Jane Haddam

Jane Haddam, *Conspiracy Theory*
Another Gregor Demarkian novel. Haddam likes to orient her books to the real world. In this case she talks about conspiracy theories. She gives web sites.

Gregor's neighborhood Armenian church is bombed into rubble. Meanwhile a prominent banker is shot. How will Gregor connect these two events.

Jane Haddam

Jane Haddam, *The Headmaster's Wife*
Another Gregor Demarkian mystery. This novel deals with the politics of a boarding school. The son of a friend of Gregor's calls him because he (the son) thinks he may be hallucinating.
Everyone at the school thinks Mark is a druggie but Mark says he never takes drugs. Then his room mate commits suicide. Gregor does not want to investigate another murder but he wants to help mark.
It took me a few chapters to get into this book, which features a huge cast of characters any of whom can be the murderer.

Jane Haddam

Jane Haddam, *Hardscrabble Road*
Jane Haddam writes classical mysteries, calling her protagonist the Armenian American Hercule Poirot. Gregor Demarkian is a retired FBI Special Agent who often consults in murder mysteries.
In this mystery, Gregor is called in when a homeless man disappears. It's a complex story. A radio celebrity is arrested with a lot of prescription drugs he blames the homeless man as his supplier. Evrybody knows the old alkie can barely find the mens room, much less go to pharmacies to get prescriptions filled.
Then the celebrity is found dead.
Hardscrabble Road is the site of a monastery (female) which figures in the mystery.
Recommended for hard scrabble mystery fans.

More on The Great Depression

In the small town where I was raised I was of the affluent elite, because my father taught school and had a salary, altho years later I learned we lived far below the poverty line. Our neighbors had no money at all and lived in houses they did not own. we lived in a certified Ghost Town.

The Great Depression

Back in the day it was only a depression, not The Great.
The depression was underway in Iowa in the early twenties. During the Great War when the price of wheat was high, farmers borrowed money. Then they lost their farms when the war was over and the price of wheat fell.
The stock market crashed in 1929.
I was born in 1926. My memories began after Roosevelt had been elected president. In rural Michigan where I lived, everybody I knew hated Roosevelt and the New Deal. R slaughtered baby pigs. (This was a program to reduce production. Pigs were slaughtered and farmers were paid not to plant.)

My father was out of work in 1936. We lived on credit. Our landlady allowed us to stay in our rented house and our grocer extended credit.

We ate beans and beans and beans and beans. During the summer we canned and canned. we picked wild blackberries and canned fifty quarts. During the summer we ate string beans cooked in milk. My mother was nutrition conscious.

Fear

Today on NPR I listened to a rabbi who has written a book about getting along with your relatives who disagree with you. *Faith without Fanaticism*
He suggests that one asks the other, "What about this frightens you?"

So I asked myself, "What frightens you about Sarah Palin?"
I have said before that I feel as if I were looking at the Ghost of Christmas Past. Gov. Palin is straight out of the fifties, the Eisenhower administration.
I guess I fear that all the advances (in my opinion) made by women during the past fifty years will be cancelled.

My fears lessened during the VP debate when Palin modified her stance on gay marriage. It occurred to me that culture itself will put pressure on Palin. The culture has moved forward. A cultural lag can only do so much.

And culture change comes about as a result of technology change. I would suggest that the women's movement came about because women no longer produce at home. In the old days women had a great deal of work to do in the household.

The Election

Last night I listened to the acceptance speech of the first African-American president elect. I had a proprietary feeling that I had helped bring about this moment.
In the sixties I marched in civil rights demonstrations. In Lansing MI that was not very dangerous, but my feet hurt.
Even last year I never would have believed that this man could be elected president.
As a sociologist, I think after listening all day to the analysis of exit polls that it boils down to demographics. A new generation has arrived.

Oct 15

I have had one comment from Whited Sepulchre, asking if I see any difference between Republican and Democratic party.
Actually, I don't think so. What I do think is that we need two parties, fighting each other.
I lived in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas during the fifties, when there was only one party in that county (Democrats). It was corrupt. That is the county where Lyndon Johnson got his extra votes.
On the other hand, I do not want to see a strong minority third party. That third party can hold hostage the government, as in Israel. The Orthodox Party keeps the religious laws in place.

I think the Republicans have had their turn. Now it is time to have the Democrats.
By the way, I never voted for LBJ. During the sixties, I votd the Prohibition Party in Michigan. In 1976 I was on a third party ticket.

Spanglish

My professional interest has always been culture change. And part of culture change is language change.
I am now obsessed with the juxtaposition of English and Spanish, particularly in Texas.
For more than twenty-five years I have noticed that TexMex seems to have lost the use of the Spanish estar (one form of to be). In formal Spanish, our English verb to be has two forms. Ser is used for a "state", as in Yo soy una mujer. Estar is used for place, as in Yo estoy en mi casa.
Tex Mex seems to be using only ser for both senses.
Last week I was trying to explain this to my companions in a restaurant. I asked the Hispanic waitress, "What does yo estoy mean in English?"
She did not know.
Later she came back and told me that it meant "I am here."
People use "Yo soy aqui."

