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Happiness is More of a Good Thing

I’ve been binge watching The Brokenwood Mysteries and finally made it to Seasons Nine and Ten, which to my surprise and delight are new to me. Favorite characters in new stories, the ultimate comfort watch. Bob has explained to me that we’re doing series from now on, and as I’m winding down Season Ten, I can see the wisdom in this. Happiness is definitely more of a good thing.

What made you happy this week?

114 Responses

  2. After a very trying few days dealing with the tenant from hell, of which legal action will be taken, we arrived on Vancouver Island for a weekend with my niece and her husband and my nephew and partner. We are having a wonderful time. Friday was a lazy float on Lake Cowichen. Missed a couple of spots with the sun screen. Sun burnt the spots. Really enjoyed the two and an half hours on the river. Ate delicious ice cream. A rare treat for me. Discovered a new to us restaurant. Such good food. Definitely going back on the next visit.

    I gave niece the set of Jenny’s novels with different coloured spines. She gave Tell Me Lies to nephew’s partner. She loved it. I suggested she read Bet Me next. Lucky woman discovering and reading Jennifer Cruise for first time. She will pass on the books to her sister. More readers, Jenny.

    Going home today. Needed this repite away. The garden needs attending to. Completing the renovations under the balcony. My vision of a cool reading and lazing spot with potted plants will be done.

    Eldest son and wife will be back home in a month. Yeah. Missing them so much. Big welcome home dinner planned. Granddaughters are doing well in diving and horse shows. First place medals have been won for both of them. I’m a proud Grammy.

    Finally booked a haircut and pedicure.

    More family coming. It’s been a busy summer so far. Not watching any Canadian or American politics. Not discussing any news or commentaries either.

    Eileen Fisher end of season sale starts this coming week. Looking to replace a couple of staple items. Retail therapy. Typing in my phone at 3:30 in the morning. Think there are no spelling errors.

    And I made the long list of authors in a writing contest. Sadly not the short list. But, hey, it’s very encouraging.

    2. Congratulations, a long list means many judges liked what they read!!! Go you!

  3. Happiness is spending time with my brother and his family in Montréal.
    The last time we were here was in 2006. It’s been way too long but we are making the most of it.

  5. Happy because The Untamed series was so good up to ep 15 or so that I stopped it to get the book. I read it all and am now watching the series again.

    Vibes to everyone who needs it. Thanks for the support, always.

    1. Sure Thing, we love and admire you, so support is almost automatic. I feel like I should thank you for being an example of how to meet challenges without giving up.

      1. I am so grateful for your response. This means so much to me. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💟💜

  6. Four nights on an island in Maine with old friends were lovely. We stayed in a small motel of separate “apartments” and had our own little deck from which we could watch the lobster boats in the harbor.

    Bittersweet. We’d lived near and I’d worked with the friends for 16 years before we moved an hour away. During the last 9 years we have met up every month or two during the school year, and we have stayed in Maine for a week or two in the summer.

    Now the distance between us is 7 hours of driving and the trip expenses.

    I had such a good time with them that I didn’t realize the implications for our future friendship until we said good-bye.

  8. Today’s happiness is a gift (no special occasion) from DH of tickets to Capitals-Oilers game next year! The game is a long way off but knowing that I’m going will provide months of joyful anticipation.
    Another happy is that we’re traveling today to NYC to granddog-sit while youngest son goes on vacation. A week of museums, restaurants, walks and just hanging out. And though there will be work related zooms in there somewhere, it feels like a vacation! Yay!

    1. Now THAT is a great gift. Hmmm, must hint to husband since birthday is approaching…

  9. Today’s happiness is a slightly cooler morning (it’s still going to be in the high 80’s later) and a friend coming to help me pull weeds and put down weed cloth in the blueberry patch.

    1. Deb, You remind me of my youth when we raked pine needles in our yard to bag and transport an hour away to my great-aunt’s farm to put under her blueberry bushes.

      1. We used to bag the ones in our back yard when I was a kid and bring them to my grandmother’s blueberries. I’ve since read that not enough acid actually leeches out of the pine needles to make a difference to the soil, but they still make a nice mulch.

      2. I use the year-before-last’s Christmas tree, once it’s too brittle to work as an anti-cat barrier in the front garden

  10. Taking to a couple of friends yesterday cheered me up. Also felt better for defrosting my fridge-freezer. And it’s dry so far today, so I’ve been getting on with my drastic weed of the garden. It did look quite pretty full of willowherb, mats of violet leaves & herb robert, but some things were getting choked. Hoping they’ll now thrive.

