Someone Else Pick It For Me- February

[Barb]

J. W. wrote: "Oh Barb, I can't wait to see what you think."
Well, I finished Mr Darcy Goes Overboard and I didn't think it was that bad! I think you have to be in the mood for the silliness. I really liked the cliff hanging piece at the end. But, really, this is just a silly little fluff piece that can be skipped by anyone who seriously likes to read P&P JAFF.

[Barb]

Don wrote: "Hey Barb, How I got twisted....

Anyway...if you would like, here is a thought

An Unlikely Missionary

I am a fan of secondary character extensions.

Don




Barb wrote: "Here are my February pick..."

Don, I will try to read Unlikely Missionary, too, as I read the one Sophia suggested. The only thing - I am not great into the Collins' as side characters. Will let you know what I think.

[J. W.]

Barb wrote: "J. W. wrote: "Oh Barb, I can't wait to see what you think."
Well, I finished Mr Darcy Goes Overboard and I didn't think it was that bad! I think you have to be in the mood for the silliness. I real..."

I must have been a mood to not like it. Oh well... glad you had a giggle out of it.

[Carmen8094]

Anji wrote: "Carmen8094 wrote: "Hi Anji, sorry if you had to wait. Now I pick for you "Mrs Dashwood returns" ; I read it some time ago and I'd like to know what you think about it. I'm glad you enjoyed the othe..."

Hi Anji, I'm sorry you didn't like the book. I am not English, so I didn't notice these things. But thank you to let me notice them!

[Abigail]

Oh, Erika, I can’t thank you enough for your choice for me! I adored every page of Edgar and Emma: A Novel After Jane Austen. It was exactly the kind of Austenesque fiction I like best. My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Erika]

Abigail I'm so glad you liked it!! I will have to check it out.


To everyone in this group:
I started out Feb strong with reading my selection for the month, but that was short lived. I take care of my mom's African Grey while my parents go to their condo for the winter. Well shortly into Feb he was falling off his stand for no known reason. I took him to get wings and nails clipped and noticed blood under his wing running him to the Animal Emergency Center near me. The first 24 hrs were hell for me. But he slowly came around over the weekend and was doing well. We found out that he had fractures in 2 bones in his left wing. The only option the specialists recommended was to do a partial wing amputation above the fractures. On Tues Feb 7th he went in for surgery. His vitals were great throughout, the procedure went well, but while in recovery he did not make it. This was and still is a very big blow and shock to me. We had Maynard for 24yrs and he wasn't just a bird... he was my baby, my mom's baby, everyone just loved him. I have been working, but feel like I'm just going through the motions. I don't make it through most days without crying at least once, like now as I write this.

Needless to say, I haven't been able to read for the past 2 weeks., but I will be getting back to it this weekend. I just wanted everyone to know why I seemed to have disappeared for the last 2 weeks. I am trying to get through this slowly.

[J. W.]

Erika, I am so sorry for your loss. I have friends with birds they have had their entire lives and know the relationship is a very special one. Please know we extend our best wishes for you and our support for you during your time of grief. Your were alone in this trying time as your parents were out of town. I am so sorry. I know that call to them must have been so difficult. Allow your self time to grieve and know that the sun shall shine again. Blessings, my dear.

[Anji]

Erika wrote: "Abigail I'm so glad you liked it!! I will have to check it out.


To everyone in this group:
I started out Feb strong with reading my selection for the month, but that was short lived. "

Sending hugs, Erika. You've lost a member of your family, so you're bound to be feeling his loss. My hearts grieves for you, too.

[Sophia]

The pain... Erika. You have my thoughts and sympathies for your loss.

Totally understandable that you needed time to mourn.

[Debbie]

Pets are definitely part of the family and leave a gaping hole when they are gone. I was a mess for weeks after my black lab was hit by a car and died. Sending love and hugs to you.

[Mary]

Erika-I am so sorry to hear about your loss.
Animals touch our hearts in ways that belie how very significant a role they play in our daily lives. They can understand us when no words are necessary.
24 years is a lifetime.
As others have said,give yourself time to grieve and think of him with fond memories.
We'll be thinking of you,Erika. If you feel like logging on for a chat,we're here to listen.

[Abigail]

What a terrible, traumatic thing for your whole family to go through, Erika! It’s especially hard when one feels the entire responsibility of the creature’s well-being on one’s shoulders. I hope you will all heal in time, and that you will be able to resume enjoyment in lighter pleasures like Austenesque reading!

[Sheila]

Erika wrote: "Abigail I'm so glad you liked it!! I will have to check it out.


To everyone in this group:
I started out Feb strong with reading my selection for the month, but that was short lived. I take care ..."

I have tears in my eyes for you. I had a parakeet and when he died I had him laid out in a box with candles, etc. to pay homage. Many an animal has been part of our family while growing up and I shed tears when any one was lost. My husband is allergic so we can't have cats or dogs but my two adult children have such and I know it will also break hearts when they die. So very sorry to hear of the lost of your family member. He will remain in all your hearts...this I know.

[Ceri]

Erika wrote: "Abigail I'm so glad you liked it!! I will have to check it out.


To everyone in this group:
I started out Feb strong with reading my selection for the month, but that was short lived. I take care ..."

So sorry to hear about your loss, Erika. Anybody who has had a pet can empathise with how you feel right now. Losing them is such a blow. Big hugs to you and remember that he had a good life with your family. 24 years is such a long time too. Hugs.

[Chelsea]

Erika, I'm sorry for your loss of such a dear part of your family.

