reads in 2021: 4rd Edition

I was going to wait until I got back to San Diego to start a new thread, but at 325 messages on my third thread, I think I'd better go ahead. I'll fill in all the cut and paste and updates when I get back, and just reserve the spaces now, rather than use my mom's clunky laptop to try to do it.

Goals for 2020

Read 150 books and 50,000 pages. 184 books, 58,525 pages
Read at least 30 books off my own bookshelves. 16
Acquire no more than 80 books. 45 I did read 31 of the books I acquired this year
Send 50 books out the door. 17 books, 15 through PaperBackSwap this month. I have others waiting for schools and libraries to open up.
Read at least 12 nonfiction books—10

Goals for 2021

I don’t think I am going to push myself this year, so I will keep the same goals. Except I know I am going to deaccession a lot more books this year so as not to move them.

Read 150 books and 50,000 pages.
Read at least 30 books off my own bookshelves. Acquire no more than 80 books.
Acquire no more than 80 books.
Send 50 books out the door.
Read at least 12 nonfiction books.

Books Read in 2021

January
1. The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
2. When the King Comes Home by Caroline Stevermer
3. Magic Be With You by Jamie Brindle
4. Owl Be Home for Christmas by Diane Duane
5. A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
6. A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
7. Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend
8. How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge by K. Eason
9. The Apple Stone by Nicholas Stuart Gray
10. The Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson

February
11. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
12. The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
13. The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman
14. Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
15. The Debatable Land by Graham Robb
16. The Deep End by Julie Mulhern

March
17. Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
18. A Pale Light in the Black by K. B. Wagers
19. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
20. Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis
21. The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers

April
22. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey
23. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
24. Empire by Paul Strathern
25. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
26. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
27. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
28. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
29. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
30. Network Effect by Martha Wells
31. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

May
32. The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold

Books Acquired in 2021

January
1. Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne
2. OWL Be Home for Christmas by Diane Duane
3. Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
4. Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey
5. Oddity by Eli Brown
6. The Deep End by Julie Mulhern

March
7. Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
8. The Farm: Growing up in Abilene Kansas in the 1940s and 1950s by Mark Curran

April
9. Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
10. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
11. The Silent Strength of Stones by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
12. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

And I think I usually have another space so we'll save this.

Mom's cataract surgery went well yesterday. I had her at the eye doctor's today at 9 in the morning for the day after checkup and it looked good. My college roommate showed up at noon for her visit--tomorrow we go over to Salina so she can see my house and to have my bed delivered.

Working on two books, one by a cousin on growing up on a farm here near Abilene and the other a reread of Paladin of Souls, which is a group read somewhere over in the Category Challenge group, I think, and the comments just pushed me over into another reread.

The snow had all melted by nightfall.

Hope I did not step in too early. Happy new thread!

>1 ronincats: Quite beautiful. We had snow today and thankfully, it has already melted.

Happy New Thread! Beautiful snow!

Happy new thread!

Brrr! I mean it a cool evening for this time of year in LA, but of course, nothing like.

I'm glad the surgery went OK. My dad's 30 years ago made him very happy to have colors back.

Happy new one, Roni. We decided to set up new digs at around the same time!

Happy new thread, Roni.

Happy new thread, Roni!

Good for your mum's second surgery going well. When my parents had theirs done, it was more like 6 or so months apart. My mum's was done under general (her siblings had it done, so she knew to catch it early). I especially remember that when she came home, she could see all the dust that she had missed cleaning - although I didn't think the house was especially dusty :0) (Mind you, I was in my late teens then.)

Happy new thread, Roni!
I am glad that your mother is well.

Hope your mom's vision is excellent now that she's had the second surgery. Wishing her a speedy recovery!

>1 ronincats: found and starred your new thread!

I have had one eye "done" about three years ago and love being able to drive without glasses, that's probably the best part of all. I was going to get the other eye done, last Spring...nuff said.

The snow pic is so beautiful. I love snow when I'm inside and it's outside and melts within the day.

Happy new one, Roni. Glad furniture delivery is beginning. So exciting to finally move in, I'm sure.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Roni!

Happy new thread. Sounds like everything is falling into place there: your mom's surgery, your house, the furniture, etc. Yay!

Happy New Thread!

Beautiful snowy picture. We're also bouncing between 60 degree days (yesterday) followed by snow forecast again tonight.

I'm glad your Mom's surgery went so well!

Happy new thread, Roni!

Glad to read your mothers cataract surgery went well.
And from your previous thread: I loved the photo's of you in your new house.

Happy new thread, Roni. Great news that your Mom's procedure went well. I remember being very nervous before I had my eyes done - eyesight is so important - especially to a reader!

Happy new thread, Roni!

I love your topper photo. Glad to hear your mom's surgery went well.

Happy to hear that your mother did well, Roni! That first look at the world in fresh color is one that will stay with me as long as I remember things! I confess that had I known I was going to be inside hiding from the virus for a year +, I would seriously have considered having the lens implants done for close vision. Putting on the magnifying glasses when I want to read or cook or do anything much inside has been a nuisance and stumbling block. Now that I'm getting out a bit, I'll enjoy the distance views without glasses. Hope your mom is happy.

>24 LizzieD: I'm not quite yet a candidate for cataract surgery though I'm told I will be should I live so long. I guess not smoking has put that off a few years.
I dearly love my close vision and reading without glasses, being able to thread needles etc. So I really will have to consider which sort of post surgery vision will work for me. My sister had one eye done close and the other far, but she had no binocular vision and that doesn't give her headaches which it would for me.

Brain is slow here, why is there a topper with snow? Isn't it springtime where you moved to Roni?

As for cataract surgery, this is confusing. Don't your eyes adjust between far and close vision afterwards? Yeah, I know, "Google is supposed to be my friend..."

>25 quondame: Susan, I used the monocular contacts for years and had no problems at all. That was a good 15 or 20 years ago though, and my doc wasn't sure that it would still work for me. The other drawback is that I had no depth perception although I didn't realize that until after the cataract surgery. Best to you when it happens!

>26 SandyAMcPherson: No, Sandy, sorry (really sorry for myself!). You get an implant, and medical science hasn't figured out how to make an artificial lens change focus.

(Dredging up my school biology) The lenses in our eyes are flexible and when we focus, they get stretched or pushed to become thinner or thicker and change their focal length. When they’re replaced, the artificial lenses can’t do that so they have a fixed focal length.

But could someone expand on >25 quondame: she had no binocular vision and that doesn't give her headaches which it would for me please?

>28 humouress: My sister never had binocular vision - her dominant eye just took over. When she got contacts she was able to use her non-dominant eye for reading while the other just continued to do all the distance vision. So she kept it up after cataract surgery. I get headaches if I even try to go one-eyed a bit.

I had my cataracts "done" a couple of years ago. I now have 20/20 vision for everything beyond arms-length. Closer than that I could just use "readers" from the drug store (I did just that for the first month or so) but I find putting on and taking off and finding, etc. glasses a pain so I have prescription glasses that are clear on top and prescription on the bottom. With them my vision is darned near perfect at all distances. I've been known to forget I'm wearing my glasses and find myself splashing them with water in the shower or trying to put my (over-the-counter) sunglasses on and finding I'm already wearing my clear ones.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Another reason to keep my close vision is that I cannot use regular readers, being one of those afflicted with close set eyes. When I wore contact lenses I had to have prescription readers made up.

I was going to have my second eye done with close vision, but when I wore a contact to simulate what it would be like, I lost some depth perception. So I'm resigned to have to wear glasses for computer work and reading.

I am hoping that somebody out there has watched the first episode of Shadow and Bone as I am anxiously awaiting news about the quality of the show. I hope it lives up to the hype. The books were darn good.

>29 quondame: That sounds unusual. Does that affect your sister's depth perception?

>33 benitastrnad: Coincidentally, I saw the first episode last night and it looked good. However, I haven't read the books that it is based on although I have read the Six of Crows duology.

(Um .. hi Roni! Since you're busy away from home, we seem to have hijacked your thread 😊)

>34 humouress: My sister never had depth perception, that's why it works for her. She's definitely a person who goes her own way and makes it work.

>33 benitastrnad: >34 humouress: I thought I had read Six of Crows but my records have it as DNF with no reason given. Hmm, I could have checked it out for a challenge but not gotten to it.

>34 humouress: It is fairly common, Nina, I have the same. If you never have seen depth, you don't miss it.

I had a lot of trouble when I needed glasses for my "good" eye. The difference between my eyes was over 4 (the "bad" eye was -4.75), so I got completely dizzy from the glasses and had to get contact lenses at first, so my eyes could get used to the correction. And I suddenly could see depth, that was frightning at first. After some time I could switch to glasses, and the "bad" eye got a bit better. Still my "good" eye does the most work when I look in the distance. The other eye quits working after some time, a true lazy eye ;-)
So most of the time I still can't see depth.