    1. Jane, We had been previously discussing old but still-running refrigerators (knock wood!!). Unless British ones differ from US ones, I think you win for the oldest. The last defrosting I had anything to do with was the fridge in a little user-run self-service snack bar in a US facility in Germany in the later 1980s. We rotated snack bar responsibilities, and one of them was frequently defrosting the fridge (which wasn’t ancient, but not the latest). Naturally its door got opened and closed a lot. I don’t recall needing to manually defrost my German home fridge, however.

      1. Well, mine’s supposed to be frost-free, but that only seems to apply to the fridge half. It is the easiest to defrost of any I’ve lived with – it only takes two or three hours. I bought it in 2012, so it’s not that old (although my previous one died aged 8, so I’m pleased this one’s still going).

  11. I am happy that someone shot the ex-president, and just grazed his ear. But the way ex looked, and the fear in his eyes, may help him realize that talking up political violence is not wise. No motive, yet, for the now-dead shooter. That, in itself, will be interesting. It happened at a rally in Pennsylvania. I doubt it will end with him talking about gun control, but parroting the “good guy with a gun” axiom. This is not the America where I grew up. Or maybe it is: JFK, Reagan, Ted Kennedy, were all shot. Only Reagan survived. Sigh.

      1. Dodo, already his base is rallying around him, and the GOP is blaming Biden’s “rhetoric”, when the ex has been urging murder of, and planning to assassinate, his rivals and enemies, once in office. I also hope that people who already hate gun violence will vote for the ex’s opponent.

      2. I have no doubt this will motivate some potential right-wing voters to firm up their plans. We don’t have much on the shooter right now aside from “young, male, and white” which is the most-common description for mass shooters and assassins in the US. I’m crossing all available digits that he doesn’t turn out to have been queer, because if he was, the fascists are going to go scorched-earth with their 500+ pieces of pending anti-LGBTQ legislation. It was a relief to see that he wasn’t a person of color – that would have unleashed hell. 🙁

        BBC and Al Jazeera also say he was registered Republican though he’d donated to liberal ActBlue in the past. It’s my understanding that in the US, you get a primary ballot based on your registration, so if he was truly anti-Republican he may have been registered so he could vote against Trump in the primary.

        I am not happy DJT was shot. I wish he would drop dead of natural causes, but anything else is going to make our political situation worse.

        1. Good commentary, Chachal. I would add that if the shooter were hispanic, that would have also unleashed hell toward immigrants. I have been praying for a debilitating stroke that leaves the Donald unable to speak or ambulate, or a massive MI., for years!!!!! He’s overdue. The very best thing for this country would be silencing his hateful, lying rhetoric, one way or another. For whatever reason, I like that the shooter was Republican, as that may somewhat blunt the anger toward non-Republicans, and it’s ironic as all heck.

          1. Yes, the Washington Post originally claimed that the shooter was Chinese on Saturday night and I was sick with stress and fear. The “China Flu” made living in my small Pa town a nightmare during the covid years for both my husband and I. He is South Korean and got death threats on his work phone amongst other unpleasantnesses. I got bullied at work, lots of talk about evil immigrants and such. I have since left that job, but I was braced for the worst. It was a huge relief Sunday morning to hear that the shooter was white. But I don’t see anything good coming out of this. And I feel bad for his family. Their community is going to be very hard on them.

        2. Agreed. I’m glad the violence being roundly condemned. Two people are dead and more critically injured – there is no happy here.

          I am also hoping that the shooter won’t turn out to belong to any minority that will then be tarred by the same brush.

    3. There is a lot of speculation online (surprise) that the whole thing was staged, because there are many aspects that don’t line up. Of course, that doesn’t explain the other people who were shot, one of whom died. Sadly, at this point very little would surprise me. Either way, Trump seemed more excited than afraid, and insisted on sticking his head up over his security detail to yell “Fight” at his supporters. Sigh. The Democrats, on the other hand, have shown nothing but class. And Biden has been great, so maybe this will help him?

    4. I think one thing that might help is for people to realize – you don’t have to pay attention to any of the campaign to decide who to vote for. They both have had 4 years actually in office to look at. I know who to vote for based on that.
      I will say, though, that regardless of anything else I would never vote for someone who says outright he wants to be a dictator.

