tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-320714742024-02-07T01:17:37.372-05:00MiscellaneaAlphabetically: Books, Genealogy, Jane, Q, YarnKF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-39459645695961856742019-01-11T22:59:00.002-05:002019-01-11T22:59:31.725-05:00#3<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39322486-ghost-stories-of-an-antiquary">Ghost Stories of an Antiquary</a>. By M.R. James. Published 1904. There are multiple versions of this book. Part 1 is the first 8 stories. Part 2 is another 7 stories. This version is all 15 tales.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The stories are set in the 1500s to 1800s, and are told by an antiquary who has heard a peculiar tale in the course of research. James is very good at setting up unsettling descriptions of sights and events and is famous for leaving most of the horror to his reader's imagination.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad": </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Holy mackerel!</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> Need to read </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50827.Dombey_and_Son" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #00635d;" title="Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens">Dombey and Son</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">, chapter xii, referenced in this.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Several of the stories have been filmed for various programs or movies. (See the IMDb listing for Montague Rhodes James for details.) I've actually seen "The Runes" as the basis for the 1957 Dana Andrews movie "Curse of the Demon," which occasionally turns up on Turner Classic Movies around Halloween. H.P. Lovecraft was a fan of James'. Leonard Maltin gives the movie three and a half stars out of four, and viewer reviews are equally favorable. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">This book satisfies the POPSUGAR Challenge calling for a ghost story as well as 1900-1909 in the BookCrossing Decade Challenge.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*The page numbering on this Kindle edition is eccentric: several multi-page stories are listed as starting on "page 101 of 101."</span></span></span>KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-61780295356375903642019-01-06T17:00:00.001-05:002019-01-06T17:07:25.769-05:00#2<span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">1/3-6/2019: I've finished my second book for 2019: <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/1/1-2/2019:%20Second%20day%20of%20the%20new%20year,%20and%20I've%20finished%20my%20first%20book%20for%202019:%20Alice's%20Adventures%20in%20Wonderland.%20It's%2096%20pages%20in%20fulfilment%20of%20the%20POPSUGAR%20advanced%20challenge,%20prompt%20#9:%20A%20book%20that%20has%20inspired%20a%20common%20phrase%20or%20idiom%20(e.g.,%20Big%20Brother%20from%201984).%20In%20Alice,%20there's%20the%20thought%20of%20%22Mad%20as%20a%20hatter.%22%20%20Last%20year,%20I%20listened%20to%20the%20Audible%20version%20of%20Alice,%20but%20as%20so%20often%20happens,%20I%20zoned%20out%20in%20sections%20of%20the%20story.%20I%20don't%20do%20that%20with%20printed%20materials,%20so%20it%20was%20good%20to%20read%20this.%20%20Next:%20Little%20Women.">Little Women</a></i>. </span><span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">It's 400 pages in fulfilment of several POPSUGAR challenges: #1 A book becoming a movie in 2019. #2 A book that makes you nostalgic. #31 A book about a family. #34. A book that includes a wedding. #37 A book with a two-word title.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">A book about a family:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">"I do think that families are the most beautiful things in all the world!" burst out Jo, who was in an unusually up-lifted frame of mind just then. "When I have one of my own, I hope it will be as happy as the three I know and love the best.</span></span></blockquote>
<br style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: #fafbfe; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Next: <i>Ghost Stories of an Antiquary.</i></span>KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-69294805742081189272019-01-02T17:11:00.000-05:002019-01-02T17:11:50.144-05:00#11/1-2/2019: Second day of the new year, and I've finished my first book for 2019: <i><u>A</u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6324090-alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland">lice's Adventures in Wonderland</a>.</i> It's 96 pages in fulfilment of the POPSUGAR advanced challenge, prompt #9: A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g., Big Brother from 1984). In Alice, there's the thought of "Mad as a hatter."<br />
<br />
Last year, I listened to the Audible version of Alice, but as so often happens, I zoned out in sections of the story. I don't do that with printed materials, so it was good to read this.<br />
<br />
Next: <i>Little Women</i>.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-88135877895119919982018-12-23T12:12:00.000-05:002019-01-12T11:03:00.902-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I'm looking at two different reading challenges for 2019: The </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19627012-new-decade-challange-january-1-2019---december-31-2019?comment=187141754#comment_187141754" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">BookCrossing Decade
Challenge </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and the </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19627012-new-decade-challange-january-1-2019---december-31-2019?comment=187141754#comment_187141754" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">PopSugar Challenges</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. (In the PopSugar Challenges, you can use
a single book to satisfy multiple prompts, so if your South American author writes a
book with a two-word title, you've filled two prompts.) I may not complete either
challenge; I hate it when needing to read a challenge book interferes with wanting
to read something else. I also have a bunch of unread targets from the </span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Great American
Read</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> I hope to work into these challenges.</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-590a5da2-7fff-8fdf-ece1-3fb50bd190b4" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">BookCrossing 2019 decade challenge</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Regular Challenge: Read one book first published (not a reprint) in each decade. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1920 - 1929 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18905257-do-a-barbara" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Doña Bárbara</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1929) Rómulo Gallegos (of Venezuela)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1930 - 1939 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18114322-the-grapes-of-wrath?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Grapes of Wrath</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1939) John Steinbeck</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1940 - 1949 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46170.For_Whom_the_Bell_Tolls" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For Whom the Bell Tolls</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(1940) Ernest Hemingway</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1950 - 1959 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Catcher in the Rye</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1951) J.D. Salinger</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1960 - 1969 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40058335-the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1966) Robert Heinlein</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1970 - 1979 - </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682804.The_Killer_Angels" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Killer Angels</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1974) Michael Shaara</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1980 - 1989 - </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010426-downbelow-station" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Downbelow Station</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1982) C.J. Cherryh</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1990 - 1999 - </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39354630-a-great-day-for-the-deadly" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A Great Day for the Deadly</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1992) Jane Haddam</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2000 - 2009 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6583503-the-friday-night-knitting-club" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Friday Night Knitting Club</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (2006) Kate Jacobs</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2010 - 2019 - </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37911667-dead-letters" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Dead Letters</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (2018) Jane Haddam</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">BONUS decades:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1900-1909 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><b><u><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24751334-ghost-stories-of-an-antiquary"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Ghost Stories of an Antiquary</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> (1904) M.R. James</span></strike></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1910-1919 -</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19424609-julia-ward-howe-1819-1910" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, published 1915 (Pulitzer 1917); written by
Howe's daughters Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards, and Maud Howe Elliott. (Actually
written by three female authors, including Howe’s third daughter, Florence Hall.) OR </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6434003-zuleika-dobson-or-an-oxford-love-story" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zuleika Dobson, or, an Oxford love story</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1911) Max Beerbohm OR <b><strike>The Secret Garden (1911) Frances Hodgson Burnett</strike></b></span></div>
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<ol>
<li>A book becoming a movie in 2019<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><strike><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Women</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Louisa May Alcott (</span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">film version</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></b></strike></li>
<li>A book that makes you nostalgic<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><strike><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Women</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Louisa May Alcott</span></b></strike></li>
<li>A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)</li>
<li>A book you think should be turned into a movie<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5647399-alexander-hamilton" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hamilton</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ron Chernow [Go ahead and make it a musical, Hollywood! It’s </span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in development</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.]</span></li>
<li>A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Catcher in the Rye</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1951) J.D. Salinger</span></li>
<li>A book with a plant in the title or on the cover<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37911667-dead-letters" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dead Letters</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2018) Jane Haddam</span></li>
<li>A reread of a favorite book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010426-downbelow-station" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Downbelow Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1982) C.J. Cherryh First read about 1983; last read 2018</span></li>
<li>A book about a hobby <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6583503-the-friday-night-knitting-club" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Friday Night Knitting Club</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2006) Kate Jacobs</span></li>
<li>A book you meant to read in 2018<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5647399-alexander-hamilton" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hamilton</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ron Chernow [Go ahead and make it a musical, Hollywood! It’s </span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in development</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.]</span></li>
<li>A book with “pop,” “sugar,” or “challenge” in the title<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39935875-popco" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PopCo</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2005) Scarlett Thomas</span></li>
<li>A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8726777-the-girl-in-the-green-sweater" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Girl in the Green Sweater: A Life in Holocaust's Shadow</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Krystyna Chiger, Daniel Paisner [I have <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-green-sweater">the pattern</a> for the sweater, and I hope to knit it soon.]</span></li>
<li>A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40195463-circe" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Circe</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2018) Madeline Miller
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7581796-the-lightning-thief" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lightning Thief</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rick Riordan</span></li>
<li>A book published posthumously <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25449935-our-souls-at-night" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our Souls at Night</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (26 May 2015) Kent Haruf (died 30 Nov 2014)</span></li>
<li>A book set in space<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40058335-the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1966) Robert Heinlein</span></li>
<li>A book by two female authors<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39731174-the-temple-and-the-stone" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Temple and the Stone</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Knights Templar #1) (1998) Katherine Kurtz, Deborah Turner Harris
</span>or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19424609-julia-ward-howe-1819-1910" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> published 1915 (Pulitzer 1917); written by Howe's daughters Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards, and Maud Howe Elliott. (Written by three female authors, including the third Howe sister, Florence Hall.) OR <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64207.Sorcery_Cecelia?from_search=true">Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot</a> Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer</span></li>
<li>A book with a title that contains “Salty,” “Sweet,” “Bitter,” or “Spicy”<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19101197-sweet-savage-death" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sweet, Savage Death</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1984) by Jane Haddam</span></li>
<li>A book set in Scandinavia<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40612226-roseanna" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roseanna</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1965) Maj Sjöwahl and Per Wahlöö [The first in an excellent mystery series set in Sweden. Also, see Wallender series by Henning Mankell.]</span></li>
<li>A book that takes place in a single day</li>
<li>A debut novel<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6583503-the-friday-night-knitting-club" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Friday Night Knitting Club</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2006) Kate Jacobs</span></li>
<li>A book that’s published in 2019</li>
<li>A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6980036-the-dragonriders-of-pern">The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon</a></i> <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anne McCaffrey</span></li>
<li>A book recommended by a celebrity you admire<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6265269-anna-karenina" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anna Karenina</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Leo Tolstoy. Recommended by </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2016/05/23/books-recommended-jennifer-lawrence" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Jennifer Lawrence</a> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OR</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> anything by </span><a _fcksavedurl="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2917917.N_K_Jemisin?from_search=true" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2917917.N_K_Jemisin?from_search=true" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">N.K. Jemisin</a>,<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">recommended by her cousin </span><a _fcksavedurl="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16044402.W_Kamau_Bell?from_search=true" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16044402.W_Kamau_Bell?from_search=true" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">W. Kamau Bell</a></li>
