I've had another setback with my leg, which pleases me to no end. (Something tells me I should scrape some of the sarcasm off that last remark.) One of the only (and best) things I can do is keep my legs elevated, which I'm so sick of doing that I don't even want to think about it. I've had two major "elevation points" in the house: in my recliner in the family room and in bed. I decided I needed some new scenery, so I went to work in the living room. I seldom used that room because the daybed was very uncomfortable, but Denis replaced the old, saggy, ache-inducing springs with steel slats, and I produced some new covers, and I'm in business. You can take a look at the Before and After. It wouldn't be such a difference if I'd taken the Before photo with the curtains open, but I didn't.
I have the perfect yarn to knit new covers for the four white pillows, and I'm waiting for new artwork to hang above the fireplace. Now it's a comfortable place to read, and once I've gotten the laptop stand, I'll be able to do some work there as well. Interesting how some new feathers can give a person a lift, isn't it?
Enjoy the links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- This New Zealand couple found a giant Monopoly board painted on the floor after ripping up the carpet.
- Why librarians are natural born detectives.
- Suspense in the age of digital surveillance.
- A top French publishing house has asked would-be authors to stop sending manuscripts.
- The laborious process of bookmaking in the fifteenth century.
- How to germinate seeds for your garden using an Instant Pot.
- The next step in COVID-19 vaccines may be through the nose.
- How a court reporting stenography machine works.
- The importance of food in fiction.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- Archaeologists have unearthed sprawling Roman ruins unlike any other in the U.K.
- A brief history of the urban sewer system.
- An ancient Chinese duke loved horses so much that he was buried with hundreds of them.
- A trove of treasures, from a gold skull ring to Tudor coins, has been found in Wales.
- Prehistoric cavemen starved themselves of oxygen to induce hallucinations and improve their paintings.
- A drought has revealed a "Spanish Stonehenge" that has been hiding in a reservoir for over fifty years.
- Archaeologists have discovered a 3,000-year-old Egyptian city left "as though it were yesterday." More from Smithsonian magazine.
- Behold the elaborate writing desks of eighteenth century aristocrats.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- Nepal's rhino population soars to an exciting milestone amid COVID-19 closures.
- When you find a gator in the house and have a mop handy, there's only one thing to do.
- Ravens keep stealing quality meats from Costco shoppers in Anchorage, Alaska.
- Discarded COVID-19 masks and plastic gloves are killing wildlife. You know. Because no one has the time to find a trash can. More from Atlas Obscura.
- Watch a young bear wander into a home and then get chased out by two small dogs.
- More than fifty orcas hunted and killed a blue whale-- the largest animal on earth-- off the coast of Australia.
- The latest in airport jobs: beekeeper.
- Robert Bahou's animal portraits capture the unique quirks and personalities of dogs, cats, and horses.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- What happened to the actors who were performing the night Lincoln was shot?
- How the Jazz Age's most notorious gangster couple got ready for a heist.
- Ten facts about Beulah Mae Donald, the woman who took down the KKK.
- How history has failed to tell the story of the Gold Rush women.
- The 25 richest people in the world according to Forbes.
- Marilyn Stasio on a lifetime of book reviews.
►The Happy Wanderer◄
- This library in Brooklyn is home to the world's largest sketchbook collection.
- Point Nemo, the remotest place on the planet.
- Alan Parks on drugs, noir, and Glasgow in the 1970s.
- The size of some of Earth's islands compared to the size of North America.
- Searching for three generations of secrets in the Chateau de Chavaniac.
►Crafty Gem◄
- Plein air artist Richard Oliver creates beautiful landscape paintings that perfect match the natural environment.
►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄
- Five historical novels that illuminate Paris.
- Five mouthwatering books about food.
- Can you pick the number that completes the book title?
- Eight lost and rediscovered literary works by famous authors.
- Escape your travel limitations with these ten international thriller series.
- Nine book clubs you can participate in online.
- The allure of alpine mysteries.
- Eleven pieces of media on the Voyager golden record.
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. And don't forget to cur. up with a good book!
Oh, no, Cathy! I am so sorry to hear about your leg! I hope it gets better quickly. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be, to say nothing of painful. Your 're-feathered nest' looks beautiful, though. I think you were wise to do something to give yourself a little change. Hang in there! I'll be back soon - just off to Wales for a bit...
ReplyDeleteThe one saving grace-- if there is one-- with my leg is that (touch wood) it isn't painful.
DeleteYour new nest looks lovely! I hope you will be rewarded soon for all your patience regarding your leg. I'm sure that is frustrating, but glad to are able to do a few things.
ReplyDeleteI've got to check out those international thrillers...
Yes! At least I'm not stuck in traction in a hospital bed!
DeleteSo sorry to hear about another setback. I can't imagine the frustration of the back and forth of your recovery. Your new location for resting/nesting should provide a variety of scene and looks comfortable and cheerful!
ReplyDeleteI can keep an eye on the little verdin who nested in the top of the cactus right outside the window.
DeleteSo sorry to read about your continuing problem with your leg. At least you now have a refurhished reading spot where you can elevate your leg.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links. Love the animals, books, book clubs, global thrillers to watch and more.
So now I have added even more links from this website to my bookmarks! Now it's not just added books, but entire links of books and more.
Sounds as though you might have as many links to keep track of as I do!
DeleteWell, the thing is I can go back to past blogs here and also go to the reviews just in case I run out of book suggestions.
DeleteI don't think either one of us will ever run out of book suggestions.
DeleteI was laughing as I wrote the last message to you. If I should ever run out of book ideas, I'll check back here. I do look up reviews of books you have read that I'm thinking about reading or locations.
DeleteReally sorry to hear that your legs are causing problems again...must be so frustrating. But that remarkable transformation you show in the pictures should, I hope, make it a little easier to put up with for a while.
ReplyDeleteI got a kick out of that link about librarians being natural detectives because I had a cousin who did exactly that a few decades ago. She turned a career as a librarian into a job working cold cases from the office of a police department in a nearby larger city. Even though she never went into the field, she was given credit to cracking a couple of older cases that would otherwise never have been solved. She just had that kind of mind and was a natural researcher and puzzle-solver.
Thanks so much, Sam, for telling me about your cousin. How wonderful that she was able to do that!
DeleteI'm sorry you are still having trouble with your leg, so frustrating when our bodies don't cooperate with us. A bright spot is your living room redo, it looks comfortable and inviting now.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is. I can't wait to get the new art on the wall above the fireplace!
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