  12. Happiness is getting unstuck! I was stuck at point in my story and couldn’t seem to get past it or figure out why. Luckily I don’t write linear so I was able to skip ahead but was nearing the point where I had to figure out what to do. Yesterday, I was at Aqua Zumba and it hit me. What if a particular incident revolved around the heroine instead of the hero? As I was trying to follow the Zumba instructor all these new scenes occurred to me complete with fun dialogue. I even got a fun secondary character I can use in other stories since this series takes place in a small town.

  13. I have quite a varied week ahead, which I hope will prove enjoyable.

    I have been enjoying Grace Burrows books (3 in a bit more than a week) so thank you to all who talked them up. My local library is so small and inconvenient (both physically and digitally) that it is essentially useless to me, so it is a special pleasure to find books both so affordable and enjoyable.

    Local specialty market had a sale on local great-but-pricey bread (Zingermans, for you Michiganders) so I indulged in a chocolate cherry loaf. It was to die for. I bought it yesterday and it is gone. I had a bit of help, but I ate most of it with no regrets.

    2. If you’re a Michigander, you need to know about Mel.org – It is a state-wide consortium for libraries. You can put a request in for an interlibrary loan to your local library, assuming they are a part of it. It’s fabulous!

  14. In keeping with the “More of a Good Thing” meme, I have a confession.

    Hi. My name is Gary, and I am a Trekkie. Not a Trekker, mind. I think Trekkers are Trekkies who own all the action figures and attend conventions. I don’t even own a poster.

    I thought I had gotten over Star Trek when they a) cancelled Enterprise 2) Made Discovery pay-to-view, and III) rebooted the franchise into an alternate universe now known as the Kelvin Timeline.

    But now I’m signed up for Paramount+ (formerly “CBS All Access”) and I have watched two seasons each of Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks. I’ll start soon on Picard and Prodigy and others, not to mention three more seasons of Discovery.

    But I’m still not buying any posters.

    2. I’m totally a Trekkie and proud of it. When I was a kid, I had a cereal bowl and a mug that were Star Trek decorated.

      1. I watched some of the original series with my family, but I never got into it, although as an adult, I appreciate how ground-breaking it was.

        Later, I watched some of both Next Generation and Deep Space Nine with my then-boyfriend, now husband, but I never got into it. To watch a show week after week (or to read an entire novel), I need at least one character I want to have as a friend, and I never got that from any episode I watched in the Star Trek universe.

        One time I was with my husband at dinner at a fancy restaurant, celebrating Christmas with my family. My parents, my siblings, my brother-in-law and my husband were all talking about the then-current Star Trek series. I was the only non-Trekkie at the table.

        1. For origin stories, I have this: Before I was career navy, I was a Navy Brat, which is to say, both my deceased father and my step-father were career navy. Military families become accustomed to moving every three years, on average. As it happened, step-da was stationed for three years in Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We joined him there in June of 1966, and lived there until June of 1968.

          1966 – 1968 were the first two seasons of Star Trek. That being pre-satellite TV, we did not see it. Gitmo (the designator for Guantanamo Bay) got only AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) which was recorded and ran about three years behind the states. That meant I watched most of the series in syndication. It was a decade before I’d seen every episode.

      3. I remember to find the original Star Trek too exciting for my young wuss personality. Well, I only got occasionally saw glimpses of the re-runs. Yes, I’m really that much of a wuss.
        DH, however, is a major trekkie, so he got me hooked eventually. Yet never fully. I’ve never been into hierachical military systems (never trust them fully, always thing for yourself, that’s what history taught/ our post 68-teachers instilled into my generation). In short: always loved Spock.

        Hubby also hooked my on Babylon 5. And the Lord of the Rings (well, the Scottish accent of Billy Boyd the hobbit did) films. Not the books – I need lots of humour if the material is dark.

    3. I’ve watched with enjoyment all of the Lower Decks DVDs that made it to the library. The most recent season I think is now out in that format but unacquired. I haven’t yet looked into alternative sources. I never was 100% into Trek and I pretty much bailed on live-action Trek after Enterprise started downhill (reportedly its last season was better) and after the first Abrams travesty of a movie. I have watched a few later episodes. Paradoxically, I’ve listened to a great deal of a Trek podcast where the participants do not hesitate to criticize faults, but come out liking the shows (mostly), for reasons unclear to me.

