A Time to Rejoice Weekly Link Round-Up

 

It has been an incredibly tough four years for my husband Denis. An infection that chewed through two vertebrae in his spine. Two major surgeries. Pain that was off the charts. He's been on oxycodone for the entire time. At first, he was so worried about becoming addicted to the drug that he wouldn't take the prescribed dosage, but all that did was teach him not to do that. 

He's had new pain management people with this latest surgery, and it's been a fight to get his "oxy" from them. I can't say that either one of us appreciated their attitude when he had to call, but this did have a silver lining that neither of us expected. Once again, the pain management people let his prescription run out, and this time, they wouldn't even return his phone calls. The result? Denis went through opioid withdrawal. It was not fun. 

But why did I say that it's time to rejoice?  With no oxy, Denis switched to the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen, the only thing he had on hand. Guess what? No pain! After four long years, No Pain. He's moving better, his whole demeanor is lighter and brighter. He's working with his "physioterrorists" three times a week. The edema in his calves and feet has almost completely disappeared. His surgeon is thrilled with his progress, and if it continues, Denis won't need that second surgery.  This wonderful man of mine was 'way overdue for some good news, and on that note, I'll share another view of Arizona's high country. 

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the links!

Arizona's high country

 

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• In 125 years, millions of people have looked at this painting (my favorite). No one really saw it until recently.
• Born between 1954 and 1965? You might be thrilled to learn you're not a Boomer. You're a "Gen Jones."
• Quiz: Can you name the Greek god or goddess?
• Business Insider recommended nonexistent books to staff as it leans into AI. (And it's not the first one to do that.)
• The Thursday Murder Club movie has a teaser trailer.
• Bring on the board games.
• Why we need more "nasty" female protagonists.
• The strongest push for K-12 curricula that get kids into serious literature is coming from the right. We've got to have another answer.
• American English includes one of the rarest sounds on Earth, but we use it all the time.
• Readers are annoyed when fantasy novel accidentally leaves an AI prompt in the published version, showing a request to copy another writer's style. There's more on this from 404 Media and Fast Company.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A braided gold Viking arm-ring has been discovered by an amateur metal detectorist on the Isle of Man.
• What was daily life like for the women who lived in ancient Pompeii 2,000 years ago?
• "I did a bit of a dance": A metal detectorist found a gold "mourning ring" with a skull and date in a field in the UK.
• How 2,300-year-old gold rings bring an ancient chapter of Jerusalem's history to life.
• Genomes from ancient Maya people reveal the collapse of their population and civilization 1,200 years ago.
• How did Vikings view pregnant women? New research reveals that they were sometimes depicted with weapons.
• He went out to catch fish in Lake Michigan and discovered a 102-year-old shipwreck instead.
• Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed ancient tombs belonging to three senior statesmen who helped keep the New Kingdom running.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Australian "trash parrots" have now developed a local "drinking tradition."
• Why do we eat chicken eggs, duck eggs, and quail eggs, but not turkey eggs?
• A Florida bobcat killed a 13-foot python for the first time on record. It's a sign of nature "fighting back" against the invasive snakes.
• 14 million honeybees escaped from an overturned truck in Washington state. Local beekeepers helped corral them.
• How Greenland's dog-sled patrol became unsung heroes of World War II.
• From peasant fodder to fine dining, feast on the tasty history of how snails and oysters became luxury foods.
• Once in dire straits, Atlantic sturgeon are staging a comeback in on the East Coast.
• A study has found that California's hummingbirds have changed their beaks in response to backyard feeders.

►The Wanderer◄

• Mount Etna's spectacular Monday eruption marks the volcano's most intense activity in years.
• Gold mining is sucking the Amazon rainforest dry.
• The Chrysler Building has towered above New York City for nearly a century. Now the Art Deco skyscraper is for sale.
• Experts think the Hagia Sophia is in danger. They've got a plan to protect it from earthquakes.
• Thank you, Dorothy, for the link to Dry Musings in Arizona.
• You can now visit the small house where Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë were born.
• There's a humongous boulder on a cliff in Tonga. Now we know how it got there.
• Africa is being torn apart by a "superplume" of hot rock from deep within Earth.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Mary Cassatt gave women a place in the Impressionist Movement.
• James Lee Burke on the highs and lows of American history.
• Meet Marguerite, Henri Matisse's eldest daughter-- and one of his most influential models.
• Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the last surviving grandson of President John Tyler, who took office in 1841, has died at the age of 96.
• Fourteen-year-old Siddarth Nandyala built an app that detects heart disease in seconds.
• The evolution of author Robert Bloch.
• Author Alma Katsu on the unexpected delights of being a Jeopardy clue.
• Edvard Munch is known as the painter of The Scream. His many haunting portraits show that he was much more than his masterpiece.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Seven books that scratch that Pride and Prejudice itch.
• The original names of famous brands and products.
• 72 of summer's hottest new mysteries and thrillers.
• Eleven bizarre items sold by Sears in 1902.
• Twenty books that really should be movies.
• Seven White House mystery and thriller books steeped in political intrigue.
• The best mystery and thriller shows on Hulu.
• New TV novels.

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!