Wow, interesting discussion about the eye surgery options. Like Susan I am not 'ready' for the surgery, nor do I really look forward to it as I love my close vision and hate to give it up.

Glad all is going well for your Mom.

Can't wait to see some more pix of house perhaps with furniture in it!

Glad that you all are keeping my thread warm, and I'm sharing your experiences with my mom. Reba, I had mentioned your option to my mom earlier, and am glad to have your endorsement as I think that will work best for her.

My bed was successfully delivered after a slight delay--the delivery guy called me and told me they had a slight "debacle" at the warehouse so were a bit late but were on their way to pick up my mattress at the store and would be there only a half an hour after the one-hour window. The snow was all gone by the end of the day. It has continued chilly but is supposed to be HOT Monday and Tuesday. My college roommate came out from Kansas City mid-day Wednesday through mid-day yesterday so she got to see the house. We were going to eat out at a new trendy restaurant but it is so trendy that it shuts its kitchen down between 4 and 5 to change from lunch to dinner menus and only serves appetizers during that time, and that of course is when we wanted to dine, so we went down the block to a tried and true Italian restaurant. Last night was a family dinner, with a round of Skipbo as a finisher. Today we will be acclimatizing Molly to my sister's house.

*smooch*

...and I'll add a hug to Richard's smooch!

>6 ronincats: Glad to hear your mom and her eyes are doing well.

I was going to get the lasik surgery done a couple years ago, but it turns out my corneas are too damn thin. Nothing to work with. So I get to keep the myopia and astigmatism. And age is starting to affect my near vision enough that threading a needle is starting to get interesting.

>38 ronincats: A bed is an essential piece of equipment. Your house is now officially a home!

>38 ronincats: Hope your Mom enjoys her new eyes as much as I do. Glad your bed has arrived. One can "camp" a long time if need be as long as there's a bed and a chair imho.

Glad the snow is gone and warmth has returned. All of this snow in the mid- and northern- states has me a bit worried about our drive home from Chautauqua. When we did it last (November 2019) we got caught in a blizzard which is an experience I prefer not to repeat!

>38 ronincats: >42 RebaRelishesReading: Absolutely; a bed is essential for comfort.

So, Roni, are you officially 'moving in' on this trip?

Hi Roni!

Joining the cataracts conversation – I had cataract surgery 6 years ago and went from being nearsighted to farsighted. I’m still not 100% sure that was the right choice, although I don't remember being offered a choice. I was simply told that I 'might' have to use readers for close up. Huh. I use bifocals for close-up and computer work, no glasses for distance. I do admit that not having to wear prescription sunglasses while driving is quite wonderful, but some of the close-up work is much harder or impossible to do anymore.

Yay for the bed being delivered, and etc.

Good that you liked your new place in person, Roni. The next time you come back will you be bringing all your cats with you?

Roni, thanks for posting the pics of you in your new house (soon to be your new home)!!! I love seeing you in the space. And I'm glad your sister is willing to keep Molly for a few weeks so there is less travel time in her future. Moving can be hard on the furkidz.

I'm reading the bits about cataract surgery with interest. I have a slowly developing cataract on my right lens and the doc says the surgery is in my future although timeline is, of course, uncertain. He said I'll know because, while it is growing only slowly, there will come a time when it feels like "falling off a cliff" and I will just know I need/want it taken care of. I had perfect eyesight for most of my life; in my 40s I started needing glasses to read although my distance vision is still even better than average. I still miss those decades of being able to read anything in any font in any level of light. And I'm thankful for the healthy eyes I have.

Congrats on getting your bed delivered!!!

I will be bringing the cats next time, which will be the final move. Tomorrow I start back for San Diego. I enjoyed Fugitive Telemetry today!!

>47 ronincats: Safe trip back, Roni. I think it is great (and a little brave) for you to move so far even if it is back to where you started from sort of. All your pals are following your progress excitedly and in the sure expectation that it will be a happy & successful move.

When the cats move, you know it's the real thing! Gulp. Good luck....

I'm trying to find a place that will take Medicaid and give me a vision test. After having great eyesight for most of my life, the last two years have become a struggle with small print. Which is dismaying.

You hit 350 posts? Wowza. I'm trying to break above 150 on my first thread, if only to enable me to spread out my lists a bit more rationally and try to address the fact that the touchstones aren't working. One of these months, perhaps... *grin*

Happy trails....

>49 Chatterbox: my diminishing ability to read print was not due to aging per se, but development of cataracts.

I hope you find some place soon so you can get it checked.

Have a pleasant, safe drive back to SD, Roni! I'm looking forward to pics of the house once you've moved in and made it "yours".

Cataracts are a bear. I'm 90% sure it's not cataracts (though this does seem to pop up frequently in father's family; my great-grandmother was blind when she died, age 101...) Maybe it IS all that reading under the sheets with a flashlight as a child??

>52 Chatterbox: so Harriet the Spy and I aren't the only ones who read books that way? 😉

>46 EBT1002: 'I still miss those decades of being able to read anything in any font in any level of light.' *sob* Same here. This last year my eyesight has got more fuzzy. I blame it on more time on screens due to lockdowns etc. I should resist, I know, but ...

>47 ronincats: Safe journey, Roni.

>52 Chatterbox: and >53 fuzzi: Heh. Loved that book. Tried that trick. My parents did not read that book, did not understand the social contract involved, and were Not Amused. It did not end well for me. Sigh.

>4 ronincats: I hope the drive back to SD, CA is uneventful.

I expect you've arrived, Roni m'dear, and are all Murderbotted for the next two years...since Martha Wells has a fantasy novel coming out next year. *small strangled sob*

No, still another day, Richard. I'm back in Holbrook tonight, just got in, and spent last night with a friend in Denver. Hi, everyone,, and thanks for all the support. Yes, Murderbot has been a good travelling companion. I got the novellas read before the new book, read it Tuesday, and am halfway through a re-read of Network Effect. I'll probably finish it tonight. It will be another long day tomorrow but I'll be home tomorrow night.

>57 ronincats: I hope the kitties aren't too stressed...

Have a good trip, Roni.
I pre-ordered Network Effect from my local library, I'm looking forward to it.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Safely back as if yesterday afternoon but energy challenged. BBL.

>60 ronincats: *whew*

Sleep and rest.

Hooray!

Welcome back.

>60 ronincats: Glad to read you are safely back, Roni.
It this your last stay in San Diego?

Glad to read that you are back in SD safely, Roni. When do you make the final move?

>65 DeltaQueen50: Ditto.
(I've got all the same questions, too 🙄)

Hey, guys and gals. I know I've been absent. I was pretty tired on Saturday, after driving 1684 miles the previous 3 days. Sunday I needed to fast for a colonoscopy first thing Monday morning. Monday the doctor removed one polyp and was unable to remove a "huge" polyp over by my appendix, between golf ball and hardball size. So now I need general surgery to remove that. Got an appointment today for my surgeon on the 15th, don't know when the surgery will be scheduled and that will probably depend on the biopsy results. If I need to, I will fly back here for surgery, as it will cost me a total of $10 under my current plan here, as opposed to who knows what under another Medicare supplement plan in Kansas. And I have made arrangements with friends if that happens. Hopefully there will be no need for any aftercare such as chemo. This has disrupted my moving out schedule, as you might guess.

I have my craft show on Saturday, I continued completing health appointments this week (eye, mammogram, bone density, allergy). Glazed 9 pieces at pottery this morning.

Bookwise, in brief, I read all the Murderbot novellas, then the new one Fugitive Telemetry, then Network Effect, then the new one again, listened to the audiobook of Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Civilizations by Paul Strathern on the trip, and reread Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt by Bujold.

Yes, next time I go back at the end of June, I will be permanently relocating and be out of my house here.

>67 ronincats: Ack! Sorry to hear you need surgery, but better to have it with know providers, though it would be good to have family about for recovery.
Isn't it great to spend more time with Murderbot! I did almost the same, but read the new one first, then all the rest.

Oh wow, sorry to hear about the surgery, coming in the midst of everything else. I hope the meeting with the surgeon goes well and that scheduling isn't difficult. Good for you, for taking care of a bunch of other health matters before your move as well.

OMG Roni -- so sorry to hear about the polyp. Golf ball to hard ball size!! Yikes. We're going to be in San Diego from just before Memorial Day until sometime after June 8. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

Sorry to hear about the surgery, Roni. Hope the doctor's appointment goes well.

>67 ronincats: Oof, bad timing there--but I suppose it could be worse since you are finding this out now when you know you can lock in that low cost under your current plan, and it's not an emergency surgery so you also have time to plan. But of course, it's a bummer that it has to happen at all.

>67 ronincats: thanks for checking in, I was hoping you were recovering quickly from the trip.

My father is 92, and had to have a growth removed from his colon. The surgeon was great and my father was released within a few days. They didn't use arthroscopic surgery due to his age but may be able to in your case.