    4. Trekkie here too, Gary. Since I was 6 years old, believe it or not. Apparently my parents watched it when it first came out. I like Strange New Worlds and Picard. Found Discovery to be too grim for my tastes, and I didn’t like any of the characters.

      I also own no posters.

    5. My husband is a Trekkie, so I am something of an unwilling one. I didn’t grow up on it, but find the originals amusing. I didn’t care much for Discovery. I really liked the second season of Picard but am still angry about the third. As always, YMMV.

        1. Um, the fact that they completely ignored and dropped every storyline from the second season? Dr. Giardi as Borg queen was awesome and I would have like to see that explored more.

          And the fact that they narrowed Picard’s legacy down to needing a genetic child of his own to make him feel fulfilled in his twilight years. That made me really mad. I hate that storyline for men or women. I really appreciated that the new Star Wars trilogy broke that cycle of “it’s in your blood because you are a Skywalker.” I know that those movies have problems, but as someone who comes from a family with adopted children and am married to someone adopted as a child, it was lovely to see Rey rise above her evil origins and become a Skywalker in truth and in legacy, esteemed by all three original main characters.

          I wish that Picard had given him the same dignity, that all the people he had touched over the years, saved and guided and mentored, were as important as the biological child he never knew he had. Surely his life’s work was more than passing on his genetic material.

          1. Yep, and life is far too fickle: having a biological child is no guarantee that you get along, that the genes you pass along don’t turn out the ones for illnesses/baldness/ADHD (this all taken with a pinch of salt, please). Nor is it a guarantee that life doesn’t interfere and you have to say good-bye to said child. Is one’s life worthless in that case? NO, it isn’t.
            I’m pretty sure, it’s all the people your/Pickard’s life has touched, all the good we do, all the bad we avoid, all the right movements we start. Not just the genes we manage to bring along.

  15. I realized this week that my anxiety was extremely high and I was becoming depressed. My lovely family doctor increased my anti-anxiety meds and gave me an additional medication to take short-term. I have been feeling much better. My inner voice which has been haranguing me for months is quiet. It’s a a huge relief and I’m starting to be able to accomplish tasks instead of beating myself up for not doing them. I didn’t read the label properly and have been taking 2x the amount of the new medication. I’ll be interested to see the difference when I take the correct amount over the next few days. Better living through chemistry.

    At DS’s request, I made sourdough cinnamon raisin bread. It was a very good first attempt and met with DS’s approval. I’m making a double batch today.

    First batch of scape pesto is in the freezer. I had some scapes leftover and one of my book club friends gave me some basil, so I can make another batch. Still picking snow peas and beans have flowers. Thanks to the rain and heat, my garden is big and lush.

    1. Sourdough cinnamon raisin bread sounds awesome! I may have to try making some…after getting a sourdough starter. My neighbor makes sourdough so I will check with him to see if I can get some from him.

        1. When I decided to make cinnamon raisin bread the first time, I also wanted to make plain rolls, so I divided the dough and kneaded the cinnamon and the raisins into half of it and made a loaf. It worked really well.

  16. Went to Indiana with my daughter to drop my grandson off at Rose-Hulman college for a summer camp/preview of college life. Then daughter and I attended the Fever/Mystics game. The Fever lost but Caitlin Clark was amazing. I love to watch that girl pass the basketball!

  17. Yesterday I spent a couple hours on Zoom with some writer friends, watching videos about advertising for authors and discussing them. Later, I spent a couple hours on Zoom talking with my sisters. In the evening, my husband, kids and I watched Thor: Love and Thunder together. A day well spent!

  18. In Brokenwood, I love how they’re developing the characters, especially Frodo with his coffee stand. And I love their accents, with people turning up “did!”

    Happiness is my dog is finally out of her huge cone after surgery. Two weeks is a long time for her not to be able to do her usual stuff. Now I have to *keep her quiet* for another six weeks.

  19. I suppose my major event of the week was the book club meeting for a novella I nominated, Vernor Vinge’s seminal “True Names.” Another lightly attended meeting, although one person intending to show had canceled because of illness and technical difficulties with her hearing aid. I hope she mails out comments to the club list.
    Everyone there liked it more than disliked, although the attendee most into characterization understandably liked it least. I myself wrote up a few additional comments this morning and emailed them to the club list. I’ll hopefully mention the novella here on GBTh.

