And so another year ends........

 I think we can all agree that 2024 has been a wild ride. To be honest, some days I'd still feel like the year was still in the beginning. Then I looked at the calendar and would see that it's June, or August, even October. 

I don't make New Year Resolutions. I never keep them for long. Well, except for that one year I jokingly said my goal was to stay alive. I'm still doing that so I guess I kinda counts🤔. But things like exercise more or stuff like that, can't do. I will be devoted to working out for 3 to 4 months before I quit because I either lost my stride or broke a toe in a non-exercise related incident (both of these happened irl). I will then stop and only work out sporadically.

If any of you are wondering how I plan to ring in the New Year, I plan to do it alone, in my bed with a 1000+ page book or talking with my siblings about whatever topic surfaces. That is how this single girl will be rolling. I lead a really boring life if left to my own devices.

Quick side note question: If you are reading a story that is in volumes, do you count each volume as it's own book or do only count the one story? I am curious. One would dramatically increase my read in 2024 list another would make it look neater and less chaotic.

You all can feel free to tell me what you think below. And Happy New Year!

P.S. I actually rang in the New Year playing solitaire. Endless games of solitaire.........Yeah, I'm going to go read now.

The downsides of rush jobs.......

As you all may know, I knit. For years now, LB2 has been trying to get me to make him a thick black hat, preferably a beret. I told him that if he got me the yarn, I'd make it for him (I also asked him to help fix a sweater of mine). I started working on it on Saturday evening, got busy with life on Sunday, and had a migraine all through the day on Monday. As soon as my headache fade to a mild hum in the evening, I pulled out his unfinished hat determined to finish it. And I did it in record time.

LB2 and I had plans to got out somewhere later in the week and I knew he would complain about not having his hat. He's persistent like that. I didn't want to deal with his depressed face so I pushed myself. My knitting speed has gotten faster since I last made a beret. What took me six to seven hours took me three and a half to four hours. If it would keep him happy and silent, I'm doing it.

Anyway, I then blissfully went to sleep, super satisfied that I got it done only to wake up the next morning in pain. My right hand felt stiff, on fire and aching. The pain only went away if I laid on it with my whole body. Not exactly what I had planned for yesterday. My hand hurt so much, I reluctantly wrote things down with my left hand rather than push through the pain and use my right one. The upside, if there is one, is that LB2 wore his beret around the house all week. I post a picture next week

The pain is mostly gone now so I will be trying my best to keep my hand from over use. So on that note I leave you. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

The Eurovision stage and Out of print books.....

 On Monday, Eurovision released a video showing the venue for next year's contest. The stage is absolutely amazing. The Lighting Technicians deserve a raise or bonus. You just need to see it for yourself.

Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva. It is considered the cultural capital of Switzerland and is home to the oldest public art museum (established 1661). The University of Basel is also amongst the world's oldest universities. In short, it is a beautiful historical place and probably the the most fitting spot to hold the contest.

In other less important news, I just found out that two books I've been looking for for years are out of print and not likely to enter print again any time soon. There are no words to describe my feelings about that.

In 2017, I got a free copy of the first book in Desiree Williams' Heart Song trilogy. I loved it but sadly couldn't afford the other books at the time. Later when I looked for them, they were no where to be found. I just found out on Sunday that the author pulled them.  If there is any one else out there looking for them, it's time to give up.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Yeah......I'm not that smart

 I was thinking about Jeopardy! today and how I missed Alex Trebek. I have nothing but fond memories of the show and its former host. I haven't watched it in years but there was a time I watched it daily. Yeah, #NerdGirl here.

I used to finish up my homework while answering questions. Some were right, some were wrong. The one thing I took away was that I know a lot of useless trivia. My relatives, who always seemed to show up around that time for some reason, would be like "You're so smart! You should be on the show". Ummm, no. They sometimes have math questions and math and I don't talk to each other unless we absolutely need to. So, I would smile, say thank you and answer questions under my breath.