What a great copay!

Best wishes for you and your surgery, Roni. We are thinking about you!

Hi Roni!

Sorry about the surgery, glad that it's only a polyp even if a rather large one.

{{Roni}}

But, given how amazingly you have coped and managed everything else this year, I have no doubt that everything will fall into place for you and this will only be a blip on the road. Great that it's all happening before the big move and that you seem to have things under control already.

Many good vibes for a simple surgery and quick recovery!

I'm sorry to hear you need surgery, Roni. Good luck!

Well darnitallanyway about the large polyp. Bad timing, but as you say, good that you can get it done with your California insurance.

Perhaps the cats put a fur ball hex on you, not wanting to move to Kansas. :)

I just finished Network Effect. Mary pointed out that the newest is previous to that one; if I had known I might have read Fugitive Telemetry before reading NE - but there's no bad way to read these.

>67 ronincats: Polyps bigger than golf balls?! I suppose that you should be "happy" it was found before you relocated and I will be sending positive wishes westward in the hope that it is nothing untoward.

Have a book filled weekend. x

Ugh, sorry about the polyp, Roni, but I'm glad you have a plan to get the surgery before your relocation.

I also enjoyed a reread of the Murderbot series in April, but I have yet to reread The Network Effect. I'm hoping to fit it in this month.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Last craft show tomorrow. All packed up and ready to go--I think. It's been so long since I've done this!

I'm glad you're back safely but sorry to hear about the polyp. Can you check what the cost is likely to be before you decide? Once you factor in flying and so on (if you'll have to do that) it might be worth it.

>81 ronincats: Bittersweet to be doing it for the last time...but closer to moving date! Exciting!

...and for some wrong reasons, too...that polyp has a lot to answer for, damned ol' thing, who asked it to the party?!

*smooch*

Hugs for everything Roni.

Hi, Roni! I just spent a delightful half hour catching up on your prior thread and this one. As always, lovely flowers and pottery, and your new house is amazing! Tho the culling and packing is never fun. Sorry to hear you need surgery, but glad you'll be able to get it done before you leave California. I'll be back regularly to see how everything is going. Till then, big (virtual) hugs to you!

Hope the craft show was well worth the trouble, Roni. I know you're exhausted, but I look forward to hearing about it!

Dear friends all, I really appreciate your support! I should go back and thank you all individually, but if I do, I will never get started because you have been so abundant in your well-wishes.

The craft fair was not very well attended. I made $80 but $50 was the booth fee. I think the parents of the school did not come out in support like they should have, since it was a fundraiser for the school. However, I sold a few things and got to see some of my fellow vendors for the last time and say goodbye. And there was help for both unloading in the morning and reloading in the afternoon, which is important when there are four large boxes of pottery and three tables.

Today I have been out pulling weeds. The house is getting appraised for the sale on Tuesday morning and the yard is trying to get out of control again. I'm trying to pull the large weeds before I mow and weed-eat, which I plan to do tomorrow morning. And I need to get the inside of the house looking its best too, so all that will pretty much take up today and tomorrow. After that, it's time to get all those boxes and bags of receipts down from the attic and see what I need to go through and what can go straight to the shredder. And then I need to promote a yard sale of my craft supplies I am NOT taking to Kansas for next Sunday online. The promotion online, not the sale. I will also put out my pottery and jewelry at that time as well, for a last forlorn hope.

Reading-wise, it has pretty much continued rereads. The Silent Strength of Stones and Spirits That Walk in Shadow from my shelves.

>87 ronincats: I'm tired just reading your chore list! 😁

Sorry to hear about the need for surgery, Roni. Hoping it all goes well and wishing you a very speedy recovery. All the best with the completion of your move too.

Hi Roni, sorry to read about your upcoming surgery. I am sending you plenty of good wishes for a speedy recovery.

The string-trimmer very nearly made my arms fall off, but I got the yard trimmed AND the house made presentable, and all I needed to do after all that for the appraiser was to strap the water heater for the back house. Fortunately I already had the kit and my neighbor had an impact driver so we got that taken care of. No word yet on the biopsy. After strapping the heater, I pretty much took the rest of the day off.

Over the weekend I read the first Nursery Crimes book--it's been so long that I really didn't remember anything about them, and after The Big Over Easy, I'm going to start the second book next. Typical Fforde, but I am more familiar with British mystery series now so probably got more out of it.

>87 ronincats: So much to do! And great reread selections--I approve!
>91 ronincats: And you did it!

Sorry to hear that you're still biting your fingernails awaiting medical news. I hope the news when it finally comes is that it's benign.

Good luck unloading the craft supplies. I hope it's easy letting go. That's something I still struggle with. But then I am not attempting to move, rather continuing to downsize after moving in 2019.

Currently, I am going through SCA papers. I had lots of them stacked in assorted piles at the top of my closet on stackable shelves, but then the shelves tipped while I was pulling something else down and paper avalanche! The avalanche lay scattered about my bedroom for a few weeks until I found time this last weekend to finally deal with them: 1) sort again into piles in the living room, 2) pull down the SCA binders, 3) go through binders and piles and get rid of half of the stuff as now obsolete, 4) reorganize papers in binders to scale up or down as appropriate, 5) punch holes and insert new materials into binders. Still in the middle of the last 2 items--need to pull out empty binders from my small stockpile of different sizes.

I hope the appraisal goes well.

>91 ronincats: That's all you did and then you took the rest of the day off? Such a piker ;0)

>92 justchris: So much fun.

Sounds like the appraisal went well :) One more thing checked off the list.

>91 ronincats: I join the chorus: That's one amazing day's work!

And how good it feels to have the jobs done before they absolutely have to be.

Hey, Chris, Nina, Reba and Richard!

I was diverted totally today by an embarrassment of riches. Not only did my copy of Angel of the Overpass arrive from Amazon first thing this morning, but Lois announced the availability of her newest Penric and Des novella, The Assassins of Thasalon, which I immediately downloaded to my Kindle. Faced with such enticing choices, I immediately started the latter and I can now tell you as one intimately familiar with all the details, it is simply excellent!

Of course, nothing else has gotten done today...

>96 ronincats: Oh I like that you liked the latest Penric! I downloaded it as soon as I saw the announcement, but was in the middle of two other reads so I haven't dived in yet. I'll probably do so as soon as my patience for The Space Between Us expires yet again.

Hi Roni, I'm catching up and your news is certainly a challenge.
Happy that your house is getting listed, but surgery? I'm so sorry to hear that. As RD said, "who asked a polyp to the party?" I'm sending my very best wishes for good results and it is brilliant you can use the healthcare in San Diego.

I have Angel of the Overpass on hold at the library and have for months - it now says 2 weeks. But Penric and Desdemona don't show up there (except as audiobooks and I don't read those), so I bought it from Amazon. I checked just a couple days ago and there was no news on its arrival - so thanks, it might have taken me weeks to notice it was out!

>96 ronincats: I’ve just finished the first Penric novel and it was great fun.

>96 ronincats: I see that the first Penric omnibus is available in paperback so I can get ahold of that and start it soon. I didn’t know that Seanan McGuire had another series out.

I'm late to the party but also here to marvel at all your amazing feats and add a "boo!" for the health news and wishing you a speedy and good outcome with that! I'm once more sending good vibes all the way from the other side of the Atlantic - they might arrive a little after everyone else but they do get there eventually! (I've been looking into international shipping for my webshop today so trans-Atlantic crossings are on my mind.) Hugs to you, dear Roni!!

Saw my surgeon today. The biopsy was clear--no cancer. He cautioned that doesn't necessarily mean that there is no cancer anywhere in that large mass, but it's a good start. We agreed on a colonoscopy/laparoscopy procedure rather than going straight to a removal of that section of the colon--he's had good results with it. Scheduling will happen when his office calls me next week.

>103 ronincats: Oh that is good news! And a less invasive procedure will mean a speedier recovery. I hope everything goes as well as it can!

>103 ronincats: I'm glad Roni. That's good news. Does that mean that (potentially) everything can be finished before your scheduled move date?

>103 ronincats: I'm glad to hear the good news, Roni!
All the best and have a wonderful Sunday.

That's great news, Roni! Here's hoping the schedule meshes nicely with your moving plans.

That's great initial news, Roni. Hoping the surgery can be scheduled soon, goes smoothly, and no cancer is found in the mass.

Oh, that's great news, Roni! *hugs*

Hooray for benign! Hope the surgery schedule isn't too full, that it goes smoothly and that recovery is quick.

Yay, Roni! One step at a time and just hope it doesn't set you back, schedule-wise. But even if it does, the good news outweighs the calendar!

>103 ronincats: That's very heartening news, and the solution is both practical and sensible. Very relieved there won't be a bowel section in the immediate future, or necessarily one at all!

>1043 That is great news, Roni. Good luck!