    I was mentally listing other, lesser accomplishments but I think I had better get back to other stuff.

  20. At the meeting I went to people kept saying that I do good work and government people kept saying they know my name from the comments I write, so at least they are getting read. That felt great.

    We had a couple of days of cooler weather and rain, which felt good, although today will be back up to 96.

    When I go out to the garden I keep surprising a baby bunny which is fun. I think it’s mostly eating the violets and clover so the garden is doing ok. One year we had a bunny commit bunny topiary on a row of marigolds so that we had a row of small green pyramids each topped by a single flower. Every time I see the bunny I remember that and smile. We no longer grow marigolds—DH had thought the rabbits disliked them. Ha!

    I had a big triumph managing my mom. She had been helping some grandchildren with some of their college costs and I persuaded her to help the ones that never got college help with grad school help. So I’m very proud of that. (Of course she is still driving.)

    I had bought a new, cotton, multi colored rug for the kitchen thinking we could throw it in the washing machine regularly. Then something spilled on it, the colors ran, and I saw the fabric tag said dry clean only. This weekend I went ahead and washed it and not only did it work but the colors that ran washed out. It does take a very long time to air dry but it’s still a win.

    My niece will visit for a night and then DS will be home for 10 days so I’m looking forward to that.

    I’m making progress on a list of house chores which is satisfying. And while I have a lot of day job work to do there are no big deadlines this week.

    1. Debbie, my bunny population loves violas and clover! I leave the violas that edge along the evergreens and under the shade alone, so the bunnies can munch close to cover. I’ve seen only two babies, so far, this year. Sigh.

      Thanks for the report on mom. Sorry to hear she is still driving. But whadaya gonna do?

    2. I’m also happy that it turns out I don’t have to do one unpleasant house chore until September —I thought it was overdue.

  21. Happiness is finding a fish fry at the local farmers market and the prospect of the DH making stuffed cabbage. With any luck, I won’t have to cook at all week. This is a very good thing, because I unexpectedly find myself with two releases in two days. The publisher pushed up the release date of FAMILIARS, the anthology containing my short story “The Alien Method,” two weeks to July 15, aka tomorrow. On Tuesday, my collection DRAGONS, CATS, & FORMIDABLE FEMMES is loosed into the wild. Cue much happy dancing. But I’m still glad I don’t have to cook. 😉

  22. Happiness is playing with fabric. I don’t usually sew clothing, but I really hate fast fashion and all the really terrible fabrics that most clothes are made of today (unless they’re outside my budget), so I haven’t bought any shirts in about ten years, and they’re getting too raggedy even for wearing at home with no one to see them except my cats (who are part of the reason why they’re so raggedy). I’ve been fascinated for months with the Ashton top pattern by a small pattern company, and finally bought it on the spur of the moment last night when I needed a distraction. You can see examples here: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ashtontop/

    I made a “muslin” last night using some old, ugly and kinda’ scratchy quilting fabric (I’d set it aside for projects that are disposable), but only realized after trying it on that I’d printed a size larger than what I’d intended (clicked the wrong box in the PDF). I know what adjustments I need to make (it’s the right length, but the neck needs to scoop lower), but I still need to make another muslin version with the new pattern, just to be sure, before I use nicer fabric. I’d bought an impressionistic blueberry print fabric that was on sale, intending to use it as the background for a scrap quilt, but now I want to use some of it for an Ashton top — good thing I bought way more than I needed for the quilt idea!

    I’m hoping I like the finished product (in the correct size), because I can see lots of fun possibilities, including a Piet Mondrian-inspired version, and another one with a fake button-front (using thrifted men’s shirts, maybe a flannel plaid version with long sleeves). And I’ll never have to get crappy-fabric shirts again! Once the pattern is printed, assembled, and tested, the sewing is really quick, making it worth the time investment.

    1. That looks very comfortable, and the sleeveless version would be cool in the summer. With your quilting skills, the options are unlimited!

      1. I can quilt but I don’t understand how to sew clothing. It’s a very different beast.

    2. I have been making a lot of my own clothes since I got allergic to polyester in the 70s. The freedom to wear whatever you please (if you can find the fabric) is worth the effort.

    3. One of my goals is to start making my own clothes. I bought a sewing machine at a rummage sale and have been collecting fabric and patterns as well. I have just been too intimidated to start. I don’t think that I have used a machine in a good 15 years, and even then, I didn’t do much for than simple seams.