<li>A book with “love” in the title <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6434003-zuleika-dobson-or-an-oxford-love-story" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zuleika Dobson, or, an Oxford love story</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1911) Max Beerbohm OR <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8130029-love-and-friendship">Love and Friendship</a> Jane Austen</span></li>
<li>A book featuring an amateur detective<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6583503-the-friday-night-knitting-club" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Friday Night Knitting Club</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2006) Kate Jacobs</span></li>
<li>A book about a family <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><strike><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Women</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Louisa May Alcott</span></b></strike></li>
<li>A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18905257-do-a-barbara" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doña Bárbara</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1929) Rómulo Gallegos (of Venezuela)</span></li>
<li>A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title</li>
<li>A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></li>
<li>A retelling of a classic<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41424.Beauty" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1978) Robin McKinley </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OR</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a _fcksavedurl="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34555335-hiddensee?from_search=true" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34555335-hiddensee?from_search=true" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Hiddensee</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Gregory Maguire</span></li>
<li>A book with a question in the title <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24472552-how-d-i-get-here-and-why-am-i-stealing-m-m-s-from-air-force-one">How'd I Get Here? And Why Am I stealing M&M's from Air Force One?</a></i> Dan Beckmann</li>
<li>A book set on a college or university campus<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6434003-zuleika-dobson-or-an-oxford-love-story" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zuleika Dobson, or, an Oxford love story</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1911) Max Beerbohm OR <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/969346.The_Daughters_of_Cain?from_search=true">The Daughters of Cain</a></i> Colin Dexter</span></li>
<li>A book about someone with a superpower <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7581796-the-lightning-thief" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lightning Thief</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rick Riordan</span></li>
<li>A book told from multiple character POVs <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010426-downbelow-station" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Downbelow Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> C.J. Cherryh</span></li>
<li>A book that includes a wedding <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strike><b>Little Women</b></strike></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u><strike><b> Louisa May Alcott</b></strike></u>
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29861183-great-expectations" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great Expectations</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Charles Dickens</span></li>
<li>A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7581796-the-lightning-thief" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lightning Thief</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rick Riordan OR </span> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010426-downbelow-station" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Downbelow Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> C.J. Cherryh</span></li>
<li>A ghost story <strike><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24751334-ghost-stories-of-an-antiquary" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ghost Stories of an Antiquary</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1904) M.R. James</span></b></strike></li>
<li>A book with a two-word title<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><strike>Little Women</strike></b></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u><strike> Louisa May Alcott</strike></u></b>
</span>Or <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6265269-anna-karenina" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Anna Karenina</a> </span>Leo Tolstoy. Recommended by <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2016/05/23/books-recommended-jennifer-lawrence" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Jennifer Lawrence</a>
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18905257-do-a-barbara" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doña Bárbara</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rómulo Gallegos (of Venezuela)
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010426-downbelow-station" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Downbelow Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> C.J. Cherryh</span></li>
<li>A novel based on a true story<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682804.The_Killer_Angels" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Killer Angels</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1974) Michael Shaara
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1284085.Anna_and_the_King_of_Siam" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anna and the King of Siam</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1943) Margaret Landon</span></li>
<li>A book revolving around a puzzle or game<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30845350-the-baseball-whisperer" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Baseball Whisperer: A Small-Town Coach Who Shaped Big League Dreams</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2016) Michael Tackett
</span>Or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20603758-ready-player-one" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ready Player One</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ernest Cline OR <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19099640-the-roger-angell-baseball-collection">The Roger Angell Baseball Collection: The Summer Game, Five Seasons, and Season Ticket</a></i> by Roger Angell</span></li>
<li>Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge</li>
</ol>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">ADVANCED POPSUGAR Challenge</span></div>
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<ol>
<li>A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39978114-the-dry"><i>The Dry</i></a> Jane Harper OR <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20767176-drought?from_search=true">Drought: A Californian Environmental Disaster Thriller</a></i> Graham Masterton</li>
<li>A “choose-your-own-adventure” book</li>
<li>An “own voices” book</li>
<li>Read a book during the season it is set in <i style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19099640-the-roger-angell-baseball-collection">The Roger Angell Baseball Collection: The Summer Game, Five Seasons, and Season Ticket</a></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Roger Angell</span></li>
<li>A LitRPG book<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20603758-ready-player-one" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ready Player One</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ernest Cline</span></li>
<li>A book with no chapters, unusual chapter headings, or unconventionally numbered chapters</li>
<li>Two books that share the same title (1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34440830-h-g-wells" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Invisible Man</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> H.G. Wells</span></li>
<li>Two books that share the same title (2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9584862-invisible-man" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invisible Man</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ralph Ellison</span></li>
<li>A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g., Big Brother from 1984) <i><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6324090-alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland">Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</a></strike></i> for "Mad as a hatter" an "Curious and curiouser"</li>
<li>A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39354630-a-great-day-for-the-deadly" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Great Day for the Deadly</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1992) Jane Haddam</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Great American Reads</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">To be read:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31136661-mark-twain" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mark Twain</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316653-along-came-a-spider" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alex Cross Mysteries</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> James Patterson</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17184818-americanah" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americanah</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9469037-atlas-shrugged" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Atlas Shrugged</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1957) Ayn Rand</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18622292-bless-me-ultima" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bless Me, Ultima</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1972) Rudolfo Anaya</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39936131-five-classic-animal-adventures" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Call Of The Wild</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1903) Jack London</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Catcher in the Rye</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1951) J.D. Salinger</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10055367-the-coldest-winter-ever" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coldest Winter Ever</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Sister Souljah</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8127528-the-count-of-monte-cristo" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Count of Monte Cristo</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Alexandre Dumas</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20351058-crime-and-punishment" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crime and Punishment</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fyodor Dostoyevsky</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18905257-do-a-barbara" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doña Bárbara</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1929) Rómulo Gallegos</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6421982-a-game-of-thrones" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Game of Thrones</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> George R. R. Martin</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30770805-ghost" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ghost</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jason Reynolds</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6081296-gilead" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gilead</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Marilynne Robinson</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8309278-the-giver" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Giver</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Lois Lowry</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13261812-gone-girl" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gone Girl</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gillian Flynn</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8134703-hatchet" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hatchet</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gary Paulsen</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31326721-joseph-conrad" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heart Of Darkness</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Joseph Conrad</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18619999-the-help" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Help</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Kathryn Stockett</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11301989-the-hunger-games-trilogy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Hunger Games</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Suzanne Collins</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6283934-the-hunt-for-red-october" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Hunt For Red October</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tom Clancy</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9584862-invisible-man" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invisible Man</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ralph Ellison</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10381144-the-joy-luck-club" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Joy Luck Club</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Amy Tan</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20494944-lonesome-dove" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lonesome Dove</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Larry McMurtry</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18401393-the-martian" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Martian</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Andy Weir</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4990223-moby-dick-or-the-whale" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moby-Dick</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Herman Melville</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33648131-the-notebook" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Notebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Nicholas Sparks</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5292557-outlander" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outlander</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Diana Gabaldon</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187551-the-picture-of-dorian-gray" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Picture of Dorian Gray</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Oscar Wilde</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6313648-the-pilgrim-s-progress" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Pilgrim's Progress</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> John Bunyan</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20603758-ready-player-one" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ready Player One</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ernest Cline</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52036.Siddhartha" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Siddhartha</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Hermann Hesse</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6588742-the-sirens-of-titan" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sirens Of Titan</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Kurt Vonnegut</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5864120-the-stand" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Stand</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Stephen King</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5523485-the-sun-also-rises" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sun Also Rises</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ernest Hemingway</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11557.Swan_Song" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swan Song</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Robert R. McCammon</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11580940-tales-of-the-city" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tales of The City</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Armistead Maupin</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27283036-their-eyes-were-watching-god" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their Eyes Were Watching God</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Zora Neale Hurston</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9667950-things-fall-apart" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Things Fall Apart</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Chinua Achebe</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13013742-the-twilight-saga-complete-collection" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Twilight Saga</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (series) Stephenie Meyer</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10052310-war-and-peace" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">War and Peace</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Leo Tolstoy</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8153988-the-eye-of-the-world" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wheel of Time</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (series) Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson</span></li>