>103 ronincats: Glad it was good news, Roni.

>103 ronincats: wonderful news, am very glad to hear it!

When you were in Salina did you get to see any of the works on the Sculpture Trail? I am thinking of taking Mom for a drive and going down to see them.

Encouraging news, Roni. Hopefully the procedure will be scheduled quickly and then you can put all of this behind you.

Whew!!! I'm glad for that much good news, Roni! May it be so! I thought I had visited you last night, but since I didn't know the biopsy news, I guess I didn't. Hope today was restorative and that you had time to enjoy your new Seanan.

>Great initial news, praying for an uneventful, routine surgery and quick recovery!

I’m officially on a year-long LT hiatus, Roni, but I am keeping up with a few threads here and there. I just wanted you to know how glad I was to hear that your polyp is benign. Best of luck with surgery and quick healing.

I love your new house in Salina and hope to see it in person someday. I also hope that we can have a meetup in Lawrence before too long. I think KU is first choice for my my granddaughter Audrey. She still has another year to finalize her choice. Go Jayhawks!

Encouraging news Roni. Sending best wishes for successful resolution.

Good news! Your doctor sounds like he knows what he’s doing.

Adding my good wishes to the rest. May the surgery go well!

THANK YOU, Susan, Sandy, Jenn, Rhian, Nina, Hannah, Thomas, Laura, Mary, Amber, Reba, Shelley, Richard, Beth, Anita, fuzzi, Benita, Judy, Peggy, Cassie, Donna, Ardene, Karen and Janet. You guys are the best and I really appreciate your support, especially since I am doing so poorly at getting out to the threads.

Talked to Surgery Scheduling today and she said my type of surgery was generally scheduled 4 to 6 weeks out and I explained about my time constraints. She said they'd get back to me with a date but she didn't say there was no way to do it before then, so keep your fingers crossed. I am sure it will be in June, though, so I had better get a lot done before then.

Had my craft supply sale Saturday, and of course it rained! It never rains in Southern California It hadn't been predicted but it did, and so I made about $30 in sales from people who showed up, the FEW who showed up. I made more from my neighbors, who bought the easel and painting equipment, and my friend who helped out, who bought my 3 bowl dark blue set. And then a lady who had to work Sunday asked if she could come by Monday and she bought $65 worth of yarn.

And then a lady who works at the International Rescue Committee here in town had posted on NextDoor a week or so ago that she needed sewing supplies for some classes they were doing with the immigrant community here so she came by tonight and picked up a chest full of fabric, buttons, notions, patterns as well 4 big trash bags full of yarn and a box of craft books for their use. Feeling good!!

>124 ronincats: Woo woo!

Southern Cali sounds like Singapore - it pours! ;0)

>124 ronincats: Wow, that last one is impressive--good to know that stuff went to a place where it will be used and appreciated, and all for a good cause!

Sounds like you continue to make great progress toward moving. Given no surgery date I assume you have also not set a firm moving date.

>125 humouress: Other than the circumstance that we are in the midst of a drought, of course. ;0(
>126 CassieBash: Yes, I was much happier than just dumping it all at Goodwill, Cassie.
>127 RebaRelishesReading: The move date is set, the truck carries all my earthly belongings off on June 24, and my plan is to follow the next day with the cats. I'm just hoping they can work me in before that.

June. The 24th. Wow...seems so soon! Five weeks.

It's all very real as the stuff goes to new homes. Such a *great* time to need surgery, eh what?

Double postings are, thank goodness, getting rarer. This is puzzling, though, why it happened at all.

Three! I've *never* seen a three-peat on posts! Ever. Weird.

Such news!!!!

The movers on the 24th and the possibility of the surgery before that! Have mercy! If anybody can work all that in, it's you, Roni! Rest while you can!!!!!!! (As in - today and tomorrow ----)

>96 ronincats: I hadn't known Angel of the Overpass was out! So thank you! I've just borrowed a copy and will download it momentarily. I guess I know what I'm going to be doing the rest of the day!

ETA wonderful to hear all your good news! Crossing my fingers you can get the procedure done in time to fully recover for your move.

>128 ronincats: Oh, you mean literally. I could send you some of ours - we have precipitation in abundance at the moment.

>130 richardderus: >131 richardderus: Just greedy. *shakes head disappointedly*

>128 ronincats: While you’re sending spare precipitation elsewhere, please send some to us here in NW Indiana. They keep taking away all our chances for rain and we could use it, too!

Oh no, cassie, we need it in Southern California. In Kansas, not so much--I guess there's some flooding in the rivers. It's Nina redistributing--go right ahead, Nina!

Richard, you are clearly post-singularity! One post just can't contain you. *smooch*

Mary, I will be glad to hear your reaction. I thought she got a little too much into the politics of it and the pacing suffered as a result, but still enjoyed it.

The 24th is WAY too soon! I got linens down today, washing what I am taking with me and going to donate the rest to animal shelters. Got the games and puzzles packed finally after stopping by U-Haul to pick up a bundle each of large and medium boxes.

I love the fact that U-Haul sells their boxes. And by the bundle. Or singlet - if that is what is needed. I like all their boxes except the book boxes. They are a bit too big for me to carry easily.

Like so many of your friends, Roni, I am counting down the days until your move. xx

>136 ronincats: Yes, *exactly* that *glowers at >131 richardderus: minatorily*

So I have started packing books, leading to decisions hard and not so hard. The first 5 Xanth books, kept out of sentiment for the days when they were new and fresh. Gone. Greg Bear's Infinity Concerto and The Serpent Mage--probably can find in a library if I need to. Every Barbara Hambly fantasy ever published or just my favorite series?? Hmmmm. Scratch my only Rhada book by Robert Cham Gilman-- it's the third in the series and the only one I have. Do I keep the Edmund Hamilton classics? I like Tanya Huff but do I need to keep ALL of her books? Same for Lackey and McCaffrey. Ach du lieber, decisions, decisions!

You absolutely can't get the Edmond Hamiltons from the library! So...is there even a remote chance you'll take them down and re-read them? If you'd forgotten you had them, I'd say out; if you still think fondly of them, or even a few of them, keep.

That's my decision-making advice modeled.

*smooch*

>140 ronincats: Tough, tough choices. Good luck sorting it out.

And good luck with the surgery date. I hope your schedule comes together beautifully.

I have donated books in both of our last two moves and I really hate it!! Good luck with your decisions (and with the pure physical labor of book packing).

Hi Roni, I've been rather absent from the threads this last week as I am trying out hearing aids for the first time. I find them annoying but they do work so I expect I will be going ahead with the purchase and then will only wear them when I am going out or having company. Good luck with your library packing, just remember, every book you let go of now creates a future shelf space for a new one once you are in Kansas. :)

Ugh, culling books! Er, sorry, I should have said "weeding" books (because apparently librarians prefer the gardening term as opposed to the term that implies killing). I made my hard decisions by seeing what books that I might in some strange future where I am young again and can see small text easily want to reread them but they are not in any library to which I have access and keeping those. Those I kept include (Michael Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time; Tanith Lee's Don't Bite the Sun; Zenna Henderson's Novels of The People (tho I recently found the complete set at one of the libraries so may let them go next time I set out to weed my shelves). I also kept those that, when I held them in my hand, gave me a strong feeling of delighted pleasure at the memory of reading them, even tho I knew I'd probably never read them again (see above, old eyes).

Anyway, good luck with your weeding!

ETA I haven't started Angel of the Overpass yet. I'm a little nervous about starting it in case I don't like it because I love the first two and have been looking forward to the third one for so long.

Well, I know I replied to Richard but maybe I forgot to hit the "Post" button when I wrote it yesterday. >141 richardderus: Yes, I kept the Hamiltons--the 6 of them only take up the shelf space of 2 modern day books. Kept only my favorite of the Hambly's, after checking that the others are available at the Salina library. Kept all of the "Doc" Smith books, even the sequels cowritten with what's his name. With pain in my heart, culled, er, weeded out the mmpb versions of the Heyers I also have in trade publications. Still one of everything though. I have packed up almost all of my big paperback bookshelf in the front bedroom, 11 U-haul book boxes, and they are perfect for my needs, 12" cubes and not too heavy when packed.

>142 justchris: And I have a surgery date!!! June 8, a Tuesday, far enough away that I have plenty of time to get heavy stuff done around here and early enough to recuperate before the move, just about perfect! What a relief!

>143 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Judy. So many of my friends are wearing the aids now, as well as my mother--I know they can be a hassle but so much improved technologically. I am getting rid of so many books, I expect to have spaces on my shelves even without weeding out any more books. But I'm still trying to be semi-realistic. Only semi.

>144 DeltaQueen50: I am keeping a lot of the 60s, 70s and 80s stuff that just isn't available any more, and trying to be brave about dumping stuff that isn't favorites that is available at the local library. And I liked Angel of the Overpass. I thought she got bogged down in a couple places pacing-wise, but overall you will enjoy it.