  23. Going to Cleveland to visit a high school friend. We are going to see Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago two of our favorite bands in high school and forever.
    She asked for me to bring Getta (like scrapple with oatmeal) going to Findlay Market to buy her a good one. Findlay Market is a local food and farmers market that I love. If you have lived in Cincinnati you know what I mean.

    1. It’s funny how these things work. I visited Cincinnati about yearly through college (sometimes more, sometimes less), then later lived there for about a year, and afterward visited irregularly. I had never heard of getta/goetta until less than a year ago and have still never tried it. Not something my Cinci relatives were into. I did finally try Skyline chili, but very late in the day.

      1. I understand that! I have lived here for years and have never tried Goetta or skyline. My friend loves it , so it is definitely for her. I rarely eat forced meats.

  24. My son And his family are here from Michigan
    Which is a great pleasure.
    Jim is currently cutting up a giant watermelon.
    Today we are supposed to go see a play called unbroken blossoms at E. West center this will be my first time out In a month. I’m still on a walker, but hopefully it’s going to be a wonderful experience.
    Also, I bet on the critique that Jennie and Bob are giving And I got it.
    I had a physical therapy session this week, the first one since June 19 and so I am very pleased
    Wish you all a very happy week

    2. Congrats on getting the critique! This means it went to someone who understands what they’re getting into. 😉

  25. My pride and joy are my flower beds that display the orange and yellow day lilies, red and purple bee balm, and tons of Shasta daisies. The lilies are almost done, the daisies are showing a bit of wear, but they’re still quite lovely.
    Went blueberry picking for a church fair; 1.5 hours of the hot day was enough for us seniors.
    Took myself out for tacos and a strawberry margarita to celebrate my interrupted birthday celebration. I’m going to dunk myself in the Atlantic in about an hour. I made some friends who do that regularly, not just in the warm months. We’ll see how far through the year I make it!

  26. Some things making me smile currently are – getting things done towards selling my place so we can move – 2 vacation days from work- rewatching some seasons of Great British Bake Off – and rereading Jayne Castle.

    Mostly happy because we get to read Rocky Start in 6 days AND Bob Mayer just read Maybe This Time so he can write Carter in the next Crusie / Mayer collab!

    1. Bob Mayer just read Maybe This Time so he can write Carter in the next Crusie / Mayer collab – wait, what? Really?!

      1. Do you remember the Arresting Anna excerpts I put up here awhile back? The met in Vegas and had a one night stand bit? The guy in that had a partner at the FBI named Carter, and he was Carter from Maybe This Time. So we’re looking at doing a series about art crime that would have Carter as a supporting character, and then possibly move him and Nadine to the main characters in the second one. Or have him and Nadine as supporting all the way through the series. We are in the talking stage at this point. Nothing has been decided except that the next series is Art Crime starting with Anna and Nate and with Carter as a supporting player.

        But first we have to finish the Rocky Start series and Bob has to move. I’m still unpacking from my move last year. It’s a process.

        2. I do enjoy series that are connected, but feature new couples in each book. That could be a lot of fun! Plus you already have the world built…

  27. My wild blackberries are ripening. They’re very good.

    Lots of thoughts regarding the latest US mass shooting. Nothing I want to say out loud or put in writing.

    Lots of good political stuff this week-voter registration at the farmers market, training on ‘voter protection’, election board meeting and a county government meeting. And the pissing contest for the 117th state house republican slot continues. Although it looks like the MAGA candidate has won.

    Gotta go because Pixie wants to be petted. Also treat.

  28. My wonderful 90-year old stepfather, who is very frail, was recovering from a broken a shoulder when he came down with covid and ended up in the hospital, followed by rehab. I have flown from London to Tucson to see him and my mom. I am thankful to be able to spend this time with him.

    I am less thankful for the heat. Man, I have acclimatised to English weather after all these years. Also, I’m trying hard to avoid the news.

    1. But it’s a dry heat! I’m really missing that, here in Kansas, where the humidity is in the 80%s, now.

  29. We finally got some rain. I’ve been snacking on a few blackberries each time I walk the dog around the yard. AMAZING how different they tasted after a little rain. Not just texture, taste.

    I got to love on the newest arrival in the family this week. Sigh, just a perfect couple of minutes.

