Nothin' much going on here at Casa Kittling. I've been knitting and reading and acting silly with Denis and rearranging things in the house and posting videos from the camera aimed at one of our solar fountains on Facebook. (Those birds certainly are characters!) I've also been haunting The Poisoned Pen Bookstore's Facebook page and website in order to watch their book chats and virtual events with authors.
What do you think of this mask? I've also got my eye on one that shows shelves of books. I can't help but think that a small wardrobe of masks is necessary. Until they discover a cure, COVID-19 is going to hang around. I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy. No matter how much we may be jonesing to be out and about, can you imagine how much worse it is for people who don't read?
On that note, it's time to mosey out to the corral. Head 'em up! Moooove 'em out!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- Tiger King and a bloody mary: Hilary Mantel, Simon Armitage and other writers on lockdown life.
- Recently discovered drawings for the Statue of Liberty hint at a last-minute change.
- The strange, sordid world of Elizabethan-era true crime.
- Hilary Davidson and Susan Elia MacNeal on writing PTSD in fiction.
- How to organize your home office.
- With many countries under shelter-in-place orders, the world shakes a little less.
- This livestream of a bird library is perfect quarantine viewing for you and a cat.
- Vidocq and the birth of the fictional detective.
- Book sales surge as self-isolating readers stock up on "bucket list" novels.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- Archaeologists discover paintings of a goddess in a 3,000-year-old mummy's coffin.
- A newly discovered portrait of Mary Pearson depicts a woman who may have inspired a Jane Austen character.
- The most valuable pennies of all time.
- A 17th-century shopping list was found under the floors at a historic English house.
- A new tool for biomedical research was invented in ancient Egypt.
- Archaeologists are revealing the hidden horrors of the only Nazi SS camp on British soil.
- How epidemics of the past changed the way Americans lived.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- Researchers calculated a whale shark's age based on Cold War-era bomb tests.
- With boats stuck in the harbor because of COVID-19, will fish bounce back?
- The plague has been quietly killing Yellowstone cougars for a decade.
- Take a look at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Cheetah Cub Cam.
- This video shows Yosemite National Park full of animals in the absence of humans. (Enjoy it while it lasts, critters.)
- What the beaver can teach us about innovative conservation.
- Heavily trafficked songbirds are victims of the Venezuelan collapse.
- A leopard risks her life to steal food.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- Dorothea Dix, the compassionate crusader who revolutionized care for the mentally ill.
- Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist in history.
- Matilda McCrear, the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade.
- Boy Scout Quinn Callander 3-D prints over 1,200 "ear guards" to help healthcare workers suffering from face mask pain, bless 'im.
►The Happy Wanderer◄
- Columbus, Ohio: from cowtown to crimetown.
- Outside Medicine Bow, Wyoming, there's a century-old cabin made of dinosaur bones.
- Ravenscar, England has the peak alum works. At the factory's height of production, human urine was a valued commodity.
- A look back at Franklin, America's lost state.
- The remains of a 90-million-year-old rainforest have been found near the South Pole.
►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄
- Five great crime novels bringing multicultural heroes and representation to mystery.
- Fifteen immersive books to read while social distancing.
- Five books about family secrets.
- Sorry, Millennials, but there's no way you will be able to pass this quiz. (Me, being an old geezer, got them all right.)
- Top ten Irish gothic novels.
- Eight laugh-out-loud reads to keep your spirits high.
- Five gripping adventure tales set deep in the jungle.
- Life got you down? Pick up these eight comfort reads.
That's all 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.
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Curl up with good books!
Oh, I like that mask, Cathy! It's bright and cheerful, and it's got personality. Even though not much is going on, I'm glad all's well at Casa Kittling. Now, I have to check out that mummy's coffin (but you knew I'd head there, didn't you?)
ReplyDeleteI most certainly did!
DeleteLove the mask too, and one with books would be even better! Glad you got encouraging new this week. A friend from high school dropped off a some masks for me and co-workers. They were from fabric of her girls younger years--I think I look quite festive with teddy bears!
ReplyDeleteI love teddy bears!
DeleteI love the cheerful mask and have enjoyed seeing the variety of masks that have bright fabrics that lift the gloom of needing them. Keep improving and thanks for the list!
ReplyDeleteI've got to finish up here and hook myself up to the pump. Glad you're enjoying the links!
DeleteThe links are good.
ReplyDeleteI like that mask a lot. I'm not going out so I haven't seen many masks.
So glad to hear you're doing better.
I like the book lists. And in terms of the test on old gadgets, I definitely am a dinosaur. I even have an ice cube tray just like that one, although a bit newer.
Mom and I had an ice tray exactly like that for years.
DeleteThe ice cube tray I have was my mother's. I also have a lot of old tools. I even have a hand can opener which hasn't changed since I was a child. (I mean it's newer, but exactly the same.)
ReplyDeleteI just watched episode 2 of Scene 6 of Bosch on Amazon Prime. Am trying not to binge like I've done in the past.
I can't watch it until Denis's days off. Keeps me from bingeing too!
DeleteOh, Denis. You watch it together. (Well, you could sneak watch and then both watch it together.)
ReplyDeleteNah. If I did that, it would show that the episodes had already been watched. (And if there's a way around that, don't tell me!)
DeleteLove the mask! One with books would be cute. We're trying to hold off a bit on watching the new Bosch season. We're in the middle of Picard right now and catching up on Murdoch Mysteries. Plus regular TV that is still having new episodes. Think that's about to end though. It's the no sports that is driving my husband nuts. Not that he thinks they should be playing, but he watches football, basketball, golf, etc. Sigh. And he doesn't do reruns of regular TV or movies much less sporting events. Ha!
ReplyDeleteLast week, Denis and I enjoyed a new season of the UK "Antiques Roadshow" and a series called "Vintage Roads Great and Small" with two stars from the old "All Creatures Great and Small" TV series, although this second one made us want to hit the trails again (and we loved it when the old map led them astray and the track ended at the edge of a loch).
Delete