>144 DeltaQueen50: I expect to be trying out hearing aids fairly soon. I was really hoping for a choice among noise-canceling controlled focus, but those don't seem thick on the shelves yet.

>144 DeltaQueen50: >147 quondame: I should have been trying out hearing aids last year and still haven't gotten around to them this year. I will though. noise-canceling controlled focus sounds like what I need. Oh dear. Oh dear.

Culling vs Weeding. I can't see that one term is any kinder than the other. Weeds die too. Must do but not yet.

Hooray for June 8, Roni! I go back for my second eye shot (wet macular degeneration in the right eye, folks) on June 8, so I feel that it's a propitious date for both of us. May it be so!

I haven't yet culled - though I'm eyeing them meaningfully - a bunch of SF paperbacks (Lackey, Huff, Briggs, Kagan, DWJ...) that I own as ebooks as well. I'm finding more and more that I'm reading the ebooks _instead_of_ the paper books - reading on paper is slower, for many reasons (carrying the silly things around, needing light, being able to see small print without straining my eyes). But I haven't yet convinced myself to get rid of old favorites. What I have done, in a few cases, is passed them to someone else to hook them and been happy when they didn't come back...

I've still got a _lot_ of paper books to read and get rid of. But when I read a BOMB, if I really like it and will want to reread, I go looking for the ebook and still get rid of the paper copy. Eventually I'll reduce my load of books. Not planning to move soon, so I don't have that impetus.

Great news that you have gotten a date for your procedure, Roni, and that the timing is good.

>147 quondame: & >148 LizzieD: Yeah, it's the background noises that can become quite overwhelming but I have been told that hearing all the various noises is actually very good for one's memory so I am pushing on through!

So glad to see your surgery has been scheduled and that the schedule all works out. Hurray!

Wonderful news that your surgery fits perfectly into your moving schedule! Whew!

Hi Roni!

I'm glad to hear that you've gotten a surgery date that doesn't change your move plans.

I culled lots of books when I moved to NC 30 years ago and regret some that I've ended up re-buying, but not so many that I should have just packed up everything and taken it. Bill was absolutely gobsmacked with what I brought as it was.

>145 Storeetllr: Thanks for your sensitivity but as a professional librarian, I don't take offense to the wording. Sometimes I think we choose the word as much for sensibilities among the public as for ourselves. I remember when I worked at a public library and we did a major weeding (or culling if you prefer--more accurate in this case). We found, among other things, a book published so long ago it was about the health benefits of smoking. Yet when they went into the recycle bin, we heard complaints from the public about how the library was throwing away good books. So "weeding" v. "culling" may be something librarians invented to soothe the public mind.

>146 ronincats: Good to hear about the surgery; glad they could work you in earlier rather than later! Good luck!

>146 ronincats: Yay June 8th!

So there are many fewer books? Or just fewer dupes? I'm bad about getting dupes and then not being able to let go....

>155 richardderus: Some fewer books. Of the Heyers, only fewer dupes. I'd held on to all the old, many falling apart, mass market paperbacks of the 60s and 70s when I bought the newer trade publications, and I only had about a dozen of those when Borders went out of business. Now, of course, I have more dupes on my Kindle, but they DON'T COUNT!

Hi, Susan, Peggy, Jenn, Karen, Amber, Judy, Cassie and Richard! Today I moved all the boxes and bags from the shelves on the far side of the attic over by the ladder, and brought down 4 file boxes. One was teaching files from my early employment by SDSU--1989-1993. One was course files from graduate school!!! 70s. One is mostly paper and file folders, unused. And the other was a miscellany that I'll have to look at more closely but includes some financial files and early artwork from my nephews from the 80s when they were tadpoles. Four big bags of paper out to the recycle bin today!

{{{{{Roni}}}}} - so much has happened since I last managed to check in on your threads (sorry about that) but so relieved the biopsy was clear and that you have your surgery scheduled before your move.

Culling/weeding books is so hard! I started buying more paper books last year (as opposed to ebooks) because the library was closed due to Covid and I told myself I was supporting the closed bookshops but I think now I need to do some weeding myself.

And of course, duplicates on the kindle don't count :-)

>154 CassieBash: Haha, I'm not surprised. Sometimes it seems we are become a society of knee-jerk protest over imaginary wrongs. I know I feel a visceral horror of the idea of books being thrown in the trash, but I'll always (try to) trust a librarian to do the right thing in that arena. Anyway, I didn't make up the "culling" versus "weeding" idea but read about it here. I do not have a personal preference, tho when I donated a bunch of books last time I moved, it felt more like a culling since I had no intention of replacing them. And it hurt.

Kind of reminds me of the uproar of a month or so ago when certain Dr. Seuss books were culled.

>154 CassieBash: When I worked in the public library most people were really understanding about the need for culling/weeding books (especially when I explained that we wouldn't have room for any new books if we didn't get rid of some others), but there was one woman who went livid if she found out we'd culled books. She was not a nice person on the best of days but if she saw culled books (we always put them on carts outside the library so people could take them home if they wanted them) she went absolutely berserk and screamed about how we were throwing the public's money away and so on. I've never met a person like that before or since (thankfully).
Every time I'd think to myself "if you love these books so much, why have you never borrowed them?"

>156 ronincats: *gulp* it never occurred to me to count Kindlebooks as dupes...wow...I am going with your method, if they ain't on shelves they ain't dupes.

>146 ronincats: I'm glad to see you got a good surgery date Roni. I keep you in my thoughts.

I wish it would rain here.

>159 PawsforThought: I've never had an issue that I can remember about someone mad about the removal--just the disposal. And while dumping outdated books into a dumpster (and mind you, most of them did go up for sale), the ones we did that to held information that was outdated and wrong. Outdated information on medical conditions and lifestyles can be potentially harmful, so the director decided to not even try to sell them. If you have a sale and there are books that don't sell in a week, some libraries need or want to get rid of them as quickly as possible (often due to storage space limitations) so I don't think that it's not that uncommon to pulp them.

>162 CassieBash: Oh, yeah, same here. The ones that held information that could be harmful - medical things like you said or mushroom guides that were decades old were thrown in the recycling, but the public didn't see that since it was "behind the scenes" They did see the books for sale/for free, though.

On "culling" vs. "weeding":

In my library we call it "deselection."

>164 swynn:
deselection is not a word that works if what you are describing is the removal of books from the library shelves. The definition of selection is to chose or pick something out of preference to others. To deselect would mean that you are not picking something out of a group. That would mean whatever is being deselected would stay on the shelf. I think your library is actually doing the opposite - removing books from the shelf. Therefore, they can't be deselecting.

>165 benitastrnad: (Shrug) That's what we do, and it's what we call it.

It's an awkward word and I am not a fan of it, but avoids the negative connotations of "culling" (death) or "weeding" (nuisance, uselessness).

It's also not uncommon in the field. Here are some examples of deselection policies:
https://www.lib.umd.edu/collections/policies/deselection-and-transfer
https://library.buffalostate.edu/c.php?g=516378&p=3530577
https://library.csueastbay.edu/usingthelibraries/collections/materials-deselecti...

I'm glad you have your surgery date. I'm sending many good thoughts your way that recovery goes quickly and smoothly.

So hard to cull books! I am trying to read more from the library this year to limit the new books taking up residence, but I'm not getting to many of the backlog. Oh dear, whenever I decide to move.

>165 benitastrnad: >166 swynn: I agree that it's sort of an awkward word and does ring of trying to tiptoe around 'harsher' words, but I also think it describes the process just fine: at some point a library *selected* the book to be a part of its collection; eliminating it from the library would then be DEselecting it, no?

Hi, Roni!

Cull is the word I personally use. Weed, deselect and deaccessioning are also good. Deaccessioning is the most precise as it is defined as removing an item from a collection.

Wishing you a good Memorial Day weekend, Roni, with lots of productivity and good reading, whichever end you go for today :)

I find it funny that so few librarians seem to call it (at least not to the public) by what many libraries’ stamps say when we mark the culled, weeded, and/or deselected books: discard. I know it makes the books sound like garbage BUT presumably our patrons can read and surely they notice the stamp! :D

>171 CassieBash: many of my second-hand books proudly display the "discard" stamp...

Hiya Roni! It's Proper Memorial Day today, and would've been Mama's 101st birthday. So I did a little May sum-up on my thread.

Happy and productive June ahead! *smooch*

>171 CassieBash: The stamp we used said "Makulerad", which is not the term used when talking about removing the books from the shelves and database (we use "gallrad" (means weeded/culled). The exact translation of "makulerad" (it's Swedish, btw) is "cancelled", which is very fitting for the world we live in today (it's a fairly archaic word so not used for "cancel culture").

Thank you, all for keeping my thread warm for me. I've been coming and reading everything, but not posting. Friday I took a break in the afternoon, but my arms were falling off because I had filled two large recycle bins with files and magazines from the attic. And that inhibits keyboarding!

