Or it would be a time for enjoyment if everything would behave itself! (And I know y'all know what I'm talking about.) At the end of last week, we had a decent rainstorm, and for some reason it wreaked havoc on our internet connection from Thursday night to Sunday night. I wouldn't've minded a bit if it hadn't put me way behind in writing and scheduling blog posts. The service tech has been by, and now I'm typing up a storm, so that's been taken care of.
Then there was the nasty message I got from someone at my doctor's office, informing me that I must hie myself off to yon office ere the year ends so my insurance company doesn't dock them for something. With all the doctors' appointments I've had in 2021, I really wanted to call her back and tell her that I didn't give a rat's patootie if my insurance company got mad at them or not. But I didn't. *sigh* I was a good girl and called to make an appointment. Wonder of wonders, they managed to fit me in on the same day and the same time as Denis goes in for his appointment. That'll never happen again!
That stuff is all minor, though. I've been enjoying sitting here at Command Central in the living room, keeping track of the birds out the window and enjoying the Christmas decorations I've put up. I especially love it when the sun goes down and I turn on all the lights and candles.
I also scheduled a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden this week as well as two tickets to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert next February. I was very pleased to see that MIM's Music Theater requires proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test before admitting people, and masks should be worn as well. Good!
I hope you're finding time to enjoy yourself, too.
Enjoy the links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- Ann Cleeves cut the ribbon to reopen a "magnificent" refurbished library on Shetland.
- I had fun reading the entries in the Six-Word Mystery Contest courtesy of The Rap Sheet.
- The lure of a real-world setting for a mystery novelist.
- How the Mosul Book Forum became a hub of expression in a struggling city.
- Scientists say they might have discovered the cause of Alzheimer's.
- Millions of followers on social media? For book sales, it's "unreliable."
- What's so hard about crediting translators?
- A Texas school district has pulled 414 books from its shelves after the governor exerts pressure.
- Christopher Fowler on why every British thriller is also a black comedy.
- Is Superman Circumcised? wins oddest book title of the year.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- A hidden sketch is discovered in Rembrandt's Night Watch.
- Hunting for Harold Lloyd's legendary Christmas ornaments.
- How robots could help restore fragmented frescoes in Pompeii.
- Roman-Era mummies with gold tongues have been found in Middle Egypt.
- Archaeologists have uncovered one of the largest Viking longhouses in Scandinavia.
- Rare physical evidence of Roman crucifixion has been found in Britain.
- A Charleston slave badge has been named among the top archaeological finds of 2021.
- A gold "lotus flower" pendant from Queen Nefertiti's time has been found in Cyprus.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- A friendly, foul-mouthed crow befriended an entire Oregon elementary school before the state police were called in.
- Watch Mike the cat help his human make pottery.
- A Florida pelican ate a fish so big and spiny that it got stuck. Then the pelican went looking for help.
- "Squirrelzilla" proves that Maine's gray squirrels and fat and fluffy this fall.
- The State of Florida will feed starving manatees in a rare conservation move.
- Toxic cane toads are invading Taiwan.
- Watch tiny Dash the dog stare down a mountain lion on the patio.
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch hosts life on the open ocean, but that's not necessarily a good thing.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- To investigate serial killers with the FBI, Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess first had to pass the test.
- Five female inventors and how their inventions changed the world.
- Chester Greenwood, the teenager who patented earmuffs, kept his town employed for sixty years.
- Portraits of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's favorite collars and the stories behind them.
- Artemisia Gentileschi, the female Renaissance painter who withstood torture to put her abuser in jail.
►The Wanderer◄
- Shetland's cake fridges and honesty boxes. (I saw a cake fridge on a recent episode of Shetland.)
- Keeping the memory of Zora Neale Hurston alive in Fort Pierce, Florida.
►Those Best of 2021 Book Lists◄
- Crimereads' Best Crime Novels of 2021.
- The Washington Post's Ten Best Books of 2021.
- Washington Post: Best Thriller and Mystery Books of 2021.
- Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2021.
- The 101 Best Book Covers of 2021.
