Weather in the Tries: Looks like we’re going to be in for more freezing fog for the next week or so. That makes it really feel cold outside as the humidity climbs to 100%. I live in the desert. You know, where we average 5”-8” of rain a year. At least our highs will be in the balmy (by comparison) upper 30s.

Meet Up with Old Friends:

When I first moved to the Tries 17 years ago, I met some really great gals and was invited into their book group. The group did not read the same book each time, instead we reported on whatever books we’d read since the last meeting, and if the book was ours, and we didn’t mind lending it, we’d bring it in case anyone else wanted to read it.

One thing led to another, as happens, and I moved to a different group that met considerably closer to where I lived, and then I moved to Albuquerque. I maintained friendship with some of the gals, and when I moved back to the Tries, I discovered the gals were still meeting. And then Covid hit, and that was the end of a lot of things as we knew them. I joined a Zoom book group, where we do read the same book, but it was, and is a great group with fun people, and I seriously enjoy it.

Then the original book group decided to Zoom, and I was invited to return to the fold. Yesterday was our meeting. It was great fun to see the original gals—one now in Bend, another now in Woodinville, and a third one now on Camano Island. It was really great to meet up with old friends, only one person couldn’t make it. I missed her. 

There are Blessings to Covid. Not many, but Zoom is one of them. If we still met face to face, we’d be minus at least 3. My other book group refuses to use Zoom, so they are missing out on a lot of support and friendship. 

When I zoom, I normally use a head set, and I find it much easier to hear than in a group setting. Especially if we meet in a coffee shop or restaurant (like we used to do). In those places I can’t hear as there is too much noise, even with my electronic ears turned to the proper setting.

Speaking of friends, Auntie Lenora is rich with good friends. I was the featured reader at a poetry group on the 12^thJanuary, and it was recorded. A goodest friend cut the recording until it was basically me reading, and it is now up on the Spoken Word. It’s a video, at the top 😉 I was using a background, and someone asked me to put my hat on (over the headset) so it’s perched up there, and as I move parts of it disappear and reappear. Damn! But I love Zoom 😉 A cousin from California was there, an old friend from Seattle was there. Had it been in person, it would have been a small group.

Photo of the Week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads

My review of The Forest of Stolen Girls —by June Hur, is posted. Great read. If you like Laura Joh Rawlins’ books, you’ll like this one.

Still slogging my way through Murder at the Mission. My goal is to finish it this week.

Earworm of the Week: Baby tiger grrrooowlls. Dumb me, I figured they’d sound more like a kitten than a grown-up tiger. Fortunately, one of the people in my writer’s group was a reporter and has actually held a baby tiger (you may now color Auntie Lenora JEALOUS!). Thanks to him, I spent a considerable amount of time on YouTube listening to tigers. That was research, folks. Yeah. Research. Writing is solitary but having a group of writers to go over your work is invaluable. Especially when they have varied backgrounds. 

Quotes on Friendship from https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/friendship-quotes

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. —Euripides

The world is round so that friendship may encircle it. —Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I’m still working at getting over my jealous. He got to hold a baby tiger! When Auntie Lenora becomes Empress of the Universe, she’ll get to hold as many baby tigers as she wants! And with her friends, she will share. Honest. Trust me. Oh, sorry, Auntie Lenora was just informed by the Brave Dog there will be NO baby tigers anywhere near. Sigh.