    My teenage girl greatlings WANTED me to go shopping with them. I can’t begin to describe how flattering that is. Particularly when I could not care less what is fashionable. Most of our “visiting” is in the drive to and fro; I love listening to their plans and aspirations. Amazing young women.

  30. Off crutches for the first time since March! Rehab to get out of the boot includes high-stepping exercises that DH says are clearly from the Ministry of Silly Walks.

  31. I am happy that my primary care doctor checks his email on weekends. At 4:30 on Friday I had an MRI because I’ve been having headaches for 2 months or so. Today I got an email from him telling me that I have an aneurysm and to make an appointment with a neurologist. I am so happy that he didn’t wait to contact me so that I have a better chance of getting an appointment. Of course, this would have been even better if I had made the appointment when I saw him a month ago, but at least one of us is on top of things.

      1. It is scary, but the good wishes from you and ellyG help while I keep getting disconnected during my efforts to make an appointmentwith a neurologist. So far it has taken me 2 hours to get to the recording to get on a list for a call back and another 2 hours since then. I also discovered that I was supposed to go for a drop in chest x-ray 2 weeks ago and I totally forgot. Oops.

        1. Aunt Snack, all the best vibes coming your way!!!

          Sounds like A LOT when the patient has to organize everything on her own, yuk.

          The US healthcare system would scare me off any intention of immigrating (well, one reason of many). Keeping my fingers crossed for you that you get through soon and get an appointment asap.

          1. I was on a list on 2 separate days and received a call neither day. On Thursday, if I haven’t heard anything, I will walk myself into the neurology department and camp out at the receptionist’s desk.
            Maybe I should try calling the other university hospital and see if I have better luck there. I think I’ll try both.

    3. Best health wishes, Aunt Snack. I hope you can get an early neuro appointment & that you are a textbook case for a straight forward treatment program. Take care.

  32. A happy thing for me is also Webcomics. My list of favorites has expanded and contracted over the years, but one consistently among the shortcuts on my browser is QUESTIONABLE CONTENT by Jeph Jacques. Given my name, I had to share This Episode. Rest assured, I am not the mysterious AI behind it. 😀

    1. The link failed. I tried to find it in a google search. I found the comic but no references to Gary.

      2. I should mention that the Gary Phenom was made up by Mr. Jacques for the comic, in which sentient AIs are everywhere.

  33. I am up to Season 11 of Grey’s Anatomy. Also started The Resident, the two do not compare. Grey’s wins hands down. This week my husband got caught up in The Responder, (Britbox) we watched it in two nights. That is a story about a policeman that was connected by a friend into moving drugs not willingly, but he needed the money for his mother’s care. Martin Freeman is superb as the policeman trying to keep his job and his family together while battling some mental issues and working nights amongst drug dealers, con artists, screwball teens – all the people you do not want to meet nights. And he doesn’t take any crap from anyone.

    I started reading Marie Force’s First Family series and didn’t realize it is a spinoff of The Fatal series. That one has sixteen books. It’s like do I want to start way back at the beginning or continue on as I am. There are characters already established in some scenes, and now I want to know their story. Damn it I already know the answer.

    Yesterday I had a little fun with one of my granddaughters. The grands were over for a BBQ and decided to take the kayak out and go swimming. After they left, I was picking up the wet towels and found my youngest granddaughter’s false eyelashes and went to return them to her, but she had already left. So, naturally I attached them to a photograph I have of her younger self on the mantle and my son took a picture of it and sent it to her. I am now known as diabolical.

  34. I had some lovely moments this weekend that made me quite happy.

    A friend is fostering a 1-year-old mama cat and her seven 3-week-old kittens. We went over and held, petted, and smooched little fur babies for an hour on Saturday.

    Saturday was also productive as I trimmed 6 bushes, did grocery shopping, baked cookies and gathered stuff for Sunday, and finished a teeny purse that I need to post a photo of on IG.

    Sunday after volunteering at church, we went west to a state park and joined friends at a birthday beach party on Lake Michigan. It was a gorgeous day for it! Then dinner in Grand Rapids afterward.

    This all made me very happy!

  36. “Favorite characters in new stories, the ultimate comfort watch”

    Comfort read, too. When you enjoy being with some people, you look forward to seeing them again!

About the Author

Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in a cottage in Pennsylvania, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

Find out more about Jenny’s published works by visiting JennyCrusie.com

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