A Bore & a Brag of a Weekly Link Round-Up

Be glad you're not my friend on Facebook. On Wednesday, I shared a photo of what my leg looked like when the nurse removed the heavy-duty four-layer compression bandage from my leg. I think I boggled a few minds when I said that my leg looks 500 times better than it did at the end of October since it's certainly not a pretty sight now.

As promised, here's the update on my leg. I went to John C. Lincoln Hospital's Wound Clinic last Friday where Dr. K said that now I'm having to deal with edema (excess fluid) in my lower right leg. That monster compression bandage seems to be doing the trick of squeezing the fluid out of my leg (as long as I keep it elevated as much as possible). I had the bandage changed Tuesday and will be going in today to see the doctor again. The following collage shows you what I've been up to lately.

Reading in the afternoon with my leg elevated. Knitting and watching TV with my leg elevated. As you can see in the third photo, I'm getting quite a bit of knitting done. But I'm also developing a severe case of cabin fever. I'm really looking forward to getting this edema under control, and I don't mind a bit if it means I have to wear a compression stocking on that leg for the rest of my life. I want to be out and about and not sitting around with my leg up in the air. Oh well. If I'm good and follow instructions, I'm pretty sure I'll get my wish!

That was the bore. Now it's time for the brag.

Those of you who read my blog regularly are familiar with my niece, Daisy, who likes to come over to visit Denis and me. A fair English rose who loves adventures and doesn't wilt in 120° desert heat, Daisy wanted a new challenge that would take her out of the hospital emergency room, and she's got it.

Just look at her in her uniform. You're looking at the UK's newest EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), and it goes without saying that the NHS (National Health Service) has gotten a star. Daisy knows how to work hard. She's dedicated. She's smart. And she's one of the most caring people I know. Congratulations, Daisy. You're going to be absolutely fantastic!


Now, let's get to those links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Psycho invented the spoiler alert as we know it.
• The Baltimore Museum of Art will collect works exclusively by women in 2020.
• The uncertain future of the world's largest secondhand book market.
• The secret life of plants as murder weapons.
• Is the debutante one of the most misunderstood characters in literature?
• How the crossword became an American past time. 
• How translated fiction can open up the world.
• How Ian McKellen almost didn't play Gandalf.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• UK metal detectorists were found guilty of hiding a golden Anglo-Saxon treasure.
• Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of infants wearing "helmets" made from the skulls of other children. (Truth is stranger than fiction...)
• A vintage Marvel Comics book sold for a record $1.26 million at auction. 
• Authorities have recovered 10,000 artifacts stolen by an international antiquities trafficking ring.
• A flooded Egyptian tomb reveals a "human soup" burial chamber.
• See the Mississippi River's hidden history, uncovered by lasers.
• Two unearthed Viking ships reveal extremely rare Viking burial practices.
• Archaeologists discovered a catacomb filled with mummified lion cubs, crocodiles, and cobras in an ancient Egyptian city of the dead. Here's an article about it from the Smithsonian Magazine.

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• The first fossil evidence of feathered polar dinosaurs has been found in Australia.
• How scientists resolved the mystery of the Devil's Corkscrews.
• This leopard is waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
• Researchers measure a wild blue whale's heart rate for the first time.
• Inside the Farallon Islands' battle against a plague of mice.
• Mercury-laden fog may be poisoning California's mountain lions.
• A tiger has taken a record-breaking 800-mile trek across India.
• Climate change may be causing birds to shrink-- and their wings to grow.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Rachel May: Piecing together the lives of enslaved Americans.
• Barbara Hillary, a pioneering African-American adventurer, has died at the age of 88. 
• Shelf Life: Lee Child.

►The Happy Wanderer◄

• I was very happy to learn that the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee, Arizona was named the best small library in the nation last year.
• Thieves have stolen precious jewels from Dresden's treasure-filled "Green Vault".
• Visit a museum of miniature books in Baku, Azerbaijan.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Six novels that capture Detroit, past and present.
• Take a look at the jaw-dropping finalists that competed for "World's Best Landscape Photo of 2019."
• The timeless joys of pet cozies.
• Food-themed cozy mysteries.
• The top ten eyewitness accounts of the twentieth century.
• Twenty-six books on trees.
• Twelve must-read murder mystery books for fans of Knives Out.
• Alaska: Northern Noir.

That's it for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!