</ol>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Already read (before 2019):</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9577857-1984" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1984</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> George Orwell</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37767749-a-prayer-for-owen-meany" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Prayer For Owen Meany</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> John Irving</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5487030-a-tree-grows-in-brooklyn" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Betty Smith</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6105976-alice-s-adventures-in-wonder-land" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Lewis Carroll</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6251563-and-then-there-were-none" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Then There Were None</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Agatha Christie</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8133190-anne-of-green-gables" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anne of Green Gables</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Lucy Maud Montgomery</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5025780-beloved" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beloved</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Toni Morrison</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120173-the-book-thief" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Book Thief</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Markus Zusak</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/168668.Catch_22" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Catch-22</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Joseph Heller</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24916066-charlotte-s-web" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlotte's Web</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> E. B. White</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7806728-the-magician-s-nephew" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Chronicles of Narnia</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (series) C.S. Lewis</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611463-the-clan-of-the-cave-bear" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clan of the Cave Bear</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">< Jean M. Auel</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36512057-the-color-purple-collection" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Color Purple</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Alice Walker</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1618.The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night_Time" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mark Haddon</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3836.Don_Quixote" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don Quixote</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Miguel de Cervantes</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234225.Dune" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dune</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1965) Frank Herbert</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5996629-foundation" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Foundation</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1951) (series) Isaac Asimov</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6260806-frankenstein" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frankenstein</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mary Shelley</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22034.The_Godfather" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Godfather</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mario Puzo</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18405.Gone_with_the_Wind" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gone with the Wind</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Margaret Mitchell</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6055617-the-grapes-of-wrath" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Grapes of Wrath</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> John Steinbeck</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29861183-great-expectations" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great Expectations</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Charles Dickens</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6519719-the-great-gatsby" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Great Gatsby</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> F. Scott Fitzgerald</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6192934-gulliver-s-travels" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gulliver's Travels</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jonathan Swift</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12961964-the-handmaid-s-tale" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Handmaid's Tale</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Margaret Atwood</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/121121.Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harry Potter</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (series) J.K. Rowling</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7799247-the-hitchhiker-s-guide-to-the-galaxy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Douglas Adams</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15998986-jane-eyre" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jane Eyre</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Charlotte Brontë</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157993.The_Little_Prince" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Little Prince</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6252154-little-women" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Women</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Louisa May Alcott</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34.The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lord of the Rings</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (series) J.R.R. Tolkien</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/929.Memoirs_of_a_Geisha" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Memoirs of a Geisha</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">< Arthur Golden</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/320.One_Hundred_Years_of_Solitude" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One Hundred Years of Solitude</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gabriel García Márquez</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6520552-the-pillars-of-the-earth" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Pillars of The Earth</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ken Follett</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5509256-pride-and-prejudice" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pride and Prejudice</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jane Austen</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18891155-rebecca" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rebecca</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Daphne du Maurier<</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37449.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To Kill a Mockingbird</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Harper Lee</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10049556-where-the-red-fern-grows" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where the Red Fern Grows</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Wilson Rawls</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32056568-classic-british-love-stories" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wuthering Heights</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Emily Brontë</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Probably won't read:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">A Separate Peace John Knowles</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Alchemist Paulo Coelho</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Another Country James Baldwin</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Díaz</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Fifty Shades Of Grey (series) E. L. James</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Flowers In The Attic V.C. Andrews</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Intuitionist Colson Whitehead</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Jurassic Park Michael Crichton</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Left Behind (series) Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Looking for Alaska John Green</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Mind Invaders Dave Hunt</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Outsiders S. E. Hinton</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">The Shack William P. Young</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">This Present Darkness Frank. E. Peretti</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Watchers Dean Koontz</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">White Teeth Zadie Smith</span></li>
</ol>
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KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-5775303945461268482018-05-29T01:13:00.000-04:002018-05-29T01:13:35.285-04:00MondayI've worked 12.25 hours today. At the end, I'd finished the first Training Plan (63 courses and four tests) in a total of 32.5 hours. So much for 34 courses a day to meet the deadline.<br />
<br />
Since I'm behind schedule, I have 22 training plans to go--402 courses to go in the next 8.5 days. That's 47+ courses per day.<br /><br />The 2nd training plan is 61 courses, with 3 tests. And since tomorrow isn't a holiday, there'll be other work coming in.<br />
<br />
It's after 1am, and I have Alexa set to wake me at 7:30.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-75276539425548356332018-05-25T22:06:00.001-04:002018-05-25T22:06:45.724-04:00FridaySo...the work project. 23 role-based training plans. I added up the number of topics: 465. Plus tests. If we work weekends and the holiday (that's 13.5 days--this is due by noon on the 6th), we'll need to do 34 topics a day to be finished on June 6. After yesterday's work (a little of this around my other work) and today's 6 hours, I've finished 12 topics in about 9 hours. One topic took 2 hours and 41 minutes; it's got several videos in it, and one video ran 49 minutes.<br />
<br />
The likelihood that we'll be done by June 6 is very tiny, but I'll work all the hours I can stand. And I'll work lots of hours on Monday. I think that's automatically time-and-a-half for the holiday. (Or they'll pay me straight time for the hours I work and another 8 hours for the holiday itself.) Something financially useful will happen. (And if I work more than 16 hours between Saturday and Sunday, there'll be overtime this week.)<br />
<br />
Of course, the next clue in the MKAL arrived today. But some people finished the clue in one day, so I think it won't take too long to do--even if I <i>am </i>doing it twice.<br />
<br />
Greyhound meet and greet tomorrow morning with Jane and Q. 80% chance of rain, and maybe thunderstorms. (There's a tropical wannabe-storm in the Gulf. We've got flash flood warnings.) Then home, settle the dogs, pick up Zaxby's again, and go to Mother. Get her pills set for next week, pick out her clothes for church on Sunday, then home and start working. Then take her to church Sunday morning. (I can take my tablet; I think the wifi there is good enough for me to work.) Bob and Iris's plane is due in about 12:30 Sunday, so Sunday morning finishes the Mother-sitting.<br />
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Q is looking the way I feel, these days.</div>
<br />KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-1364126890200327612018-05-23T19:59:00.000-04:002018-05-23T20:45:10.232-04:00WednesdayI've been over to check on Mother every day, while Iris and Bob are on vacation. Mother remembers her pills most days, but she's a bit iffy on breakfast, so far. (Supposedly, she eats a waffle every morning, and should be leaving a plate sticky with syrup. No plate = no breakfast. But there's a fork every day, so she's eating lunch: a Michelina frozen meal--the box is in the trash.) When I don't find a breakfast plate, I give Mother a nutrition bar instead.<br />
<br />
Work has been very slow, and someone has come up with a way we can get extra hours, but the instructions haven't been good. We have implemented a new online training session for employees, and the suggestion is that three of us who do a lot of proofing and organizing and editing of the files should take "23 role-based training plans" (including the tests) and let them know how long each plan takes. And they want it done by noon on June 6. Fine.<br />
<br />
But <i>what </i>23 role-based training plans? There's no list of 23 anything: one menu of plans shows 4, another menu shows 6, one shows 15 (but several of those are way out of our pay grade), and one shows more than 100 "courses." If I search "role-based training plans", I get 50 hits before I get tired of counting. I had a slow day today, and I'd love to have gotten some of that stuff out of the way. (I want to knit this holiday weekend--not work on a bunch of files.)<br />
<br />
The original request came in late Monday. During the day Tuesday, I poked around in various menus and found I don't have precisely 23 of <i>any</i>thing, so late Tuesday I wrote to the woman who sent the initial email and asked for a link or a list or something. Presumably, there's a specific set of plans, since they want to know how long it takes (so they'll know how long to expect employees to take). I haven't heard anything back from her, and today has been really dead. I've emailed her again, and I sent an email to the other two women who are supposed to be doing this to see if they know what 23 plans we're supposed to do. June 6 is 9 working days from today--14 days if you count weekends and the holiday, which I don't want to do.<br />
<br />
Is it too much to expect adequate instructions? We'll see if I get instructions tomorrow and find out if my coworkers are as confused as I am.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I signed up for a <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/in-the-library-with-the-candlestick">mystery knit-along</a>, and I bought yarn to do the pattern twice. (It's a mosaic lace shawl.) The pattern called for Lucero, which is expensive ($36/skein), but is lovely and has a tiny stellina strand to make it sparkle. I ordered one skein of each color I liked--Temperance and Teal--but I wasn't sure they'd get here in time. Thus, I ordered some Knitpicks Gloss in Cranberry and Jade--much less expensive than the Lucero. We've had the set-up instructions for a few weeks, but the first real clue is due this Friday.<br />
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ETA: A coworker responded with a spreadsheet. 23 collections of topics, some of which have 30+ files in the topic. This will be fun.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-30045886388015178492018-05-20T01:33:00.000-04:002018-05-20T01:33:50.929-04:00SaturdayLong day. Up at 4, dozing and watching wedding to-do. Vertical and truly awake about 7am. Took both dogs to the M&G. Happily, no thunderstorms; Jane got in a couple of naps. We had a big crowd.<br />
<br />
Took the dogs home, settled them, picked up food, and went to check on Mother. She took last night's pills and this morning's, but she seems to have skipped breakfast, and possibly skipped dinner last night. But she got chicken fingers, Buffalo wings, celery sticks, and fries today at lunch. Picked out her clothes for church tomorrow, and we got her pills organized for next week. Then I came home and napped. (That's one way to put it: I blacked out completely for about 5 hours. Good dogs let me sleep.)<br />
<br />
I woke up in time to see the end of the Braves game. I've done some reading, and I'm about to go back to bed. Alexa is set to wake me at 8am; it also has a reminder for me at 8:20 to call Mother to make sure she's awake. The game plan is to be at the house about 9am, leave for the church about 9:20. Have to remember to grab a paper on the way to the house so she can have the TV listings; then snap a picture of Mother so I have something to show church security what she's wearing if she wanders off.<br />
<br />KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-50934279636950185592018-05-18T18:04:00.000-04:002018-05-18T18:04:52.024-04:00I'm backI haven't posted in ages. I'm going to pretend I have and not spend a lot of time playing catch-up. But I'll do a current status: I'm 65. I'm still working. I have two black greyhounds--Q is 5, Jane is 9 (10 in a few weeks). There.<br />
<br />