I realized that I've been remiss in keeping you up to date on pottery. This is what I brought home last Thursday and what I am working on, my final piece.




I've gotten a little reading in but not much. I read the free Witness for the Dead sneak peek from Kindle--excellent!--and The Sword of Happenstance by Steven Brust because I could borrow it--mildly entertaining but with very broad humor. I also read a new edition of Snowdrift and Other Stories, which is essentially Pistols for Two with three new stories added. KiI dreamt last night that I read a whole serious fiction book, and really liked it, but can't remember what it is about. I'm currently reading a library book, The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry, which is quite interesting, mildly challenging for the vernacular and world-building, and has a few gems in it such as this, describing a romance Dally is reading aloud to a friend.
"It was the sort of book that was full of sentences that started off with a lady, took the measure of her eyes, tramped across her bosom, and stopped by a scenic viewpoint over her plump arms, before ranging down along the bank of a long rushing stream of discussion on the Moral Character of Woman, in general, until you'd forgotten the name of the lady in question and had to shove your way through dense thickets of grammatical undergrowth to find it again."

My bathtub book is Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, which is beautifully written (I don't always notice the absolute beauty of the prose while reading) but very depressing.

I am working hard at getting the attic cleared before surgery next week, getting surplus kitchen stuff up to the Salvation Army's Kitchens for Good fundraiser, and packing book boxes.

>172 fuzzi: As you should! (I, too, have many a discard....)

>174 PawsforThought: Cancelled...there’s a possibility....

>175 ronincats: Nice pottery!

>175 ronincats: Very nice! Will you be potting again in Salina?

OOOO!!! I'm delighted to hear that *Witness* is so good! We'll see. We'll see....

Love the prairie plate!

Hope your arms have had a chance to recover. Take care of yourself this week!

Loved reading about the culling weeding discarding issue. We have a peculiar problem in our village library in that someone had the idea a while back that you could be the 'patron' of a certain author you like and help purchase their books (you get a book plate). Now the problem is with someone prolific and we have all these mysteries (tend to be in that genre) and the person would NOTICE if you chucked them -- so you have to wait. Yes. Wait. Or have a quiet conversation with the person that now everyone has read all of these books would they like them? Or should we try to find a new home for them at a library not so lucky to have had them for a decade? Our library is not that big, a lot bigger than it used to be, but not infinite, sadly.

Your final plates 'made in S.D.' look wonderful. Love the landscape. Always love the cats. Good question about Salinas? Studio there? Will you have to make your own?

Love your plates (as always). Looking forward to Friday.

>175 ronincats: Love both of these plates. If I saw them at a craft show, they would be going home with me.

>179 sibylline: Interesting problem! Any possibility of first offering them back to the donor?

Honestly, I have thought about buying the Murderbot series for my library. They don't have any of them, and now, libraries in the group are not lending recent purchases to other libraries.

>168 scaifea:

Deselecting is in fact selecting, so deselect is a phonological impossibility. That is why I much prefer the word Discard. It is in fact what libraries do. It is an accurate description of the act.

I am an advocate of plain language. You don't even want to hear what I have say about that word reengineer.

Love the landscape plate!

BB for The Ruthless Lady's Guide - also picked up the author's first book (from the library, both). I do like having access to multiple libraries - most of them had an 8-week wait on Ruthless but one had 3 of 4 copies available. And then that library had a two-week wait on Unnatural Magic but one of the ones with a 8-week wait on Ruthless had a couple copies of Unnatural. Very nice.

Hi Roni! Haven't visited your thread for some time! Wow, such a lot going on for you. I admire how you are dealing with all of it, and still doing your pottery. Lovely plates there.

Culling books is the hardest thing there is, so wishing you good luck deciding what to pick. And the best of wishes for the coming surgery. But it seems you have a good surgeon.

Lots going on with you since I last visited, Roni. Best of luck getting all the hard stuff done before your surgery and best wishes for a speedy and uneventful recovery.

>34 humouress: >35 quondame: Last night copies of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom appeared on the dining table. Normally I wouldn't have noticed with the usual HSS* that prevails, but the table was cleared and there they were. When my daughter took a work break I asked her about them. They are loans from the friend she was visiting and are personally signed to her. Oh well, I guess if I want to read them, it library copies for me.

*HSS Horizontal Surface Syndrome. What ever you are looking for is under at least 6 things that you don't recall putting there.

>186 quondame:
Every table I own suffers from HSS!

>187 benitastrnad: yep. If there's an empty space in our house it's immediately filled...

Roni, sorry about the polyp but SO glad no cancer!!!

Lovely plates.

I have All Systems Red on hold at the library. I'm number 151 in the queue for one of 31 copies. I decided I want to find out what all this Murderbot love is about. It looks rather fun.

>189 EBT1002: it IS fun!

If you get tired of waiting, Kindle edition is pretty cheap:

https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536

Hi Roni. I'm glad you've got a surgery date that's before your moving date. Best of luck.

>175 ronincats: I like your pottery - but you know that. Nice scenery - a new direction?

I won't comment on culling vs keeping because you know I have difficulty moving books on. (But I've recently been thinking about Hambly's and discovering that they're hard to find so it might be worth keeping them.)

>182 benitastrnad: Well, I have issues with words like 'burglarize' (the letter zed, for starters) ;0)

>160 richardderus: I don't think anyone counts Kindle books as duplicates. Right? :0D

>186 quondame: Only 6? I'm currently peering at my screen around two piles of books.

>175 ronincats: Good to hear from you Roni, and best wishes for your surgery.

>191 humouress: Perhaps I should amend that to *at least 6* - OK there, it's done.

>191 humouress: I don't think anyone counts Kindle books as duplicates. Right? :0D

...certainly no one *we* know...

Hoping it's health and busyness keeping you from posting...and here's a *smooch* to rustle up a good weekend for you, Roni.

Hey, Cassie, Richard, Peggy, Lucy, Reba, Janet, Benita, Jenn, Ella, Meg, Susan, fuzzi, Ellen, Nina, Stephen, and Susan and Richard again.

It's terrifying--three weeks from today I hit the road from San Diego. I've been alternating packing with frenzy with hibernation from panic, but I love you all for the support you are giving--it keeps me going. I had a lovely lunch with Reba today at the Old Town Mexican Cafe. I had another 200 books or so picked up. The Salvation Army was very grateful for the full SUV load of stuff for their Kitchens for Good program (Wednesday). I finished the plate at pottery on Thursday. Got the surgery schedule today: 2 to 4:30 on Tuesday. Two week restriction on lifting more that 20 pounds. Right! I have going through receipts scheduled for the first few days, and then packing my collectibles next. This weekend I am trying to finish what I need to do in the attic, since I won't be climbing the ladder for a while.

I actually finished two books so far this month. Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader was written before the 7th book came out and he actually made some good predictions. I also now understand what is meant by post-modernism! The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry was notable most for its world-building, somewhat difficult to work through dialect, and ended up being a pretty-much run of the mill YA first of a series after all the murder and mayhem.

>175 ronincats: Gorgeous!
Have a wonderful weekend, Roni - and the best wishes for Tuesday!

>195 ronincats: How exciting, it's all really happening! I'm excited for you, Roni.

>175 ronincats: Love the landscape platter! I bet the cat platter is going to turn out great too!

Best wishes for a successful surgery on Tuesday. PLEASE take it easy the first few days after, tho I know that's not going to be easy because - EEK! How many days until Moving Day? Maybe you can hire someone to help with the heavier stuff until you get your full strength back? (I never quite understood how debilitating surgery can be until I had heart surgery last year. I was a vegetable for the first few weeks. Seriously, I couldn't even read the first week. It was maddening!) Anyway, hugs and healing vibes to you, my friend!

P.S. Loved Angel of the Overpass, even tho you were right about the politics. Also, it started slow and I almost didn't go on with it. When it started getting really good, of course, I couldn't put it down. And I'm now reading House of Hollow, which is really good for YA (not my favorite genre).

>195 ronincats: *fans self* goodness gracious great balls o'fire i am whupped readin' it

tuesday-surgery orisons

and much much energy to fill your sails

*smooch*

Roni, just getting a chance to stop by. All the best wishes for your surgery tomorrow, and for a speedy recovery! In case I don't see your thread before the move later this month, all the best with that as well.

The best of wishes for tomorrow, Roni. Many hugs.

You've got this, girl!

All the best for tomorrow, Roni. Do you need to stay overnight at the hospital?

Good luck tomorrow, Roni!

