Monthly Archives: January 2024

Reading Report: Late January 2024

I just finished my fourth book for January 2024. It was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I gave it a B grade. I may raise or lower that grade later, depending on how the book sits with … Continue reading

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Lessons and Concerts

Last year my music composition lessons hadn’t been going well, and I was thinking of quitting, but then my teacher gave me an unusual lesson. He played a Schubert piece for me, talking about the various chord changes and other … Continue reading

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Bugged

There is a bug in my office. Not the spying kind. Nobody’s listening to me (that I know of) and damned if they wouldn’t be bored if they were. No, I literally mean the insectoid kind. It buzzes around every … Continue reading

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Loving the Dream

My husband found out last year that as the child of Portuguese citizens he is entitled to Portuguese citizenship himself. He’s looking into it. If he did get Portuguese citizenship, then the kids and I could get it, too, and … Continue reading

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Random Thoughts from Last Year

At my last eye appointment, the doctor said that my eyes had gotten better. This was hard for me to believe, because my vision had gotten noticeably worse. Having thought about it since, I think I understand the seeming discrepancy. … Continue reading

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A Great Series

Two of the books of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain were on the Top 100 Children’s Books. If I’d had any say in the list, I’d have included the entire series as a single item (ditto the Harry Potter and … Continue reading

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Don’t Read It for the Mystery

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb, B- In The Violin Conspiracy, high schooler Ray McMillian wants to play the violin, but his mother wants him to get his GED and quit school early so that he can get a job. … Continue reading

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The Wind in the Willows

Continuing my quest to read all of the Top 100 Children’s Books, I read The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In short, the story is about three anthropomorphic animals (Mole, Ratty, and Badger) who become friends and help … Continue reading

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A Couple of Things I Learned Last Year

If you need to survive in outer space without a spacesuit, you should not hold your breath. Having a lot of air in your lungs will cause your lungs to explode. Ouch! So let out as much air as you … Continue reading

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Random Thoughts 1/17/24

My daughter recently turned 13. It’s hard to believe that it was over 13 years ago that my little girl was ushered into this world by a snowstorm, and yet I cannot imagine life without her. If there’s one thing … Continue reading

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