Having dental issues. Three weeks ago, I broke a cap off an upper front tooth. Fixing it will require a complete core/buildup/crown. The other front tooth has a crack and cavities; with the crack, it's not safe to drill, so that'll be a crown. I'm missing two teeth on the upper right, but creating a bridge there would require two more crowns (so the bridge would have "abutments"). And there are other cavities. But I have dental insurance that looks like it's good, so I'm hoping implants will become affordable--or, at least, not a whole lot more than 4 new crowns plus a bridge plus fillings. It depends on how much the insurance will pay. I go in on 31 May for a consultation with the implant guy and the regular dentist. Meanwhile, I cut my cheese sandwich into little bites so I don't pop the crown off its temporary cement cushion by an ill-judged bite.<br />
<br />
Today is my elder nephew's birthday. Tomorrow would be the birthdays of Jacey (2003) and Silver (2005).<br />
<br />
Waiting on work files from a co-worker who's having computer problems on top of her bronchitis. We had files that were supposed to go live today. It's not happening. I'm just hoping we can get them up Sunday night...before everyone shows up on Monday, yelling "Where are my files?"<br />
<br />
I'll be up at 4 to watch the royal wedding, but I leave about 7:30 or so for the Marietta Farmer's Market Meet and Greet. There's rain in the forecast, which would keep the temperature low enough for Jane; but she's thunderphobic, and I'm not sure she should be doing an outdoor meet and greet during a storm. I'll have to check the forecast before we leave. M&G ends at noon: I'll bring the dogs home, go by Zaxby's and pick up a big combo plate, and go to my Mother's to check on her (I'm mother-sitting while my sister and her husband are on vacation) and see if she'll split the food with me. (I may leave her some for dinner.) I'm setting the VCR to record the wedding, and I can catch up later.<br />
<br />
I'm reading <i>Emergence</i>--#19 in C.J. Cherryh's <i>Foreigner </i>series. This catches me up (#20 is due out in January), and I've read the entire series since late March. It's been fun. Next up: Jake Tapper's <i>Hellfire Club</i>.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-24889330411020928392015-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:002015-01-09T01:47:29.637-05:00Fresh Start (Week 1: Jan 1-7)I don't concentrate on just one hobby at a time. I knit, do therapy dog events, read, watch some TV...and work on the family genealogy. And when I can find ways to do it, I combine hobbies, which leads me to this post.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-genealogists">genealogy group on Ravelry</a> (a site for knitters and crocheters and other fiber crafters) has a post about <a href="http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/posts/announcing-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-2015-edition/">52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks</a> organized by Amy Johnson Crow. Once a month, Crow will post a list of topics for the next month, and participants are encouraged to post a genealogy-related post that matches that week's theme. I've missed the first week's post (today actually is the 8th), but I'm going to back-date this post. The topics for January are--<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Week 1, Fresh start</strong> — Seems appropriate for the beginning of the year. What ancestor had a fresh start? What ancestor has been so confusing to research that you’d like to have a fresh start?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Week 2, King</strong> — January 8 is Elvis’ birthday. January 15 is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Do either of these “Kings” remind you of an ancestor? Or, taken another way, do you have a connection to royalty? Did your ancestor flee from an oppressive king?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Week 3, Tough woman</strong> — Who is a tough, strong woman in your family tree? Or what woman has been tough to research?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Week 4, Closest to your birthday</strong> — Not too much to think about here. What ancestor has the birthday closest to yours? (I mean in terms of month and day, not the year <img alt=";)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" style="border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> )</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Week 5, Plowing through</strong> — We will likely be plowing through a lot of snow by this time. What ancestor had a lot of struggles to plow through? Or take it more literally… It’s up to you <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" style="border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></blockquote>
</div>
<br />
My grandfather, <b>John William Ross</b>, was born 5 November 1903 in Armuchee, Georgia (that's north of Rome). He was the fourth child / second son of Charley and Gertrude (Simmons) Ross. Charley and Gertrude eventually would have 10 children.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/208066952" title="Stella Simmons and John Ross by Kathy, on Flickr"><img alt="Stella Simmons and John Ross" height="500" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/83/208066952_200d11d0d6.jpg" width="470" /></a><br />
<i>John and his Aunt Stella (Gertrude's sister)*</i><br />
<br />
Tired of taking orders from father, mother, two older sisters and one older brother, John ran away from home, lied about his age, and joined the army at the end of World War I. (Logic and good sense aren't notable characteristics of teenage boys.) When the war ended on 11 November 1918, John was 6 days past his 15th birthday.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/212484024" title="John Ross, post WW1 by Kathy, on Flickr"><img alt="John Ross, post WW1" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/95/212484024_221ec89f20_z.jpg" width="398" /></a><br />
<i>In the 1920 U.S. Census, not-quite-17-year-old John <br />
was with the troops in Germany, pretending to be 21.</i><br />
<br />
Now out of the army, on 2 January 1926, John married Mary Ruth Dunn, who was 5 years (to the day) younger than John.** On their application for a marriage license, Mary (called "Dixie" by most of her husband's family) claimed to be 18 years old; she actually had just turned 17.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/16049694749" title="SCAN0585 by Kathy, on Flickr"><img alt="SCAN0585" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7553/16049694749_8d2fde0820.jpg" width="479" /></a><br />
<i>John and Dixie, 50th Wedding Anniversary (1976)</i><br />
<br />
John worked in the construction industry, and he and Dixie moved to follow available work. They lived in Sarasota, Florida, where their first two children were born. When the Depression struck, John left Dixie and the kids in Rome while he went west to work on the Hoover Dam project; but conditions there were brutal and John was homesick, so he returned to Georgia. They lived in Atlanta for a time (my mother was born here); there were relatives on both sides of the family in the Atlanta area. When World War II started, they moved to Key West, where John found construction work at the naval base. Post-war and thru the 1950s, they lived in Miami. John occasionally went out of state for construction projects--in Omaha and in New York for a time in the 50s. In the early 1960s, they lived in Las Vegas (John worked on construction of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mint_Las_Vegas">The Mint</a>). Eventually they moved back to Miami (Dixie hated cold weather), where they lived until Dixie's death in March 1979. John died in June 1980.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/16048486900" title="SCAN0750 by Kathy, on Flickr"><img alt="SCAN0750" height="354" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7533/16048486900_d6fe6f97f1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<i>The house in Miami in the 1970s</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=434345&GRid=91301695&">John</a> and <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=434345&GRid=91301284&">Dixie</a> are buried in Alpharetta, Georgia.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/6442172885" title="DSC03352 by Kathy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC03352" height="375" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6442172885_44596e2c9b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
_____________<br />
*One thing I've learned with this post tonight: among my other occupations, I need to organize my Flickr photostream. Photos I've scanned are not rotated correctly, color-corrected, or cropped.<br />
**Yes. I get to research <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">John and Mary Ross</span>. Searching the 1940 U.S. Census produces 418,264 couples named John and Mary Ross. What's even more fun is that the indexers for the 1940 Census misspelled the last name as <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Russ</span>, so my John and Mary aren't actually included in that 418,264 couples.<br />
<br />KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA, USA33.952602000000013 -84.549932733.847226000000013 -84.7112942 34.057978000000013 -84.3885712tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-43253673851476453992014-04-13T22:29:00.000-04:002014-04-13T22:29:41.656-04:00Condo stuff, doggie dentalCatching up after days of <i>"Say, what--?"</i> and head swivels around while I try to figure out what just happened.<br />
<br />
The front of my condo used to look like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/3841448464" title="DSC01947 by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3534/3841448464_d6899f823e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01947"></a><br />
(I think I was taking photos of the sky. I can't figure any other reason I'd have photographed the roof--unless this was just after they reroofed the building.)<br />
<br />
The back of my condo used to look like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/148397293" title="Home: The Back by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/51/148397293_543f6f85a6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Home: The Back"></a><br />
<br />
At present, the front looks like this (with less stuff in the yard):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/13813648814" title="Untitled by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/13813648814_f9ae340909.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
<br />
And the back looks like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/13813657294" title="Untitled by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/13813657294_453c8b8034.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
(Not only did they wrap the windows--they wrapped the back door. I can't get the door open.)<br />
<br />
Between normal and plastic wrapped, we had this in the back:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/13764712464" title="Untitled by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/13764712464_7143fd982c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
<br />
Normal Wednesday morning. Stripped by Thursday afternoon. Plastic wrapped by late Saturday. They'll be back Monday morning at 8am.<br />
<br />
I'm getting off lucky on the repairs. A couple of windows I was worried about (that back window on the lower floor would cost $3,166 to replace) can be repaired without being replaced. There's no sign of termite damage and minimal water damage. My cost for repairs will be $337, and $125 of that is for new outdoor lights and a mailbox. (I think we might be getting a floodlight on the back patio.)<br />
<br />
The dogs have been fine with the noise. (And my god, has there been noise. At 8am every day. They warned us to take down pictures on the walls because of banging and vibrations.) I've managed not to laugh at the workmen who dive for cover every time I come outside with the dogs and Tigger does his <i>OMG! Pet me!</i> lunge at them. 68-pounds of assuredly friendly is hard to take, and these guys aren't so sure of his lunging, open-mouthed temperament. The dogs are consistently disappointed that no one wants to pet them. The workmen are nice, young, and very polite. Their English is limited, but I think I've finally convinced them that they can't plug their compressor into my carport outlet without tripping the circuit breaker.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
Tigger did the Marietta Farmer's Market meet and greet Saturday morning. Silver had a R.E.A.D. session at the library (where we're filling in because the regular handler is on maternity leave--it being awkward to get a pregnant body down on the floor with the dog and the reader). We had a good kid Saturday--a girl who really likes dogs and dog kisses. Silver was happy to oblige.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/12864370544" title="Silver--ready to read. by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/12864370544_305f2afac0.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Silver--ready to read."></a><br />
<i>Waiting for a reader</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/12863134995" title="Reading Blanket (side 1) by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/12863134995_daec3e4e56.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Reading Blanket (side 1)"></a><br />
<i>Blanket side 1</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/12863130865" title="Reading Blanket (side 2) by Kathy, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7426/12863130865_2e8aeabb5d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Reading Blanket (side 2)"></a><br />
<i>Blanket side 2</i><br />
<br />
We have one more month of filling in at the East Marietta Library. Then in June we start at our <i>own </i>library: <a href="http://www.cobbcat.org/BranchMtnView.html">Mountain View Regional</a>--which isn't as close but will be all ours. ;)<br />
<br />
Silver has to have a dental on Wednesday, though. I've lost two female greyhounds at the age of 8--one of them from a blood clot under anesthesia--so you can guess I'm not happy about putting 8-year-old Silver under. But her teeth need to be cleaned, she's not getting any younger, and she's having some trouble chewing. The vet thinks she may lose a couple of molars, but she was unhappy with his explorations in her mouth, so he said he'd wait and see what was what when she was under anesthesia. I gave him a printout about <a href="http://greytarticles.wordpress.com/medical-first-aid/anesthesia-surgical/high-potassium-during-anesthesia-causes-greyhound-sudden-death/">increased potassium during anesthesia</a> being a danger in greyhounds (he's calling Tufts to get dosage info in case he has to give her calcium), and I'm going to pick up a prescription for Amicar tomorrow because Walgreen's will have to order it. A greyhound's blood clots just fine, but the clots fail easily, leaving a greyhound hemorrhaging from something as simple as a tooth being pulled. Amicar helps strengthen the clots...which seems strange to me, since Oreo died of a blood clot we <i>didn't</i> want. And Silver didn't do well after she was spayed--the anesthesia made her nauseated--so we also have that to try to plan around. (Her vet was calling the SEGA vet who did the spay to see what protocol he used.) Anyway, we've taken all the precautions we can take--Silver had a full "senior lab panel" done last week. I just need to try not to cry on her (or panic) between now and when I drop her off Wednesday morning. I've arranged her therapy dog schedule so that she has this week off.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-45954709546058731922014-01-28T04:26:00.000-05:002014-01-28T04:26:35.217-05:00We're in!The R.E.A.D. paperwork got where it was going. Apparently, I did okay on the written test: welcome emails and links to a private forum and several other relevant sites arrived in my mailbox tonight. <i>Whoopee!</i><br />
<br />
Next up: The second "shadow visit." This will be a session that I do with Silver, and with a human observer. We'll see how soon this can be set up.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Clem is doing well. This weekend, he worked SEGA's booth at the meet and greet at the Atlanta RV show. He was good with everyone--kids and adults (including a kid with a stuffed monkey dangling around his neck)--and when he got tired, he just stretched out in the booth and rested.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/12162085646/" title="20140126_133537.jpg by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="20140126_133537.jpg" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3736/12162085646_7b32f51185.jpg" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />
<i>Clem rests his weary head on Candy at the meet and greet</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/12162078626/" title="20140126_141104.jpg by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="20140126_141104.jpg" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/12162078626_737026c3ff.jpg" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />
<i>Candy returns the favor</i><br />
<br />
The weekend meet and greet--with a total of at least 26 people and 36 dogs--brought SEGA $940 in donations.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-79323860280030494282014-01-22T23:45:00.000-05:002014-01-23T02:17:56.397-05:00Silver has a brother!Our first stab at submitting registration paperwork to R.E.A.D. went astray, so we're trying again with another set of papers.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Silver has gained a brother:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/11540227766/" title="Clem & Silver by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem & Silver" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3739/11540227766_e749aef392.jpg" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />
<i>Clem (left) and Silver</i><br />
<br />