So lovely to see all your visits, Thomas, Laura, Richard, Mary, Victoria, Janet, Shelley and Cassie. I am on the liquids only today. So far I've been alternating between hot tea and hot chicken broth, but I've made some lemonade for later. I've gotten a bunch of household stuff to Goodwill and gotten the boxes for my collectible Jim Shore and Lang cats down from the attic so I can pack them later in the week (no climbing the attic ladder for a while). I still intend to make a tuna casserole to dip into post-surgery this week, and at 2:45 I take all three cats to the vet's for their rabies vaccinations. So about 2 I will start collecting them into the bathroom for capture and insertion into their carriers, something they all abhor. And evade when possible.

Tomorrow my friend takes me to the hospital at 11:30. Surgery should be starting around 2 and she can come back to be in the recovery room with me around 4:30, and then bring me home when I'm released.

Yesterday the new owner brought his family to see the house and, with his wife to make decisions, decided to purchase all three room size rugs, the dining room table and chairs (YAY! Don't have to disassemble and move that sucker!), the security system, the store-bought bookshelves in the living room (2), and the antique hall tree in the hall that he fell in love with, which is not a family relic, and I've been really unsure where it was going to fit in the new house, not to mention that I've got a huge coat closet there under the stairs. They are really nice, his wife seemed thrilled with the house, and he seems to really value the natural wood characteristics as they should be.

So all I need to get rid of (in the way of furniture) is the chest freezer and the sofa and matching recliner chair in the living room. The latter two are very easy to move and hopefully I can find a buyer. That's a big relief.

Got a couple of books started but not getting much reading done. And not getting around to the threads much. I try to read a few every day but rarely post. So I do appreciate so much your continuing to post here. Hopefully once I get back to Kansas and settle in, I can pick up the pace a lot and visit you all as you deserve.

Hi Roni, I came by to wish you all the best for tomorrow. Happy to read that you were able to sell some of the items you don't want to move. It seems that time is really speeding by, before you know it you will be in Kansas! Take care and be sure not to over-do things.

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow!

Great news about the buyers of the house deciding to buy that furniture - so much less for you to have to think about.

Last night, I had a dream - nightmare? - about having to move. Our new house was only next door to the old one, but the stress was just as bad as moving across country. I know you'll be very happy in your new digs in Kansas when you get there - the house is wonderful! It's just the packing up and getting there that can be stressful. All the best on your surgery tomorrow! I'll be sending you healing vibes from across the country.

Good luck tomorrow, Roni!

Best of luck tomorrow, Roni!

>204 ronincats: Seems to me that you could maybe find some local charity to take the chest freezer, sofa, and recliner if you can’t sell them. Habitat for Humanity? Goodwill? We have a local church that does a rummage sale every year and they do take large appliances and furniture pieces.

Sending good luck, good night vibes!

Here's one more place to wish you very well tomorrow! I'm happy to read that the new owners are as thrilled with the house as they should be - and that they wanted some of your bulkier pieces of furniture. I love how organized you are, and you know I'm with you in spirit tomorrow!

I wish you the best luck with your surgery and a speedy recovery!

Best of luck for the surgery and recuperation, Roni.

>204 ronincats: Yay! that the new owners are nice and that they appreciate the house with the wood accents - and that they could take some bulky items off your hands.

>207 Storeetllr: When my b-i-l and family moved back to the States, they ended up buying the house next door to the one they were renting. So, since my niece had just got (or was just getting) her driving licence, she got a lot of driving practice packing up the car, reversing down the drive and unpacking it again.

How it all goes well Roni, and that you get a chance to recover a bit before diving back into the packing.

>204 ronincats: Will be thinking of you and praying today that all goes well with your surgery. That is really good news about the new owner wanting all that furniture. That sounds like it really worked out well.

All the best for your move too.

Thinking of you today, Roni.

I'll be thinking of you today, Roni!

Thinking of you today, Roni, and hoping that all goes well.

Sending best wishes to you, Roni!

>204 ronincats: Thinking about you today, Roni. Look forward to hearing everything went easily and well.

Wonderful that your buyer is taking so many large, hard to move items. It seems this move was truly meant to be. :)

Focusing all my best will, purest goodwill, and most powerful wellness wishes on you today, Roni.

We'll all be happily hangin' out until you're good to come back.

Thank you so much, everyone. I am dressed and waiting for my ride. It will be probably 5:30 or later Pacific Daylight Time before I am home, or even a bit later, so don't get worried if you don't hear anything before then.

Home.Hurting. talk tomorrow.

Big WHEW to hear that you are home at last. Hope you can sleep, friend!

I second what Peggy said. It is good to know you are home safe. I think of you so very often and I am in awe of all you accomplished in such a short period of time.

Much Love!

Glad your back. Rest well.

Feel better soon!

Quick healing vibes, Roni. Please take it easy and be gentle with yourself. Everything else can wait. Just sleep and heal yourself.

Thank you so much for letting us know you're home, Roni. I hope you're feeling a less pain this morning, but also that you'll take it easy and do what it takes to heal. Sending hugs.

Rest, recover, then return at your leisure. Hoping you'll feel much better soon.

Yes indeed!

I can only echo what others have said, Roni. Heal and rest, we'll be here when you're ready.

Doing much better this morning. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. It only hurts when I get up and down. My plan is to rest and read and play games on my tablet today.

Glad you feel better, Roni, rest read and play games sounds like a good plan for today.

>233 ronincats: Yay! (Whew!) Glad to hear you got through it and are doing so well! That sounds like a great plan!

>233 ronincats: Yay! (Whew!) Glad to hear you got through it and are doing so well! That sounds like a great plan!

>213 humouress: Haha, that's one way to get practice backing up. There's a duplex a few doors down the hill from us. If it ever goes on sale, I'd love for us to buy it and move there. I'm tired of living in a one-room basement apartment, even if it is walk-out with windows and a full kitchen and 3/4 bath. It would probably be priced to high for us, but I can always dream.

It's good to hear that the recovery is going well. Now if you can just relax and give yourself time to go slow .... as if.

>233 ronincats: glad you're doing okay. Don't overdo!

Glad to hear your recovery is going well, but don't overdo it!

>233 ronincats: Hello Roni.
I have been anxious about your progress and join in with the refrain, "Please take it easy and be gentle with yourself". I hope you can manage to let a lot of the heavy stuff slide.

I am glad the surgery went well Roni. I have been thinking about you every day. I also like reading that the new owners visited your house and are happy with it. That sort of thing would be important to me.
hugs

I realize you're in countdown mode as well as recovery mode, so I'm expecting you'll be sporadically here. I'm just glad to know you're recovering.

*smooch*

See you from Salina!

I'm glad the surgery went well and hope that you're feeling much, much better today.

Bit of a relapse today--woke up in quite a bit of pain. Got aggressive with the pain meds and got it under control but haven't done anything but lay in bed and read or play games on my tablet today. The best news is the doctor called a short time ago and the path report is in and there is NO cancer!! Reba tells me two more days of pain and then I should be feeling a lot better and I certainly hope she is right about that! Love you all and thanks for the visits.

>244 ronincats: Oh that is good news! I hope you are able to enjoy reading while recovering enough to get on with what you are no doubt eager to get on with!

Excellent news, Roni. Just pamper yourself. You've earned it!

Fantastic news Roni, so glad to hear! Get lots of rest.

Wonderful news from the doc, Roni. Keep taking it easy and you'll be right as rain soon.

Oh, Roni, that is *such* excellent news!!

Hooray!

Thank goodness for pain meds AND the good news from the path report!

Sorry to hear about the relapse and pain but wonderful news about the pathology reports.

Get well soon.

Such good news about the path report but sorry about the pain. I hope it is getting better!

Rest is the best medicine right now (other than the pain killelrs!) Many virtual hugs!

Hopefully getting such good news as having a clear report will help with the healing process, Roni. Sorry you are having the pain. Take care of yourself.

>244 ronincats: The path report trumps everything else, the relief is enormous! Gulp those owwie pills down.

Thinking of you and hoping today is better :)

♥♥♥BEAMING♥♥♥

Great to hear about your clear path report! Be gentle with yourself and take your pain meds. Look forward to hearing from you after the move.

Awesome report from the doc!

Thank you! A bit stronger today despite the pain. Should do a new thread but not up to it quite yet. Hugs to all of you.

Hi Roni, hope the pain levels are improving. Great news about the clear results.

I brought a rose from the garden.

Very glad to hear that the path report is clear. I hope the pain is down now.

>261 charl08: That's a gorgeously vivid colour.

Keep doing whatever you need to, Roni. That pain is a signal so good on you for listening to it.

Thinking about you. Hope today is better.

>244 ronincats: I am very happy about the good news, Roni.
All the love and good for you!

Hi Roni! A better, increasingly pain-free week ahead.

Hi Roni. Hope today is better than yesterday and that tomorrow will be even better.

Great path report; keep listening to your body and even once you start to feel better—take it easy and listen to your doctor! You don’t want to overdo it just as you start really recovering.

Progress continues to be incremental. It's really just the one incision, the middle and largest one with the most bruising, that continues really painful. Nephew and family are arriving tomorrow for 5 days--they are going to be surprised at how much I have for them to do!!