[Erika]

Thank you everyone. It has been very rough dealing with losing our bird, he was so special and funny. Every morning I want to go and wake him up, and I plan my meals around what he'll eat, and I whistle expecting for him to respond.

[Chelsea]

I'm about 3/4 pf the way through my Feb read, but it looks like it will spill into March some. I'll post a review when I eventually finish!

[Sophia]

No problem, Chelsea! I know a couple planned to get a late start b/c of real life stuff and planned to read through into March as well. :)

[J. W.]

Erika wrote: "Thank you everyone. It has been very rough dealing with losing our bird, he was so special and funny. Every morning I want to go and wake him up, and I plan my meals around what he'll eat, and I wh..."

Erika, I noticed, and enjoy seeing, the new picture of your bird with your comments. It is an awesome tribute and stands as a memorial to the life of this treasured pet.

[Ahnya]

I am about half way through my pick Darcy By Any Other Name. So far I am enjoying it, and will post a review when I am finished. It has been a busy month reorganizing my house to get ready for remodeling in the spring, then my husband got a really bad flu, now I have the flu... anyway not much time for reading.

[Sophia]

Glad you're loving your book even if real life sounds dreary at the moment for you, Ahnya. Hope you guys feel better soon. Blargh on the flu bug. :)

[J. W.]

Ahnya, so sorry you and your husband have been sick. Several schools in the area have closed several days due to the flu. I also heard that other schools have declared extra cleaning for the classrooms and the janitorial staff has really been working hard sanitizing the buildings. Hope you are better soon and can get back to reading.

[Victoria]

I finished my February read just in time! I loved it!

I've had great luck with the last couple of "Someone Else Pick It For Me" chocies!

[Sophia]

Super news, Victoria! :)

[Abigail]

Oh, it’s definitely worth it to read Sanditon, Victoria! The antagonist is roll-on-the-floor hilarious, and there’s a great Lady Catherine de Bourgh figure (only more vulgar).

[Erika]

Ana, I want to thank you recommending that I read A Lie Universally Hidden. It was fantastic. My review will be written soon.

I would like to apologize for the length of time it took for me to finish this wonderful book, but my only excuse is that in my emotional state that I was in after the death of my bird, what normally was my solace (reading) was no longer. I drove myself to working long hours, getting behind in paperwork, finding and fixing things around my house. Basically I was exhausting myself, to the point I took a week off, doing more things around the house the first half, then sitting and doing near nothing the rest. When I did sit, my mind would go straight to mindless games on my phone or iPad. I just could not pluck myself up to returning to the book until this past week. I am now faced with my next stressor....my parents are returning home from the snow-birding in Alabama and my emotions are scattered again in fear of seeing my mom. Yes I have talked to her plenty since the ill-fated day, but seeing is entirely different. Everyone tells me it wasn't my fault, and my head partially knows that but the other part and my heart can not fully except it and I have know one who fully understands that so I paste a half-hearted smile on. I'm sorry if I'm rambling but I feel this is the only forum I have to express my sorrow. Thank you guys for bearing with me.

[Sophia]

Erika wrote: "Ana, I want to thank you recommending that I read A Lie Universally Hidden. It was fantastic. My review will be written soon.

I would like to apologize for the length of time it took for me to fin..."

Erika, you've got my thoughts and prayers. The guilt is something I'm familiar with when it comes to your mom and the bird. Mine involved my mom's dog she'd had since I was a child. It takes a while to work through the grief and guilt and anticipation of what your mom might be feeling. Glad you can gain some peace by sharing what you are experiencing with all of us. Take care, dear friend!

[Mary]

Erika-I'd like for you to think about the fact that if your bird,a lifetime companion with a huge personality,was going to die,and your mom
knew she could not be present,then who would she entrust with the care and compassion

[Mary]

needed at such a time but your good self. You did everything you could,but your bird's fate was outside your control.
I'm sure your mom appreciates the fact that you're very upset and that part of this stems from the guilt you're feeling. Have a cuppa and a chat. I hope it goes well. I'll be thinking of you,Erika. And please,feel free to chat away on this forum. You're amongst friends here.

[J. W.]

Erika, there are several stages in the grief process and you are valiantly making your way through them. We are here for you. As you deal with the many levels... pause and think of the good times, laugh when you can, cry when you need to... that is totally acceptable and then look to the future.

Mary made a very good point in saying that when the time came... who was the strongest... you or your mother? I hate to say this, but would you have rather she endured the stress and grief of the passing or would you prefer to do it for her. Yeah, you took this one for the family.

Who knows the life span of any species... animal or man. It was simply time [circle of life]. Say thank you, to God or the universe, for the joy of this creature that was given to you... not to me... but to you and your family, that you could enjoy that special relationship between the species.

Grief is something that we pick up and attempt to carry alone. The hard part is deciding when we should put it down. Don't hold on to the grief... hold on to the many memories. Grief will weigh you down while the memories will lift you up.

Mary is right. We are here for you and will stand with you and lift you up with something silly or simply listen when you need a friend's shoulder.

You have honored your cherished bird by using his picture for your profile. How wonderful. That too is another step in your recovery... and recover you will. It takes time... and just know... this too shall pass. Remember as it gives you pleasure... or something like that.

[Sheila]

Erika, the above comments to you could be repeated by all your friends here. I know I have lost many dear pets in childhood and as an adult. They are always a dear part of our family so the lost is one that is not gotten over with quickly. Like others said I am sure that your mom loves you and does not at all blame you and that you can now grieve together. In sympathy...