Week 18: 4/26 - 5/2

[Nadine in NY]

Dubhease wrote: "I finished a PS prompt by reading a children's book. This worked so well, I might do this for other prompts. ..."


I have done this!! The year we needed a book with a map, I read a very informative picture book that was full of maps of Manhattan through the centuries.

[Nadine in NY]

Ashley Marie wrote: "Stateless - 3.75 stars. Not Wein’s best, but idk if anything will top Code Name Verity. I thought the trio’s bond was stronger than the pairing, but it’s historical YA so I’m not surprised. Enemies to lovers plot..."


I haven't read anything by her since Verity, since I figure it will only disappoint. But is this a YA lovers triangle with an enemies to lovers angle? Because this is my guilty pleasure!

[Nadine in NY]

Teri wrote: "My mother's dementia is getting worse, and she is angry with me most of the time. I can't say anything right. I know it isn't her fault, but I have felt defensive for my entire life against her criticism, so it is difficult not to default in trying to defend myself. Patience is a virtue I am trying to learn...."



I am so sorry. My grandmother was very angry in her last years also. On the one hand, I get it, I'd be angry about losing myself too, but on the other hand, lashing out at those closest to you isn't right. She was a prickly woman her whole life so I guess that just REALLY came to the fore once dementia took over. She broke her hip and could no longer live at home, but the long term care facility didn't want to deal with her either because she was so nasty. I had moved away for my first job at this point so I don't know how it was resolved. I guess they found a care facility that would put up with her.

[Nadine in NY]

Joanna wrote: "Who Fears Death I was a little disappointed by this one - it felt like things happened just because they had to, and not like they developed organically...."



This was the first book I read by Okorafor, and it remains the only book of hers that I truly loved. I wonder if I would feel differently if I read it today. I don't know, I'm not going to find out!!

[Jennifer W]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "my lawnmower got serviced and then the blade fell off..."



whoa! WHILE it was running? that must have been LOUD!"

It was making this weird chugging noise, like a train. I waved my boyfriend down and he put it in idle. When he moved off, it was on the ground. I think the rotation kept it on and when it stopped spinning, it fell off. Good thing, cause a flying mower blade could be deadly!

[Nadine in NY]

Erin wrote: "spiders scare me so much, it's a problem. ..."


I think I understand. I'm fine with spiders, they don't bother me at all, but I will LOSE MY FREAKING MIND about mice. I think it must be more common to be afraid of spiders, because I remember telling coworkers that spiders didn't bother me, and they were still surprised when we found a giant spider in the lab and I didn't mind it at all. After that, I guess they also didn't believe me about my musaphobia, because a few months later a mouse appeared in our office area and I lost my mind, I started shouting and cursing and I did not actually craw up on the desks but I thought about it.

The Universe has seen my phobia and chosen to mess with me, because I get mice in my basement and garage now. I will say, over the years of dealing with mice and dead mice in mouse traps, I've become slightly desensitized, and now I can stand my ground and not start shouting. Sometimes.

Once my daughter had a mouse caught in a 5 gallon bucket (they can jump out of a 2.5 gallon bucket but they cannot get out of the 5 gallon) and she decided to take it outside and release it, but during transport she and I both screamed about it so much that I'm pretty sure that poor little mouse died of fright, because it was dead by the time we got it outside.

[Nadine in NY]

Jennifer W wrote: "I think the rotation kept it on and when it stopped spinning, it fell off. Good thing, cause a flying mower blade could be deadly!..."


YES!!!

[Britany]

Teri wrote: "My mother's dementia is getting worse, and she is angry with me most of the time. I can't say anything right. I know it isn't her fault, but I have felt defensive for my entire life against her criticism, so it is difficult not to default in trying to defend myself. Patience is a virtue I am trying to learn.."

Oh Teri, I'm sorry to hear this for you. I sincerely hope you have a good support system on your side to help you when you leave visits with your mom. It's important for your well being to try and set some boundaries and self work to make sure you know this isn't truly a reflection of you and who you are today. Stay strong and take time for yourself. 🤍🤍🤍

[Dubhease]

Nadine in NY wrote: "I have done this!! The year we needed a book with a map, I read a very informative picture book that was full of maps of Manhattan through the centuries. ..."