I hope you continue to recover and rest. I am sure the path report has lifted a huge weight of anxiety from you, which can only aid in healing.

I hope the family gets through the enormous to-do list for you. That's love!

Hi Roni. Glad to hear you’re starting to feel better, even if it’s going slowly.

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I continue to think of you -- both re recovery and re move. So glad nephew and family are coming to help. Shows how glad they are to have you "coming home".

>269 ronincats: Incremental is still progress, and that's really all that counts. *smooch*

>269 ronincats: How nice your nephew is. If I ask my tween or teenager to do something, they glance up from their screens for long enough to say 'No' and they may condescend to say 'No' once more if I stare at them in disbelief. *sigh*

I hope you're feeling better.

Hi, Roni - hope you are continuing to recover and that those "incremental" steps soon morph into one huge improvement. Glad your family is coming to help. I was astonished at how long it took me to recover from my surgery last year. For some reason, I thought it would only take a couple of weeks before I was back to normal. That was me being wildly optimistic. {{{hugs}}}

Once again, thank you so much for all the visits, my friends! They are so much appreciated. I am very much looking forward to being settled in Kansas and catching up on all of your threads.

The good news is that I am much improved. Yes, that largest incision is still sore and I am still strictly limited in how much I can lift, but I can function without alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol every three hours, my stamina has improved, and I have more range of movement that DOESN'T cause pain. We have been busy. The attic is emptied of all but some empty boxes, all the attic stuff has been processed and either packed or put out front outside the fence, where everything that disappears is one less thing that will need to be hauled to Goodwill. All the books are packed, about half of my cat collectibles. My sister is arriving tonight, and she and I will be busy clearing out the laundry room, packing up my files and desk stuff, all my clothes except what I am packing for the transition, and thank goodness the moving company is packing up my kitchen and dishes. Sunday we are taking all the pantry stuff and the contents of the freezers out to my driveway for anyone to come by and take it--posted on NextDoor--who can use it. Then final decluttering of anything in the kitchen, pantry or china cabinet that is NOT going with me to leave a clear field for the packers. We are all going to the zoo tomorrow--yes, I am renting a scooter to traverse it! And then my nephew and his family are leaving Sunday. We may actually make this. Of course, the organization has suffered with four more people contributing to the packing, but I think most of the boxes were labeled as they were packed. Wish me luck and more stamina!

Reading is not really happening. I need to return books to the library for the final time, most of which are not finished. I will miss this huge library system, even though I have not used it to full advantage this last half year. Still, Salina has a nice library.

Great to hear your update and progress, Roni. Congrats on your amazing feat of, well, everything you have accomplished in the last several months! You are an inspiration.

When is your actual moving date, the day you get the cats in the car and drive away, eastward bound?

And don't stress the reading. There will be plenty of time at the other end for that!

That scooter is a great idea, too. Smart!

You've made huge progress Roni, both in your recovery and the packing. Thank goodness for family to assist and care for you. Enjoy your trip to the zoo -- it's great you've built some fun into a busy and stressful time. Your reading mojo will return in due course.

>276 ronincats: You haven't managed to find time for reading?! ;0)

If you have your library card set up on Overdrive before you go, you can still borrow from this library until it expires. Shhh!

>276 ronincats: I'm amazed at how much time you've made for typing! Reading has to take a back seat for now.

Just amazing how much you've accomplished in such a short time. Considering how long you've lived in that house, I'm stunned at the pace you've kept up in deaccessioning, decluttering, and divesting yourself of your worldly goods. Brava!

Thanks for the update. I think of you often, hoping you're doing well and it sounds like you are. Thank goodness for helpful family. I'll continue to send you good mojo in this final week. Be well and don't worry it will all get done!

Wooo HOOOO for the ZOOOOOO!

I'm delighted that you can take time for that and that you get to have sister and nephew together for a couple of days. I'm amazed at how well you have done! I knew that you could do it if it could be done.

Looks to me as though you can have a new thread for your new place. More perfect timing!

It all sounds good, Roni, and I hope the final days and move go well.

Glad you are recovering well and that you had time to go to your local zoo once more before your move!

Hi Roni, just checking in to see how you are doing. Excellent news that you have some help. Be sure to rest up and enjoy your last days as a Californian!

Just checking in here to cheer you on!

Smiling and waving hi! I'm glad that you are feeling better and, like Richard, I am amazed at the amount of work you have accomplished to be ready to move.

Hooray for family help!

If I remember correctly you sister should have arrived and you'll be in your final week before movers arrive. I hope you're feeling well and that you well into the final stretch on the move. I'm looking forward to hearing that you, the cats and your belongings are all safely in Kansas! Take care.

Just a quick note. The movers come today. No, we are not ready but we are close. We will be staying until tomorrow to wrap things up here, and then take off for Kansas. Thinking of you all as I put in these long, long days. The abdomen is steadily getting better, so that is good, for all that I still have weight limitation and pings when I stretch it.

Talk to you on the other side!

Best of luck, Roni. Safe travels, and smooth sailing. Next week, at this time, this long stressful year of frenzy will be behind you and you can take your sweet time settling in, at your own pace and without the clock ticking.

Brava!

Oh yay! It's happening! I'm really happy for you Roni, and can't wait to hear from you when you're unloading at the other end. Good luck with it all!

>289 ronincats: Safe travels and a happy new-home-coming!

I know it's been a haul, but now it seems almost overnight! Good traveling and may you and all of your pets and possessions arrive well and rapidly in Kansas!

Safe travels, Roni and all the best for the new location!

Hope the move goes well Roni!

Safe travels, Roni. Take care.

Wishing you a safe and smooth move, Roni!!

Safe journey Roni and best of luck with the move.

Safe travels, Roni, see you when you are in Kansas!

Once you get there, Roni, you will be able to say," We're not in ...California...any more!" ;-)

Best of luck and safe travels in your move, Roni!

>300 jessibud2: *facepalm*

Old Ms. Echo adds her wishes for easy, smooth, transition. Love to you, Roni!

As do I. Hoping the move isn’t too hard and exhausting for you and the cats, and I hope the kitties like their new home!

I hope the move has gone well, Roni. Can’t wait to hear!

Thank you. Safely here. Internet connection will be up tomorrow midday hopefully so will communicate more fully then than on my sister's computer here.

Love, Roni

Thanks for updating us Roni. Hugs

>306 ronincats: Yay! You're home at last. *smooch*

See you when you're ready!

Happy homecoming!

{{{{{{Roni}}}}}}

Happy new home and (catching up) so relieved to hear no cancer and that you are recovering from the op.

Great to hear you have arrived safe and sound. Can't wait to get an update on all that's happening.

Congratulations!! You're there!! Thanks for letting us know.

Welcome HOME, Roni.

:)

Yay, you’ve arrived! Are you moving straight into your own house or are you waiting until the furniture and everything goes in and gets organised?

Glad to read you made it. Hope you have some relaxing time reading in your near future.

Welcome home! Great to hear you’ve arrived safe and sound.

Thanks for checking in, Roni! I look forward to hearing about all the unpacking, furniture arranging, settling in, etc. and of course the kitties.

Yay for making it safe and sound. Now the fun begins...

No internet until Thursday.

>320 ronincats: good to see you settling in, sorry about the internet, though.

Glad to hear you're settling in, Roni. Sorry you won't be getting Internet until Thursday, though I'm sure you'll have plenty of projects and unpacking to keep you busy in the meantime! Best of luck settling in.

>320 ronincats: That's tomorrow already! Congratulations on emerging on the other side of the big move!

Thanking about you Roni. Hope WiFi is set up today as scheduled and that you're already organized enough to be enjoying your new home.

I have rejoined the wireless world!! My worldly possessions are still in San Diego but should be here on the 6th. Be still, my beating heart! So I am still living out of my suitcase, but have put away what I brought in the car with me, spent time with my mom, and gotten to the store for essentials. The cats were, as you might imagine, totally freaked out but appear to be settling down okay in the basement (a finished basement, mind you) and I've been sleeping down there with them on the twin bed mattress set left down there. Gordo finally decided to forgive me yesterday and let me touch him--the other two were cuddly after a couple of hours.

I will never catch up but look forward to checking out the threads later. Thank you for all the support, loyal visitors!

Yay for internet! Yay for stuff arriving soon! (Well, five days is pretty soon.) And yay for everyone settling in.

We'll see you when you can get out and about.

Thanks much, Richard. And now that I'm connected (and thank goodness I brought my computer in the car with me!) I really need to start a new thread, I think. I will work on that this evening as well.

>325 ronincats: Welcome back! May your books be eager to join you!

>325 ronincats: I recall how angry my Siamese were with me when I moved them to a new home 7 hours away. They both disappeared, and I found them hours later hiding in the cupboard above the washing machine...