His racing name was <a href="http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=fqmBzH&d=flying+clemenza&x=24&y=14">Flying Clemenza</a>. He was one of seven pups in a Godfather litter, with all the littermates named after capos in the movie series. (Clemenza was the fat one who famously told a gunman, "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli" after a hit.) Clem's sire was the famous <a href="http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=80423">Flying Penske</a>. I haven't tallied up how many races Clem ran--neither the Racing and Breeding Database nor Track Info shows all his numbers, so I'm going to have to count them both up--but he raced from at least October 2008 until September 2011. (Track Info has the earliest data, but it shows him at Grade D, and doesn't list maiden races. But in October 2008, Clem was 18 months old, and he wouldn't have started racing much before that.) There's video of a lovely come-from-behind race <a href="http://www.greyhound-data.com/play.htm?video=/video2/US/NAPL/2009/NAPL-2009-03-30-HT05.mp4&name=Naples-Ft%20Myers%20Greyhound%20Tr%20Monday%20Mar%2030%202009">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Clem came to SEGA in February 2012 and was adopted in June 2012. But his owner's job changed and began to require a lot of traveling, and she surrendered both her dogs so they could be rehomed. Clem came home with me as a <a href="http://flyingclemenza.blogspot.com/">foster dog</a> on Veteran's Day, and he's been here 10 weeks. He's a very sweet, calm, clingy, cuddly dog--with a monster case of separation anxiety. He's on meds now (clomipramine is working; fluoxetine didn't help), and it's finally possible to leave him at home and not come home to lots of poop. But it took all these weeks to get him to this point, and I dreaded the thought of him going through another big upheaval if he got adopted to another home. I didn't blog about him after the first post because I didn't want to frighten off a potential adopter by telling about the SA; on the other hand, I didn't want him to sound like a happy, ready-to-adopt dog and then surprise an adopter with the SA issue. It just seemed wiser to keep quiet about him until things were under control--and then that took longer than I expected.<br />
<br />
But Clem fits what I was (eventually) looking for myself: an older (he'll be 7 in April), calmer dog that's easy to handle. In fact, he'll probably make a good therapy dog. The separation anxiety won't hamper him since the rule is that I never let my dog's leash out of my hand on a therapy session. He's not thunder-phobic or noise-phobic (didn't mind New Year's fireworks). He's small-dog tolerant. He's not cat-safe, but he's not crazy when he sees one. (He's just very, very focused.) He's tall and long, but weighs about what Sam weighed (mid-60s). He's very food motivated--he jumps with excitement over Kongs, but he doesn't jump on people. He just "pogos" in the middle of the kitchen. And he's an enthusiastic pill-taker when pills are wrapped in turkey lunchmeat. (Count your fingers afterwards.) He doesn't pull away when you get in his face, and he doesn't seem to object to a kiss or two, but he's a kiss<i>ee</i>, not a kiss<i>er</i>. He's still very clingy--follows me from room to room and actually will walk away from a Kong to see where I've gone if I've gotten anywhere near the front door of the condo.<br />
<br />
He doesn't challenge Silver, and he understands that she's the boss. When she growls, he stops what he's doing and looks at me. I'll reach over and block Silver if he's trying to lie down near her and she's being grumpy, and as soon as he sees I've got her, he'll carefully squeeze into the spot he wanted. Silver is far more patient about contact from Clem than she ever was from Sam, and she's actually playbowed to Clem, which is something she never did with Sam. (Sam would playbow to Silver, and she'd turn and playbow to <i>me</i>. Poor Sam!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/11932081584/" title="Untitled by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3777/11932081584_2f8c908abd.jpg" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />
<br />
Things are busy and hectic:<br />
<ul>
<li>I finished a hat for Hats for Sailors. This was after I screwed up two hats I was trying to knit as Christmas presents. </li>
<li>Lots of freelance work. Lots. Hours and hours of it. Very nice. Expecting another 40-page file tomorrow.</li>
<li>Knitting to get organized for the Ravellenics (knitting during the Olympics): a hat for Hats for Sailors, a baby sweater (see below), a WIP scarf to finish. Need to round up patterns, yarn, needles. </li>
<li>Younger nephew got engaged. (There'll be some knitting and/or crocheting for wedding presents--wedding date unknown. But I already have plans--and yarn.) </li>
<li>Meet-and-greets this weekend at the Atlanta RV show in Jonesboro: Silver and I are going Friday. I might take Clem on Sunday since that will be a long session, and I hate to leave him alone at home for six hours or so. (He did some M&Gs with his first adopter, so he's not new to the game.)</li>
<li>Therapy papers to get sent out--<i>finally!</i> (I hope.) Once the papers are accepted, Silver and I need to do a "shadow" visit (we do a R.E.A.D. session with an observer). Then, the library nearest me needs a fill-in therapy team for several months, as the handler of the current team has a baby. (When she comes back, we could stay at that same library as a second team--on a different Saturday.)</li>
<li>Baby blanket to finish. (I'm really close--less than 50 rows to go--and I'd like to get it finished and blocked in the next week.)</li>
<li>Baby sweater to make (probably during the Ravellenics). This boy was born in October, so I want to figure a size to get through this spring and perhaps next fall. I have pattern and yarn on-hand. Pattern gives instructions for 12-month size and 24-month size. I need to figure my gauge; since I'm rarely on gauge (and won't be using the recommended yarn), I just need to see which size will be best for whatever gauge I'm actually getting.</li>
<li>New episodes of <i>Downton Abbey</i> and <i>Sherlock </i>every Sunday night. I think I'm going to order the DVDs and stop worrying about whether there's room on my DVR to squeeze on another episode--of anything!</li>
<li>My favorite yarn shop is closing, and I've tried single-handedly to acquire much of their existing stock (which is why I'm pleased with all the freelancing work). I need to photograph all the yarn I've bought and get it listed in my stash on Ravelry. (Actually, there's lots of yarn around here that needs photographing and cataloging.)</li>
<li>Got some work done on the family history. Absolutely cannot find my mother's family in the 1940 census, a search hampered by not knowing what names anyone was using: John or Johnny or J.W.? Mary or Dixie? Charles (or Chuck)? Catherine or Kay? Merilyn (spelled how?) or Peggy? And where--Georgia or Florida?</li>
<li>Been doing lots of cooking--mostly meatloaf and chili. Had to buy a new food processor after my 30-year-old model developed a crack in the main spindle. The new one will make smoothies, which I might try once the local weather temps get above 50F or so.</li>
</ul>
KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-66046726659042754012013-10-14T00:39:00.001-04:002013-10-14T00:39:47.088-04:00Hurrying along...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/10003469664/" title="Silver by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Silver" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/10003469664_1f2783e174.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
Okay, I haven't blogged here in a while, although I've blogged about <a href="http://kfingeorgia.blogspot.com/">my cooking efforts</a> and about <a href="http://grapeter.blogspot.com/">my foster dog</a>.<br />
<br />
I have yarn I haven't photographed, but I need to sort it, wind it, enter some of it on Ravelry--and I can't stop long enough to do it because I've got lots of knitting to get done. I'm still working on the baby blanket, I have a cousin expecting a baby in November, I have hats for charity to do, dog stuff (also for charity), and Christmas stuff. And I have to work and earn a living (sorta). And SEGA has had meet and greets at the Marietta Farmer's Market in the Square nearly every Saturday. This coming Saturday is the all-day Harvest <a href="http://www.mariettaga.gov/city/residents/parks/specialevents/harvestsquare">Square</a>, and Silver and I will be hosting SEGA's booth from 1 to 3.<br />
<br />
And, because things weren't nearly hectic enough at this time of year, I've started getting the ball rolling for Silver to be a therapy dog. <br />
<br />
Actually, we'll be a therapy team, Silver and me. It'll be my job to watch out for her--make sure nothing frightens her or hurts her while she's working. What we want to do is the <a href="http://www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html">R.E.A.D. program</a>--where kids too self-conscious to read to adults read to dogs instead. There's an evaluation she has to do (this next Saturday, I think), then three visits that have to be observed (two to medical facilities like an assisted living home). At that point, she and I will have liability coverage with <a href="http://www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html">Therapy Dogs, Inc</a>. Then I have an all-day seminar on the R.E.A.D. program (November 2), and we have to make a couple of supervised library visits. If all that goes well, we'll be working for the <a href="http://www.careingpaws.org/">CAREing Paws</a> group. In addition to hospice/hospital/nursing home visits and the reading program, CAREing Paws teams do stress-relief sessions at colleges at exam time, and other special requests.<br />
<br />
Since some of our visits will be to an assisted living location, where patients might have breathing issues, therapy dogs need frequent baths to get rid of loose hair and dandruff. Silver got a bath at a do-it-yourself dog wash place that's nearby. We'll be going there once a month.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/10197480365/" title="IMAG0690 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0690" height="500" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/10197480365_3d2cc9d777.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
<br />
When you do the R.E.A.D. program, you look for things you can give the children as souvenirs: a bookmark, a sticker--something with a photo of your reading dog. Lisa Poole, who's a therapy dog partner with a couple of her own dogs, snapped some lovely photos I can use for Silver's souvenirs.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/10003614933/" title="Silver by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Silver" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/10003614933_3df3f26abe.jpg" width="333" /></a>KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com5Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-25237869840054939322013-09-20T10:24:00.000-04:002013-09-20T10:42:24.544-04:00The FairThe <a href="http://www.northgeorgiastatefair.com/">North Georgia State Fair</a>. Here, you can read the name on the ribbon. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9825861595/" title="DSC04224 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC04224" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/9825861595_6438b615c1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
The shawl is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/barbara-benson">Barbara Benson</a>'s <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/curiosity">Curiosity</a> pattern. It's knitted in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/malabrigo-yarn-rios">Malabrigo Rios</a>, Fresco y Seco ("cool and dry") colorway. (Links in those two sentences go to Ravelry.)<br />
<br />
The pattern is for a scarf or shawl, and it's designed to show off lovely variegated yarns. You start at the skinny end and just knit until you run out of yarn, increasing two stitches in width for every ten rows in length. My original photos of the shawl were taken with the shawl draped over my Sam.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8449146138/" title="DSC04009 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC04009" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8449146138_cde5d8a8ce.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8449145778/" title="DSC04008 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC04008" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8449145778_f2d17db10c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
This is the first time I've entered anything in the fair. This was entered in the Senior Needlework Division (stitchers are 60 or older), in the Knitted Article class. (One entry per person per class.) This fair has the following classes (potential knitting entries are in bold):<br />
<br />
1- Afghan Throw, crocheted<br />
2- <b>Afghan Throw, </b><b>knitted</b><br />
3- <b>Baby Blanket, </b><b>knitted </b>or crocheted<br />
4- Crocheting, 12" x 12" and smaller<br />
5- Crocheting, 13" x 13" up to 24" x 24"<br />
6- Cross-stitch, any article 14 count or less<br />
7- Cross-stitch, any article 16 - 18 count<br />
8- Cross-stitch, any article 19 count or greater<br />
9- Cross-stitch Hand Towel<br />
10- <b>Dressed Dolls</b> - crocheted, <b>knitted</b>, or sewn<br />
11- Embroidery<br />
12- <b>Knitted article</b><br />
13- Needlepoint<br />
14- Plastic Canvas<br />
15- <b>Scarves</b>, wearable<br />
16- <b>Scarves</b>, dresser<br />
17- <b>Miscellaneous</b>, any article not listed above.<br />
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That #17 has got to be a beast to judge. It'll get overflow from #12, and it'll get any crochet (say, a sweater or tablecloth) larger than 24" x 24".<br />
<br />
Entries were delivered to the fairgrounds last weekend (September 14-15), judging was Wednesday (September 18), and the fair opened Thursday (September 19). The fair closes at 6pm on Sunday, September 29, and needlework entries can be picked up that night between 6pm and 9pm.<br />
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Oh--and there's a cash prize: $4 for second place.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com5Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-71007628762619821932013-09-10T20:56:00.001-04:002013-09-11T10:06:39.650-04:00Ch-ch-ch-changesThere have been changes around here since I lost Sam.<br />
<br />
First, there's a foster under my roof:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9628497551/" title="GRA Peter by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="GRA Peter" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/9628497551_9f0a839a87.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
His name is GRA Peter, and he bounced from his previous home. He came home with me 31 August, and he'll probably be here until he finds a home. He's been a wild man since he came through the door, but he's calming down and doing better. Peter's blog is <a href="http://grapeter.blogspot.com/">here</a>, his racing history (awful!--31 races, most spent going backwards) is <a href="http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=1864670">here</a>, and his link on the SEGA site is <a href="http://www.greyhoundadoption.org/adopt/adoptablelargepic.cfm?ID=2029&c=093B60FD0557804C8BA0CBF1453DA22F">here</a>. For the record, his adoption write-up is from his arrival in Atlanta back in February. We know more about him now, as his blog makes clear. (He arrived in February, was fostered until mid-May, in a home until the end of August, and back to us.) Three-year-old Peter is very much like my Sam was in the beginning. If I survived that, I can survive this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9718365208/" title="GRA Peter by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="GRA Peter" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/9718365208_f5e1cdcabc.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
<i>I found his "off" switch. It's called "a pillow."</i><br />
<br />
But Peter is only a foster. My finances are a wreck right now, and I can't afford to be on the hook for vet care for another dog. (Silver's bills have been plenty, but she's finally healthy <i>~knock wood~</i>) If I foster, SEGA pays vet bills and heartworm meds; I pay food and flea/tick prevention. Also, I'm looking at the long view. I'm 60 years old, and if I adopted a young dog now, in ten years I could be a little old lady with a big old dog. There were times in the last few months that I had to lift Sam; I don't want to have to give up a dog I've adopted--or have it suffer--because I can't care for it properly. So as long as I'm physically able, I might eventually adopt older dogs that bounce to SEGA. For the foreseeable future, though, I'll be fostering.<br />
<br />
Chloe, a local greyhound, got lost last Friday evening--bolted, trailing a retractable leash. (Retractables are no-nos for greyhounds under any circumstances. They're also illegal in Cobb County once you get off your own property, which she was.) We turned out dozens of searchers Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning, and she was caught by her daddy early Monday afternoon. The terrain was terrible--woods, culverts, streams, the Chattahoochee River, stables, a polo field, power line towers, a water treatment plant, curvy and hilly roads with very short sight-lines, and an active railroad track. Making things more fun, we had orange air quality alerts and orange pollen counts (ragweed), and swarms of mosquitoes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9695803168/" title="Terrain1 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Terrain1" height="274" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/9695803168_c40b809b9b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<i>A lovely Google map. All that green means a rough search area. Google maps on my phone are the only reason I'm not still out there somewhere..</i>.<br />
<br />