- Library Journal: Best Crime Fiction of 2021.
- AudioFiles: Best Audiobooks of 2021.
- The Guardian: Best Food Books of 2021.
- The Guardian: Five of the Best Crime Novels and Thrillers of 2021.
- The Guardian: Five of the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021.
- The Guardian: Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2021.
- The Guardian: Best Fiction of 2021.
- Waterstones: the Best Crime and Thriller Books of 2021.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Sixteen remarkable stories by Jewish authors.
- Ten versions of eggnog from around the world.
- Five holiday suspense novels.
- Six books to brighten your holidays.
- Seven mysteries with fun-loving characters.
- It's cold outside. Let these tartan cozies warm your heart.
- The twenty best speeches in the history of crime cinema.
- 30+ maps of America that will make you question everything you know about the USA.
- Cozy mysteries with crafty components.
- Twenty-one movies you should watch this holiday season.
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 curl up with a good book!
I'm glad you got your appointment on a convenient day, Cathy, if nothing else. I know what you mean about doctor visits, too! As I get older, they keep cropping up more and more... At any rate, as you say, those things are the little stuff, and I love it that you focus on the really important stuff. That 'photo is beautiful - I'll bet your home looks lovely and festive. And I'm glad you have plans for another visit to the botanical garden. I'm heading off to that Viking longhouse...
ReplyDeleteWe had to give the botanical garden a miss after all, but we've planned to go next week. We're nothing if not persistent!
DeleteI really enjoyed the 6 Word Mystery Contest. They were very clever. Many made me chuckle and one made me snort. Going back and rereading the intro to the entries, I saw it won the best overall title. People were very creative and clever. Enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteI agree. In many ways, that was my favorite link this week.
DeleteSometimes life has a way of getting in the way, doesn't it? Glad the appointments worked out for you guys so well...kinda like winning the lottery when that happens, certainly just as rare an event.
ReplyDeleteYour link on the cake fridges on Shetland jumped right out at me. I think I must have seen the same episode of Shetland you mentioned because that's one of the things I remember most vividly about the current series. Had never heard of those things before that.
Neither had I, but evidently that cake fridge's appearance on Shetland stirred up quite a bit of interest.
DeleteLove the animal stories and several others, including the six word mysteries.
ReplyDeleteThe book banning is maddening. I'm glad some school districts and students are objecting in Texas. It does violate First Amendment rights. Plus how does one learn about the world without reading?
And your room is wonderful; some blog fans may want to swoop in for a visit.
I have come to the conclusion that there are many people in this world who do not want us to read. They consider the very act of reading to be dangerous.
DeleteWell, reading is dangerous. It teaches us to think and learn about the world and other people. It teaches understanding and empathy for people in the past and the current day in different situations and countries.
ReplyDeleteFor some people that is dangerous. For many, it is liberating. That's hot it should be.
I had a dentist once who didn't want her children to read a book because it portrayed religions different from their parents. I thought if your beliefs are that strong, they will retain them no matter what they read.
I read all kinds of books. If they were "trash," a term my father used, I didn't read more of that type of book even if my friends were reading it. I learned to choose good books.
I may not always choose great books, but I give the books a chance. And in the mystery world, I have learned a lot, too.
I know people who turn up their noses at crime fiction. I don't tell them that they're being short-sighted.
DeleteAlso, these best of lists drive me crazy. I read the lists and have no idea what I want to read, yet so many are enticing.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I read the crime fiction ones to see how many books I've read that are on those lists.
DeleteI've had so many doc appts between the knee injury, the kidney stone debacle and the mystery lump found on my mammo. Right now I am waiting on a tele-appt with the urologist which seems dumb since it was sooooo long ago that I was affected by the darn issue.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is here from college and my son arrives on Christmas Eve. He won't be here long but it will be a week for all of us to be together and we hope to hit some things. That is, if the entire state of California doesn't shutdown again. It's not looking good.
Here's hoping you can celebrate and do the things that you want to do. Speaking of doctor's appointments, I just came back from one! LOL
Delete