I am open to more ideas. I have children's book for pirates, deaf author, musicals, and published in 2000

[JessicaMHR]

Dubhease wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I have done this!! The year we needed a book with a map, I read a very informative picture book that was full of maps of Manhattan through the centuries. ..."

I am open to more ideas. I have children's book for pirates, deaf author, musicals, and published in 2000..."

I have been implementing this a lot this year.

So far I have:
Children's books (one is a picture books): 8 read, 2 to-be-read
YA: 5 read, 1 to-be-read
So..16/52. Almost 1/3 of my books. Could even end up being more.

[Nadine in NY]

Dubhease wrote: "I am open to more ideas. I have children's book for pirates, deaf author, musicals, and published in 2000 ..."


I'm not sure if you're trying to do the entire Challenge in children's books or if you're just trying to fill open categories?

I LOVE looking for picture books!!!


I'm certain there are picture books that would fill Bildungsroman, leap in the title (Gertie's Leap to Greatness), woman athlete (Winners Never Quit!), animal's POV (SO MANY!!), recommended by a librarian, pen name (I'm pretty sure Dr Seuss wasn't his real name LOL), set in a travel destination (you might have to dig deep, but I'm certain you can find something), set in space (Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet or Stacy McAnulty's series including Moon! Earth's Best Friend, Sun! One in a Billion, OR Interstellar Cinderella, set in snow (The Snowy Day!), published in 2024, neurodivergent (SO MANY including The Boy Who Grew Flowers), title is a complete sentence, nonfiction about Indigenous people (I'm stretching things a bit, but Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story is based on his real family, or there's also We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know), character who sleeps (The Sleeping Beauty), 24 letters, 24 poems (Winter Poems has 25, and the illustrations are CHARMING), 24th book.


The genre categories like romance, cozy fantasy, horror, etc might be tough since picture books don't tend to fit easily into those slots, but I'm sure you could stretch things and find books that work!! Fairy tales can be horror and romances and cozy fantasies, after all!

There are a lot of picture book BIOGRAPHIES of women in rock and roll, but autobiographies are harder to come by. Or you could read a book written by a musician, such as The English Roses by Madonna.

[Carmen]

Happy Wednesday-almost-Thursday!

I've been so busy I completely forgot about the check in, and when I remembered I couldn't, and then I was too tired, and I haven't had my laptop open for anything other than casting to the TV for ages and .... here I am.

I am determined to check in every week and with a few hours to spare I've still managed to keep my streak going!

Haven't read much, not even fanfics, but I've been busy with some puzzles. I finished my Impossible Olaf Puzzle (the orange/autumn one), I finished Professor Layton and the Curious Village, did some Wasgij puzzles I inherited from my godmother, and today I put together the 40k puzzle! It's genuinely insane how huge it is.

We started this morning, and I've only just finished sending everyone the photos after breaking each section down piece by piece. I was gonna put them back under my bed, but as I sat looking at the finished puzzle it was suddenly okay. It also saved my dad 10 trips upstairs carrying them!

It's such a stunning puzzle, and I got a lot of attention from people in the neighborhood, haha!

There was also a quick Disney trip on Friday.

Save to say I'm exhausted (I've been in bed before midnight for almost a week (with the exception of the Disney trip; instead of my normal 2-3am) and ready to read some fics. Hopefully tonight, haha!

QOTW
I am so brainfoggy atm I can't think of anything of value, even though I know it exists, so have something unimportant that still had me floored.

Disney Cast Members (employees) see literal thousands of people per week, if not per day, so while I remember some by face and name, I don't expect any of them to remember ME. Little old me, you know? One of thousands??

But last month I found out my favorite Cast Member recognizes ME as well! I just assumed he was always kind, but this time he mentioned how long it's been since he saw me and how bad he felt he couldn't tell me last time where he was being transferred to, and I just stood there like..... you remember me???? you know who I am???

To have made an impression on someone who sees and deals with SO MANY people every day??? That felt insane and actually kind of wonderful!

[Nadine in NY]

Carmen wrote: "But last month I found out my favorite Cast Member recognizes ME as well!..."


That is amazing!