I spent 14 hours on the actual search, another five hours driving to and from the search (30 minutes each way), and a final hour and a half or so pulling flyers off street signs once Chloe was safe. Chloe wound up with raw paw pads from running on asphalt the first night, when she bolted. We had very few sightings of her during the search, and I'm betting she did most of her traveling down the cleared track that houses the big power towers between the polo field where she was captured ("horse chocolates!" --her favorites) and Log Cabin Road, where we had a couple of sightings. At some point the retractable snagged on something and broke, and Chloe was found wearing just 6 inches of the leash.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9658187963/" title="Baby Blanket by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2884/9658187963_23fcace543.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Baby Blanket"></a><br />
<br />
There has been some knitting going on here--but not nearly enough of it. The baby blanket I'm making (shown above--baby arrived Friday the 6th) is just a little over half done. There's no way I could have it ready to enter in the local fair since entries are due this next weekend. I do have one item to enter for the fair, which makes Saturday a bit busy: Marietta Farmers Market Saturday morning, Acworth meet and greet Saturday at noon, and turn in my fair entry after that. (I'll post photos of the entry and details about the fair in a future post.) SEGA has another shipment of dogs arriving this Saturday, but I'm bowing out of the Dirty Dog Posse (the dog bathing). No Pope football game this weekend. Silver's blue toenails didn't work their magic last week, as Pope got thrashed for the second week in a row.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9688612813/" title="You have entered the Greyhound Nation by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7441/9688612813_416ae42e02.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="You have entered the Greyhound Nation"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9686456265/" title="Silver Hornet by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7362/9686456265_93c1ac6573.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="Silver Hornet"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9718777327/" title="Alan C. Pope High School, Marietta, Georgia by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2847/9718777327_a4df2d0778.jpg" width="500" height="318" alt="Alan C. Pope High School, Marietta, Georgia"></a><br />
<br />
<i>(Oh, great! I'm typing away on this blog entry and not paying attention to Peter, who decided to get up from where he was sleeping. He got in a few licks of the raspberry vinaigrette dressing left in the bowl my salad was in. I hope the taste was what he wanted.)</i><br />
<br />
The construction is finished at my sister's house, and Mother is getting her things arranged the way she wants them. I need to get a little billable work done and submit an invoice so there'll be money for bill-paying later this month. I also still have work to do on my kitchen to get the dehydrator and crock pot set up. I'm going to try to make healthy treats for the dogs and snacks for me with the dehydrator and do some cooking with the crock pot: hoping to save money and eat better than all the frozen processed dinners. (I went with Mother to the doctor last week, and he had diet recommendations for her. I'm 19 years younger than Mother, but it wouldn't hurt me to start eating better now.)<br />
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The knitting schedule from here to Christmas is packed: baby blanket, hats for sailors (ship by 11 November), chemo hats, baby sweater for a cousin's impending grandchild (due early November, but I won't knit newborn size), snood and pointy hat for some greyhound people (they're making charitable donations to SEGA in return for the knitting), then scarf, cowl, and hat as Christmas presents.<br />
KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-32164049665974693382013-08-14T22:56:00.001-04:002013-08-14T22:56:39.608-04:00Picking Up the Pieces<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/6354711471/" title="Silver and Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6042/6354711471_de70ba08d0.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="Silver and Sam"></a><br />
<br />
That photo was the source of the avatar I've used everywhere for nearly two years. It's being retired--replaced with a photo of Silver.<br />
<br />
For now, Silver is an only dog. She's enjoying longer walks than we used to take when Sam was around. She's adjusting to the idea of only two meals a day instead of the four meals she and Sam got when he needed to take lots of pills, but I think she misses having someone else's food to steal. She's sticking close to me. She doesn't seem to miss Sam (Sam never missed Jacey or Oreo, either), so that makes things a little easier. She thinks she should get to come with me every time I go out--as though she only stayed home in the past to keep Sam company.<br />
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She went to her obedience lesson last Saturday. She's minutely better about working on things in class, but she'd still rather stand there and watch to see what the other dogs are doing. We've worked some at home, and she's getting more reliable about <i>down</i>, although <i>stay </i>is still something she does only when she's too lazy to get up right that second.<br />
<br />
But she's not dumb. She wants to run to the door when I go out to get groceries from the car. I tell her to lie down on the beds in the living room, and she tries to sneak to the door behind my back. So I stand there next to her crate and say, "Kennel up or go to bed," pointing in the appropriate directions. She runs to the living room and hunkers down on a bed, ready to cling to it and protest if I insist on the crate. At least that means I can come and go with groceries and not have to worry about her trying to sneak out. (Sam never wanted to follow me to the car. He wanted me to go to the car while he checked out the contents of the bag I'd just brought in. He'd usually steal something and carry it to his bed in the living room. Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide was a favorite.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/2915067092/" title="2002_Sam3 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3010/2915067092_235a23d143.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2002_Sam3"></a><br />
<i>31 July 2002: Sam's adoption photo. He was 2 years, 2 months old.</i><br />
<br />
Silver eventually will get a new sibling. At present, I'm thinking I don't want another two-year-old (as Sam was when I got him); if I get a dog that lives another 10 years, I'll be in my 70s, and that'll be a little old lady trying to care for a big old dog. It might be feasible if the dog is smaller than Sam (who, at 65 pounds, was a small boy), but I just can't cope right now with a crazy young male dog. (And there's no telling what Silver would do to a male dog with more energy but less sense than Sam.) But before I adopt another dog, I want to get my finances in better shape, so maybe I'll just foster for a while. We don't take foster dogs to meet-and-greets and other events because it can be stressful for them; also, their just-off-the-track behavior might be unpredictable; and while they're still sporting track coats (and track behavior), they don't always show to the best advantage to eventual adopters. So a shy, happy-to-stay-home foster might be perfect for us; Silver would still get to do all the meet-and-greets that she enjoys, and I could try to get my finances straightened out while caring for a dog whose vet bills would be SEGA's responsibility. (When I adopt again, I want to be sure I can afford vet insurance.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/132674289/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/44/132674289_2dba6817a8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Sam"></a><br />
<i>December 2003: Crazy young Sam was 3</i><br />
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Before I bring home a track-fresh dog, I'd need to do some dog-proofing. The last track-fresh dog I brought home was Jacey in 2006. Since then, I've gotten more casual about items I leave out based on what my dogs have been interested in. Sam never cared about my knitting or yarn. Silver has only liked wool yarns, and she's never messed with a project on the needles--wool or not. I can't count on the same behavior with another dog, so I need to straighten things and rearrange some yarn storage. And when you foster, you're expected to be more careful of how you handle a foster dog (and your own): don't let a foster on the furniture or your bed for fear of teaching a behavior that the eventual owner will have to correct. And if the foster and your dog(s) are out of the crate, they all should be muzzled to prevent any snarkiness from escalating to bloodshed. I've got the crate Silver doesn't want to go in, and I think I'd also set up an ex-pen so that the foster could be in the pen in the living room with Silver and me, but the dogs could be separated by the pen and thus not need muzzles very often. And I think I'd want to move the crate from the breakfast room to the dining room, so a crated dog could see Silver and me in the living room. Lots of stuff to consider and work out. SEGA is getting in 10 dogs this Saturday. I'll meet them when I help bathe the new arrivals at the kennel. But new arrivals will need neuter/spay surgery and other vetting before they're ready to head to a foster home, so I have time to do some work around here. And I don't feel the urge to rush into getting another dog right away. It's pleasant to realize I could take Silver and go someplace for the day and not have to worry about a dog at home needing food or a potty break.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/132674350/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/50/132674350_54fdf33dcf.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Sam"></a><br />
<i>December 2003: Watching for squirrels. And cats.</i><br />
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And another thing to organize around here is the dogs' ashes. I got three containers yesterday at Michael's. When Oreo died, I neatly stored her ashes, muzzle, collar, photos, notes, etc., on the bookshelf in the dining room. When Jacey died, I put her stuff on the shelf, but I never organized things, or made a CD of her photos, or anything like that; after fighting to save her over four days at the ER, I didn't want to deal with the results, and Silver came here the day after Jacey died, so I could concentrate on her and just leave Jacey's stuff alone. But now Sam's ashes are home, and I need to deal with that stuff. I got a case--it looks like a small, theatrical suitcase, black with white slogans on the side, and the slogan on the front is "DANCE LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING"--and it's large enough to hold Sam's ashes, his old, beaten-up muzzle (I had to get a new one earlier this year, but I kept the old one), collars and tags, photos, and more than 10 years' worth of vet paperwork. The boxes for Jacey and Oreo are smaller and prettier. They don't all match each other: the dogs were all very different. I need to sit and organize a CD of Sam's photos. I also want to print condolence messages to PDFs and save them on the CD as well. There's a mountain of vet paperwork in the corner of a kitchen counter; the paperwork goes back at least through Jacey's days because it usually was easier to just add papers to the pile, rather than try to straighten things out. I'll go through all of that, too, and maybe make a CD of Jacey's photos. I can get prints of some favorite photos and get a couple of those little 4 x 6 albums to go in the boxes with the ashes. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/4722521198/" title="Sam_By Amy by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1440/4722521198_860689627d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sam_By Amy"></a><br />
<i>21 June 2006: Sam (by Amy Romanczuk)</i><br />
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(My sister has orders about what to do with the ashes when I die. I promised the dogs we'd be together forever. I prefer cremation for myself, and all the ashes can just be combined at the end. After that--well it seems my sister (and my BIL) and I are of one mind about disposing of ashes. Bury us somewhere, throw us into the wind, toss us on the water. We're not fussy about how or where.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/6089802071/" title="DSC03103 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6191/6089802071_5f8e1e82c0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC03103"></a><br />
<i>27 August 2011: A few days after Jacey died and Silver came home</i><br />
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Today is the first day I haven't burst into tears over Sam. It's been those frustrated, temper-tantrum sort of tears, where I bang my fist into the pillow and wail, <i>"I want my Sam!"</i> The tears spring up all of a sudden. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/317528685/" title="Cookies! by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/144/317528685_8aed8b047c.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="Cookies!"></a><br />
<i>6 December 2006: Sam's drooling. I said the word "Cookies!"</i><br />
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Sam had a whole routine he followed: He'd wake up from a nap, struggle to his feet, wobble until he got his balance, then smoothly stretch (as if he hadn't just been wobbling and about to fall). Then he'd go from the living room to the dining room to get a drink. He'd shuffle across the dining room--it's a hard floor and I think he was worried about keeping his footing if he moved too fast, and sometimes he'd knuckle a back foot, so just sliding his feet across the floor was safer--he'd shuffle over to his empty food dish and give it a lick. Then he'd move into the kitchen, which is long and narrow, with doorways at either end. He'd move slowly, checking the floor and the counters for spills or forgotten food (although it's been years since I was silly enough to leave food on the counters). At the far end of the kitchen, there are folding doors to the closet that houses the water heater and the kitchen trash can. He'd poke those doors until they opened (they squeaked, which is how I knew what he was up to), stick his head in and flip up the lid on the trash can. He'd root around in the can, licking anything that looked promising. Then he'd wander out that end of the kitchen into the breakfast room, shuffle through there, into the foyer, down the hallway, and back onto the carpet in the living room, where he'd come settle on a bed in front of the box fan. He's done this over and over for the past couple of years--every day and often during the night. So every time I hear a noise from the front of the condo--the AC switching on, or someone outside making a noise--I look toward the foyer to see if it's my boy coming back to the living room. When I realize it isn't him--isn't ever <i>going </i>to be him again--it's hard to take.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/4072109029/" title="DSC02091 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2485/4072109029_d7710257fc.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC02091"></a><br />
<i>9 November 2009: I'd let him lick the nearly empty jar--until he started trying to eat it.</i><br />
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But picking up the pieces means getting back to normal. I've done a minor bit of freelancing (and I need to invoice my big client so I can bank a little money). I've started knitting a baby blanket for some friends expecting their first (a girl) in mid-September (one month!). I'd like to enter the blanket in the <a href="http://www.northgeorgiastatefair.com/">North Georgia State Fair</a>, and the entry deadline is about mid-September, too. (The fair is 19-29 September.) Yesterday, on the same trip to Acworth to pick up Sam's ashes, I stopped at an LYS in Acworth and bought a lot of cotton yarn from their half-off bin. It should make some nice chemo caps for Halos of Hope. I also bought some good wool Monday at a different LYS; that will make two hats for Hats for Sailors. Lots of hat knitting after the fair; then Christmas knitting to do.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/6338104697/" title="Sam... by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6338104697_d0ca798acd.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="Sam..."></a><br />
<i>12 November 2011</i><br />
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Meanwhile, Silver has obedience classes the remaining Saturdays of this month. SEGA has new dogs arriving Saturday. Football season for the <a href="http://www.cobbk12.org/pope/athletics/index_athletics.aspx">Pope High School Greyhounds</a> will kick off 30 August with an away game; their first home game (greyhounds invited) will be on 6 September. There are greyhound events of one sort or another every weekend in September and October.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-50813020149282602362013-08-08T13:59:00.001-04:002013-08-08T14:13:27.205-04:00Saying good-bye to Sam (Stat K Sam -- 5/10/2000 - 8/8/2013)I said goodbye to my wonderful boy this morning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9461704224/" title="Holding Mom's hand... by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/9461704224_9676aa5835.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="Holding Mom's hand..."></a><br />
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Sam lived with me for 10 years, 10 months, and 2 days. He has slept at my side every one of those nights. (Tonight is going to suck.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/132674190/" title="Oreo & Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/53/132674190_56ee26a68a.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Oreo & Sam"></a><br />