Even now, I feel awkward when people say that I am smart. I'm not. I know my weak spots and I wish people would stop looking at me like I know a lot. All I know are random factoids and the basics. I am ordinary. No really, I know a LOT of Random trivia that will pop out at the weirdest moments. I will tell you about another time. 

Sometimes my siblings come to me with questions and I don't know the answer. I will look it up for them but it gets irritating after a while. Like, look it up on your own. Stop expecting me to know everything. Dad calls me " Encyclopedia " as a joking nickname. It is not true. 

Sorry. Guess I vented a little bit. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Old Timey Radio: Lux Radio Theatre

 I don't know why but people tend to get nostalgic as the temperature plummets. So, if you need something else to listen to besides Christmas music, that's old and fun to listen to, I suggest Lux Radio Theatre. It will give you a nostalgia punch and give you a brief reprieve from the Christmas music (Let's be honest. Not everyone can take a constant 24-hour bombardment of sleigh bells and Greensheives for roughly a month).

It was a radio show that aired weekly, doing adaptations of popular films of that era. Lux Radio Theatre aired from 1934 to 1955. Each episode was an hour long and featured famous film actors and actresses occasionally reprising their iconic roles (except for those first two years when the did Broadway plays). 

I discovered Lux Radio Theatre years ago when I was browsing around Internet Archive. I found even more episodes on YouTube. It quickly became a family favorite. Imagine a bunch of children gathered around speakers they connected to my mp3 player, listening intently to William Powell and  Myrna Loy do a radio adaptation of their film The Thin Man. Can you see it? Now, go one step further. Imagine a little girl from the 1930s or 1940s, listening to that very same program on the radio in her living room. That girl being my grandma. 

Sadly, she is no longer here so I can't ask her if she listened to Lux Radio Theatre as a child. I know she loved black and white films but that is about it. Every time I listen to an episode, I wonder if she listened to it as well and feel comfort in that, almost maybe, connection. 

For the fun of it, I'll include a few episodes below.

I hope you enjoyed these. As Always, feel free to leave me a message below.

It's cold! Shut the Window!

 Yes, I know that it has been cold for some time but it has gotten colder and I have an on going battle. LS2 loves keeping our room cold. I'm talking walk-in freezer type of cold. I am older than her and my bones do not like getting super cold.

Every night, I try my hardest to get our window shut but end up compromising. She gets the window cracked open and I get another blanket. Which she will somehow manage to swipe as she's sleeping. So far, I have woken up with a stiff shoulder, a sore throat,and (for the briefest moment) a case of chest congestion. And still, the little girl will not cave. She says that she feels like she can't breathe if the window is shut and I am ignoring her right to live in comfort. Right, there's that argument. Very hard to fight.

I know you all are thinking "wait until she goes to sleep and then shut the window". You think I haven't tried that? If she doesn't feel the cold air blowing on her, she will wake up and check the window. One night, we opened and the shut the window at least four or five times. I don't have the energy to do that all night, every night. It's easier to talk things out. Yes, it seems I keep failing but my latest compromise is that the window will stay shut if snow is on the ground. Small win but I will take it.

LS1 has been a silent supporter in my corner as she huddles under three blankets. She occasionally vocally supports me but, more often than not, justs echoes my complaints as I make them. She tries.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Time to ship..... Not the one you're thinking of

 No, I am not shipping any couples or going on a cruise (that nightmare has yet to become a reality). By the time you all have read this, I will have most likely shipped the hats, scarf, and blanket off. I will feel relieved when I get it on leg two of it's journey to it's forever home.

I really want to avoid the Christmas gift shipping rush that takes place in the days following Thanksgiving. My life is way calmer without that level of chaos. If any of you know someone who works in the postal or shipping field, give them a lot of love and respect. It is not easy dealing with the amount of packages they got to deal with.

Thankfully, it is one little light box, not fifteen heavy boxs. I would yank my hair out if I had to handle that. I am not savvy like that. I always stared in awe of those people who could do that. 

As always, free to leave me a message below.