<i>Oreo & Sam</i><br />
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He's made me laugh every single day. He was a stubborn, single-minded, high-prey, food motivated, goofy doofus. He's driven two of three housemates crazy. Only Silver managed to keep him in line.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/389335229/" title="And Sam trumps Jacey with his tail by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/160/389335229_a01ef1b338.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="And Sam trumps Jacey with his tail"></a><br />
<i>Jacey & Sam</i><br />
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Sam's been on meds for years. He had arthritis and some slightly herniated disks, LS, LP, and was starting to have kidney issues. He's been taking gabapentin, tramadol, methocarbamol, metronidazole, doxepin, thyroxine, and prilosec, in addition to glucosamine, fish oil, and probiotics. And he was remarkably patient about taking a mouthful of pills after every meal, four times a day.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/454516295/" title="Sam 0503 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/235/454516295_c5d0e6910a.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Sam 0503"></a><br />
<i>Sam, in the days before arthritis and LS</i><br />
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But the pills were no longer controlling the pain, and there were episodes of panting triggered by pain. He went to the vet Monday for a shot of dexamethasone to see if that would help with the pain in his back. The shot gave him good results on his legs--Sam wasn't having as much trouble getting his legs under him when he needed to stand up--but it didn't help with the pain, and it only helped his legs for two days. He was maxed out on pain meds, but still in pain, and he didn't deserve that. I knew I needed to let him go.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8375374648/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8375374648_d874bcc96b.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="Sam"></a><br />
<i>Stalking peanut butter crackers</i><br />
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And we were able to time this right: he still loved his food and his trips outside, so we didn't wait so long that he was miserable. But this morning, his legs gave out on a very short walk, so his body was letting him down, even if we'd been able to find another painkiller that worked. He just had too many things wrong at once.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/246570185/" title="A Pair of Heads by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/98/246570185_e3a3060a91.jpg" width="500" height="481" alt="A Pair of Heads"></a><br />
<i>Sam's most famous photograph, which has shown up on lots of websites</i><br />
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I made the appointment with his vet. On the way, we stopped at McDonald's and I got him the current "2 for $3" special--two sausage and egg biscuits. I'd never given him sausage before. I sat in the backseat with him in the vet's parking lot, and Sam ate every crumb--sausage, eggs, and biscuits.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9466391684/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3733/9466391684_bd38d144ae.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="Sam"></a><br />
<i>Jacey's last pictures were sad: she felt so bad, and I hate to look at those photos.<br />
Sam's last pictures are triumphant: "Food! I've got food!"</i><br />
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I got him into the vet's office, and once he was able to get his legs back under himself, he started surfing the countertops, looking for cookies, and he stuck that long nose into the trash can. By the time his vet came in, Sam was ready to lie down in his favorite sphinx pose. After the sedative, he put his head down on his forelegs and fell asleep. He didn't stir when the vet gave him the final shot. I cried--and so did Sam's vet. "He was such a goofy boy," the vet said.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8260615643/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8260615643_5e7b8b8459.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Sam"></a><br />
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<i>I'm going to miss you, Boo-boo.</i>KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com14Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-319061637118832652013-08-02T20:47:00.000-04:002013-08-02T20:48:46.738-04:00Lesson 2b--Back to BasicsAn earlier post that Silver was improving in the obedience department was wishful thinking.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/7917833138/" title="Silver Flirts by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7917833138_eab9659cea.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="Silver Flirts"></a><br />
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She's still adorable and charming as all get-out, but when we practice the obedience lesson--and we practice twice a day--she clearly doesn't get it and just stands there. She looks off in the distance in the classic <i>I know you want me to do something but I don't know what it is so I'll just stand here until you get a better idea</i> attitude.<br />
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I've emailed her instructor. Jen has an agility competition with her dogs this weekend, so I'm not expecting to hear from her right away. Meanwhile, Silver and I will do the Marietta Farmer's Market Meet & Greet tomorrow: she knows how to work a crowd.<br />
<br />
I think there's probably a parent-teacher conference in my future next week.<br />
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Meanwhile, folks, don't forget that there's an auction to benefit the adoption efforts of SEGA over <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968">here</a>.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com2Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-7150878040439784012013-07-31T17:00:00.000-04:002013-07-31T17:00:35.537-04:00We interrupt this obedience update to bring you the following commercial announcement<div style="text-align: left;">
We have not suddenly discovered an obedience gene in Silver, although the obstinacy gene is there. We're still looking for the other one.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8734809205/" title="Blue-Green-Purple Pointy Greyhound Hood by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Blue-Green-Purple Pointy Greyhound Hood" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/8734809205_527e3bc623.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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Meanwhile, SEGA is holding its <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968">online auction fundraiser</a>, with items for dogs, dog lovers, and pretty much everyone else on the planet.<br />
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There are <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968?search_type=item_category&search_val=Art">art prints and photographs</a>--some greyhound-related, others not. There's a lovely original 12" x 12" acrylic <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206782">painting</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8734811591/" title="Greyhound Snood by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Greyhound Snood" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7321/8734811591_86cf3b3db5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<i><br />Not yet advertised on the auction site is that there's a hat that matches this snood. We'll probably add the hat to the auction at the last minute as a bonus add-on to the snood:</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8855001008/" title="DSC04060 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC04060" height="180" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5452/8855001008_194bf1a6c9_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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There are <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968?search_type=item_category&search_val=Books">books on greyhounds</a>, an actual <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206673">racetrack lure</a> from the track at Ebro, specialty services like <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/207096">one hour of behavior training</a> (<i>Silver!</i>), a <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206803">photography session</a>, and a <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206786">session with an animal communicator</a>. A canine <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206923">first aid kit</a>, t-shirts and sweaters for people, a <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206674">donation jacket</a> and sweaters for dogs. Snoods, pointy hats, and a <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206684">crocheted footstool</a> (I'd never dare rest my feet on!).<br />
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<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069320/greyhound_foot_stool.JPG?20130728154625" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069320/greyhound_foot_stool.JPG?20130728154625" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968?search_type=item_category&search_val=Crafts">Hand-made</a> wooden items, ceramic mugs, bowls, and plates. An <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206779">Oriental rug</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069434/Rug_Center_Medallion.jpg?20130728210025" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069434/Rug_Center_Medallion.jpg?20130728210025" width="240" /></a></div>
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A<a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206693"> one-week stay</a> (for up to 4 people; no pets) at the Lodge Alley Inn in Charleston, South Carolina, for the week of 30 August through 5 September 2013.<br />
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<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069584/dog_quilt_3.JPG?20130729014315" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/32auctions_prod_images/pics/1069584/dog_quilt_3.JPG?20130729014315" width="320" /></a></div>
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A <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206904">king-size quilt</a> with dog-themed prints, machine- and hand-quilted, with the binding hand-quilted by the donor's 94-year-old aunt.<br />
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<a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206790">Hand-made note cards</a>, jewelry, a new <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206783">Coach shoulder bag</a>, a <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206717">camera bag</a>, <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968?search_type=item_category&search_val=Gift+Baskets">gift baskets</a> of goodies for dogs and for people. Martingale collars galore, dog bowls, statues and figurines.<br />
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For Barbie collectors--a set of <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968/auction_items/206857">nine Holiday Barbies</a>.<br />
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There is a pendant I'm not listing here; I've bid on it, so please keep your fingers off. :) And I'm also not advertising the pink Perla bed I've bid on. I've often been tempted to order one online (although not necessarily a pink one), but the shipping usually adds another $20 to the price. If I buy it locally, I can pick it up and save myself the shipping charges. If both dogs like it, I'll order a second one through Amazon Prime.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8734810085/" title="Pointy Pink Greyhound Hood by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Pointy Pink Greyhound Hood" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/8734810085_f55c3b835d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Lately, I've been taking the dogs out back to pee instead of out front, where the asphalt is so hot. The dogs and I are going out back even after dark, and I wanted some lighted collars so we could all watch our footing on the uneven ground. I ordered two of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/PupLight-Safety-Light-Black-Feet/dp/B0002XUHY4/ref=pd_ybh_5">these collars,</a> and I've already discovered some drawbacks to them (and posted <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1I7HV8WD9LEDD/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0002XUHYE&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=">a review</a> on Amazon). But these will do well enough, for now, and I might borrow one now and then to hang around my own neck to illuminate my knitting.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-72822470560767885522013-07-29T14:58:00.000-04:002013-08-02T23:33:42.540-04:00Lesson 2a--We have lift-off!Maybe. I'm all happy and pleased because Silver played touch-the-cup in our pre-lunchtime training session.<br />
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The real trick will be to see if she remembers the point in the pre-dinnertime training session. And can she branch out? If I move the cup to a less-obvious and easy-to-reach spot, will she still make the effort?<br />
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(Sam definitely will. He got so excited during his attempt he kicked the cup across the patio, then lunged to reach it.)<br />
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And Sam is better today. His problems yesterday were all my fault. After a training session with both dogs, I came in and gave them lunch...and forgot about the lunchtime meds. By supper last night, it had been more than 9 hours. He can go longer than that overnight, but not during the day, when he's moving around more. So last night I loaded him with all the pills he could safely hold and let him sleep off the whole load. By this morning, he was on his feet (unassisted), and limping much less. Trust me, he's had breakfast meds and lunch meds today.<br />
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And this really-need-to-work day hasn't gotten off the ground yet. I've screwed around on Facebook, Ravelry, Greytalk, Twitter, and on the website for <a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/9097/auctions/9968?reset_filter=1">SEGA's auction</a>. (Auction ends 4 August, and all the auction items haven't been uploaded yet. But there are a couple of greyhound hats and a snood...I'll post about them later.) I'm still blaming allergies for my inability to get any work done in the morning. I'm in such a fog when I first wake up. Grass pollen is still high.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com1Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-44027286661867893292013-07-28T20:20:00.000-04:002013-07-28T20:20:42.457-04:00Lesson 2--Back to the Drawing BoardSilver was awful in class yesterday. Not a big deal, but she's learned that if she's confused and doesn't know what I want, she should just lie down, chin on the ground, and look all pitiful. She knows I won't fuss at her when that happens.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/6083549232/" title="Silver Hornet by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Silver Hornet" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6070/6083549232_42c43b9796.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<i>Silver does "down" when she wants to, but not when I ask her to.</i><br />
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She'll make eye contact, for which I <i>click+treat</i>. Then we tried touch-the-cup, but she wasn't playing. I could put a treat on the cup and wait for her to touch it, but she turned around and laid down. (On today's practice, I kept her moving around so she couldn't lie down.) She still doesn't touch the cup to get a treat, and if she doesn't learn that <i>her </i>behavior dictates when treats occur, she won't get the hang of clicker training, and I really don't see her being willing to engage in any other kind of lesson.<br />
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Then, in class, it was time to practice <i>down</i>. You don't teach <i>down </i>by putting any physical pressure on the dog. You use treats to lure the dog into position, and you use something called "shaping"--where you don't wait until the whole trick is performed before you <i>click+treat</i>; instead, you <i>click+treat</i> when the dog even starts to perform the desired behavior. So we started the training, Silver lowered her head in the direction of the treat, and I clicked. That startled her and she jumped back and wouldn't try again. She didn't just lie down; she stretched as far away from me as she could (4' leash), turned her back on me, and <i>then </i>laid down. (While lying down is the behavior I wanted, she needs to learn to do it in response to a command from me--not because she's mad at me.)<br />
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We have two weeks before the next class. We'll keep working on this. She's not dumb--she's just confused. Once she gets the idea that she's controlling the treat dispenser (aka, me), I think things will go better. We can practice two or three times a day, just before mealtime, when Silver's hungry enough to be more cooperative.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/132673578/" title="Oreo by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img alt="Oreo" height="333" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/49/132673578_a3062b0664.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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When I tried to train Oreo before I took Jen's class, Oreo's reaction to training--and I wasn't doing clicker training--was much like Silver's reaction now. Oreo would give me a sad look (<i>Poor fool human, I don't do this stuff</i>), cross the room, lie down on her bed and refuse to look at me. So although Silver's behavior is frustrating, I know enough to realize this isn't going to be her behavior forever.<br />
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In scary news...Sam's having a really bad day today. He's not walking well; his left rear foot is knuckling, and if he puts it down correctly, he's limping--and he won't lie down and stay down, which makes me think he's in pain. (The foot-thing might just be that the foot fell asleep the last time he was sleeping.) About 90 minutes ago I gave him his usual evening pills; and just I threw in an extra tramadol and gabapentin for him. He's lying down now (but breathing more heavily than I think he should be), and he'll get more meds later tonight. We'll see how he is tomorrow. Poor baby.<br />
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<i>Trivia--</i><br />
--Working on the orange thing. I'm not as far along as I thought I was. The skein of remaining yarn was loose and floppy, and I think part of it must have been dangling off the scale. But I've rewound the yarn into a snug ball, and when I weigh that, there are more grams (36 of them) than I wanted there to be. I'm knitting tonight (and planning to stay up late because I slept all morning). Tomorrow needs to be an all-work/no-knitting day (so I can earn some money).<br />
--Tomorrow also needs to be a grocery shopping day. I'm getting low on almost everything.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-34920515171362122392013-07-26T14:46:00.000-04:002013-07-26T14:46:38.841-04:00Lesson 1b--Making Progress<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9353101575/" title="IMAG0563 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/9353101575_1e9645bd3a_z.jpg" width="383" height="640" alt="IMAG0563"></a><br />
<i>A happy girl: "Mom's not shooting that clicker at me!"</i><br />
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For a couple of days, I clicked while in the kitchen and waited for the dogs to come running. I did this just before lunch time or dinner time, when the dogs were doing their "Feed us--we're starving" routine. At first, if I clicked, Silver would flinch and draw back (and Sam would lean in for the treat--after all, he heard the clicker, too, and he knows what it means). Eventually, I stood there with a handful of treats, let Silver try to poke her tongue or teeth between my fingers to get the treats, and I just clicked away. Silver started ignoring the clicker.<br />
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This was a little risky. I don't <i>want </i>Silver to ignore the clicker. I just want her not to be afraid of it.<br />
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Today, before lunch, I took Silver out onto the patio and we worked on touch-the-cup. She still doesn't understand what she's supposed to do--and if she gets frustrated, she'll just lie down--but she has learned that she'll get a treat when she hears the click. If she touched the cup, I clicked and she turned toward me to get the treat. This is something she should have figured out last week, but at least we're on the right track.<br />
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So then I took her for a walk on a 30-foot lead so we could work on recalls. She came right away when called and I praised her a lot, but she was not so deeply involved in what she was sniffing at for this to be any indication that recall training is working.<br />
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So then I put her in the house and let Sam practice. He came out the door onto the patio and went and slammed his nose into the cup. <i>Click-treat.</i> He knows the drill, but at least this time he didn't lie down with his chin on the cup. After a few more click-treats, I took him for a walk on the 30-foot lead. He doesn't stick to my side the way Silver does, and if he's interested in sniffing at something when you call his name, well--you'll just have to wait your turn. We'll keep practicing, but his recall skills will never be reliable.<br />
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Both dogs have had their lunches and are sleeping now. Actually, Silver had about half of Sam's. (Some things never change.) They're sleeping soundly, as if they've actually worked hard. The training sessions were less than 5 minutes per dog. Greyhounds don't have a long attention span.<br />
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It's time to chop up more treats. Today they finished off the abundance I cut up before last week's class. Another class tomorrow morning, then we skip a week, so I hope Silver can catch up.<br />
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On the knitting front, there's not much to report. The long, orange triangle is still orange, still a triangle, and a bit longer. I'm more than two-thirds of the way through the yarn on this never-ending, knit-till-you-run-out project. I'm put in mind of Penelope, weaving her shroud by day, unraveling it again by night--except that I'm reasonably sure no one is unraveling this (except for those times I've had to frog a few rows to fix a glitch). Anyway, I really want to get this finished: I've figured out what pattern I want to use for my next project (a baby blanket), and I have the yarn, and <i>I want to get it started!</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8374821208/" title="Curiosity by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8351/8374821208_b6cd97c7ba.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Curiosity"></a><br />
<i>Shawl to enter in the fair</i><br />
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The <a href="http://northgeorgiastatefair.com/index.html">North Georgia State Fair</a> runs 19-29 September. Fair entries in the craft divisions are due 14-15 September. I have one shawl I'm planning to enter, and I'd like to enter the baby blanket in the fair, too. (The shawl is the same pattern as the orange triangle I'm making now. The photo above doesn't do justice to the color, and the actual shawl is super-soft and very warm.) The baby is due 15 September, but the blanket could be delivered a bit later than that. If I remember correctly from past years, the fair gets lots of crocheted baby blankets entered, but not many knitted ones (and knitting doesn't usually compete against crocheting except for "best in show" awards).<br />
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The remodeling at my sister's house is nearly, <i>nearly </i>finished. Everyone is looking forward to the conclusion, and Mother will finally be able to get settled. She's been sleeping in my sister's guest room since early January, and she doesn't have her craft supplies or anything like that in places where she can get to them. (Half her stuff is still in the storage unit. The rest is piled in my sister's living room, dining room, and den.) Also, pollen counts (grass) have been really high lately, so Mother (and I) have been groggy and drowsy and prone to napping the days away. I think if she really had something to do, Mother would be a bit more mentally alert than she has been lately.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-4771935087411931952013-07-21T17:30:00.001-04:002013-07-21T17:33:03.047-04:00Lesson 1a--Click! (flinch)I do not believe this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/9338579636/" title="IMAG0560 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/9338579636_fbb12deee3.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="IMAG0560"></a><br />
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She's afraid of the clicker. Every time I click, she flinches. She doesn't run; she's not terrified. But she flinches.<br />
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The red clicker above was furnished for the class. It's a nice, crisp, fairly loud sound that will carry well if your dog is a little bit away from you.<br />
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The blue clicker is one I picked up at PetSmart or PetCo or something. It's a more muted sound--and she flinches from that one, too. She flinches even if I hold it right in front of her so she can see my thumb move. <i>Click</i>. It's hardly the trumpet of doom.<br />
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But this fear might explain why, this morning, I could click and she wouldn't turn to take a treat until I called her name. When I tried again this afternoon, I stood in front of her (with Sam standing beside her) and I clicked and treated and didn't let her turn away. (I'd click and then treat both dogs, Silver first. I let Sam stand there as a good example--and because it would have been mean to treat her right under his nose. When I need to work with her alone, she and I can go on the patio to practice.)<br />
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This morning, Sam wasn't standing nearby, so I don't really think he's part of the equation. I'd click and treat, and she'd turn her head away and lie down as soon as she got her treat. She never once tried to sniff the clicker or poke at it or my hand to produce a click. She didn't watch me to see if I'd make it click again, and if I did click, she'd only turn back to me if I also called her name.<br />
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At this point, I'm reminding myself that this is the girl who had to be <a href="http://kf-in-georgia.blogspot.com/2013/06/really.html">taught to eat a turkey neck</a>. The first time, she took the neck out of her dish, put it on the doormat, licked the empty dish, and laid down beside it. Later, when I put the neck in the dish right under her nose, ostentatiously ignored it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8978380977/" title="Turkey Neck #4 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7356/8978380977_bfc923f89b_z.jpg" width="383" height="640" alt="Turkey Neck #4"></a><br />
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But that lasted just a couple of times. Soon, she was ready to grab her turkey neck and chow down (which she won't be doing anymore since she and Sam both suffered disastrous digestive mayhem from their last turkey necks). I'm betting she'll get the hang of <i>click + treat</i> pretty soon. Tonight, I'll keep a clicker in the kitchen. When I go in there to get ice or something to drink, I'll click and wait to see how many dogs show up. Whoever shows up will get a treat. And I'll hold treats in my closed fist and make her sniff at that before I click again and let her have the treat.<br />
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If that doesn't work, I'll have to look for another signalling option.<br />
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Silly goose.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32071474.post-72674074708312215742013-07-20T17:34:00.000-04:002013-07-20T17:41:44.959-04:00Lesson 1--SaturdayI've started obedience classes for Silver with trainer <a href="http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/">Jen Bachelor</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/132673539/" title="Oreo by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/47/132673539_a8b7f78d78_z.jpg?zz=1" width="426" height="640" alt="Oreo"></a><br />
<i>Oreo</i><br />
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My first greyhound, Oreo, took classes from Jen. Oreo was a good, food-motivated student, and forever afterward greeted Jen by diving nose-first into Jen's right pocket. The things dogs learn by accident... Oreo took the classes, and I came home and did homework with Oreo and Sam.<br />
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After I adopted Jacey, I used the same lessons <a href="http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/">to work with her</a>--with Sam getting some additional training as well. Jacey tried hard, but she never managed a decent <i>sit</i>, and <i>stay </i>was not a syllable she ever was willing to hear. (Oddly enough, Sam was better at <i>stay</i>--at least, after you'd said it three or four times.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/2938963694/" title="DSC00802 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3025/2938963694_832fc2c2eb_z.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC00802"></a><br />
<i>Jacey sits (more or less)</i><br />
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I've had Silver for nearly two years, and I haven't tried any lessons with her. For one thing, she's more independent than Oreo or Jacey ever were. For another, while she's food-motivated, she's only food-motivated on her own terms. She'll happily push in front of Sam to eat from his bowl, but sometimes she'll turn her nose up at treats (treats she happily eats at home) if there are distractions. (Nine other dogs in her class = nine distractions.) But I'd like to get her certified as a therapy dog, and that requires at least a tiny inclination for a dog to do what it's told; I'm hoping the class will teach her that doing what I say for a food/praise reward isn't a bad idea. And I'm teaching her through class so I've got an expert's input on any issues with her.<br />
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<i>(I'm not going to give away Jen's lesson plan. If Jen wanted to give away the info for free, she could post it on her blog. So I'll talk a bit about the goals or theory of a lesson, but I'm going to avoid the actual how-to steps.)</i> <br />
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Our first lesson was this morning. Silver spent most of her time watching the other dogs and didn't show the first sign of interest in lessons. (The treats--chopped up turkey franks and sticks of string cheese--were fine. But I was just supposed to shovel treats into her mouth while she watched the other dogs.)<br />
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The lessons involve clicker-training. The idea is that you click to signal the proper behavior. First you have to teach a dog that the click-sound means treats. Then you have to teach the dog that <i>she </i>can make you click by doing something you want her to do. You do this by getting the dog to touch a target, then clicking and rewarding for the touch. The first few times, you may have to lure the dog into touching the target; at some point, though, the dog is supposed to make the connection and touch the target on her own.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/7554990208/" title="IMAG0195 by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7554990208_9e4dab675c_z.jpg" width="383" height="640" alt="IMAG0195"></a><br />
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So we practiced this afternoon. I'm not 100% certain that Silver understands click = treat, so we need to work on that without complicating the training by adding touch-the-target at the same time. When we tried touch-the-target, Silver would touch if I lured her into it, but otherwise she'd stand there. She'd sniff my hands to try to squeeze out a treat, then she'd give up and stand and wait for something to happen. We started working this outside on the patio, but when Silver lost interest, we went back inside.<br />
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Meanwhile, poor Sam is absolutely beside himself watching this. He remembers touch-the-target. He excelled at it when he took lessons with the other girls. Sam's all, <i>Me! Mom! Me! I can do this! Me! Let me, Mom!</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kf-in-georgia/8374301965/" title="Sam by KF-in-Georgia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8187/8374301965_b2c16fe162_z.jpg" width="383" height="640" alt="Sam"></a><br />
<i>From earlier this year: the old man is still as food-driven as ever</i><br />
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So I took pity on him. I put the target down where he and Silver could both see it. I put a treat right on it, and Silver lunged in for it. I clicked and treated and waited. When another treat didn't show up right away, Silver walked off and laid down. I moved the target toward Sam, but I didn't put a treat on it. Sam touched the target immediately (click+treat). If I moved the target to the side a bit, and he'd reach over and get it (click+treat). That smart ass actually laid down and put his chin on the target! I let him finish off the treats I had in my pocket. Perhaps Silver will learn by example, and I'll work with her on click = treat, too.<br />
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While we were outside, I worked with Silver on recall. I put her on a 30-foot line. The idea was to walk her, let her get distracted sniffing something, I'd sneak a little distance away, then call her to me. But the little stinker glued herself to my hip! I'd try to sneak away, turn to call her and find her right on my heels! We're going to have to work on this.<br />
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<i>Trivia:</i><br />
--BOMC book arrived. I left it with my mother. It's crocheted blocks, and Mother is doing some craft stuff for her church where she makes blocks at home and donates them to the church. Now she has some extra patterns to choose from.<br />
--Order from Joann's arrived: yarn and needles.<br />
--Drs Foster & Smith has shipped the heartworm meds and Missing Link.<br />
--I signed up for more Craftsy classes. (This makes 4 classes I've signed up for, and only 1 that I've taken.) Craftsy is having special offers with reduced prices for classes, so I signed up for a couple of sweaters-that-fit classes.KF-in-Georgiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04124517222143949956noreply@blogger.com0Marietta, GA 30067, USA33.9290987 -84.469766333.8236997 -84.6311278 34.034497699999996 -84.3084048