Following Election campaign 10/5

I am shocked that McCain has given up campaigning in Michigan. Michigan is my home state.
I have never heard of giving up campaigning in a state. It has probably been done and I just did not realize.
Michigan is in such dire economic straits that nothing can be done. My son has a small business in Lansing MI. That was a one industry town, Oldsmobile, which has shut down. Period.

Vice Presidential debate

I have mellowed out about the illustrious governor of Alaska. After listening to the debate between her and Biden, I believe that the culture has changed enough in the past forty years so that Palin, even if president, could not push back the tide.
What gave me encouragement was her response to same sex marriage.

Biden answered properly that marriage is a matter for the states, altho he thinks same sex couples should have civil rights, ability to visit each other in hospital and such.
Much to my surprise, Palin agreed with him.

Margaret Maron

Lady Chica's personality has completely changed in the last two weeks. She is becoming a lap dog. She has given up running the fence parking cars and sits on the table begging people to pet her. Amazing.

I went to UU church this morning bc I wanted to hear the speaker. His topic was "core values".

Took a nap. Did some sewing. Off to Ft. Woof.

BOOK REVIEW
Margaret Maron, *Death's Half Acre*
Deborah Knott series. Deborah is now married to Dwight, the sheriff's deputy. Three murders occur in their town. The trademark of a Maron novel is the surprise ending. I knew that none of the usual suspects was the killer but I never in a million years would have guessed the killer. In addition, Deborah's father, the bootlegger, is carrying on a scam of his own. The reader has to put the pieces together.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Kathy Reichs

Noon. Slept in. Walked dogs, ate breakfast. I plan to do some sewing before running errands. I want to finish string quilt.
Reich's book influenced my dreams. I dreamed I was somehow trying to do something with a cult which had designated Ronald Reagan as a saint. They were having some kind of ritual around a tree.
*Devil Bones* is about exotic religions. Mostly African religions with Catholicism superimposed, voodoo in Haiti, santera in Cuba. something else in Mexico.
I feel better about the TV show, learning from the book jacket that it is a prequel to the books. about Temperance Brennan when she was young.

Ft. Woof was a hoot last night. Blitzen likes to stir up the big dogs --on the other side of the fence. At one time eight big dogs were racing on one side of the fence and five little dogs on the other side of the fence.

Somehow the day has wandered off. Began to listen to *Bitterroot* by James Lee Burke. I only get sewing done if I listen to tape. Off to Ft. Woof at six. The days are getting shorter.

BOOK REVIEW:
Kathy Reichs, *Devil Bones*
forensic anthropology. Temperance brennan. bones and a headless body and a policeman shot. Complicated plot.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Philip Friedman

Up at 10 am. Off to Senior Center for Food Pantry, giving Marilyn a ride. Library has a book waiting. Then off to Walgreen's to get photos.

Marilyn and I had fun trading food items. I gave her the white bread and the cookies for her grandchildren. She traded Slppy Joe stuff for dill pickles.
From library I got Kathy Reich's latest and found Margaret Maron's latest. Then I came home and took a nap. And so it goes. Off to Ft. Woof at 6:21 PM

BOOK REVIEW
Philip Friedman, *Reasonable Doubt*
legal procedural. meaning the account of a trial. Michael Ryan's son is murdered and the son's wife is indicted for the murder. She requests Ryan for her defense lawyer. Well, she is not guilty and we are shocked at who the killer is. I found this somewhat boring actually.






Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sept 4

Tortellini for breakfast. I plan to rest today. My arm aches from the tetanus shot. My leg aches on general principal. My immediate frustrations have been solved.

The day has drifted by. I have sewed on string quilt. I finally finished listening to that horrible, horrible book, *Dark Eye* by William Bernhardt.

Deborah Crombie

Got up and struggled with Earthlink and juno. Gave up and took car to KwikKar. The coolant deal was easily solved. The cap had worn out..
I had a tune up and replaced ignition coils. Bit by bit I am replacing my car. I feel like that Johnny Cash song about building a Cadillac by taking home pieces from work.

Came home and took a nap. Struggled again with Earthlink and Juno. Gave up. PPQS meeting tonight. People approve of my string quilt.

BOOK REVIEW
Deborah Crombie, *And Justice There is None*
Police procedural. Duncain Kincaid and Gemma James series. This time the wife of an antique dealer is murdered. It seems to be related to another murder. Then the antique dealer is killed.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Hank the cowdog

Baptist Center. Back at the ranch. Farmer: I have a book of Hank the Cowdog.

We have a hullaballoo, lady from MRMH.

Well, I survived. Actually we had a slow day. Ate lunch at church and sat in library waiting for my appointment to have my shots for international travel. I am going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Sept 12 -18.
Came home, took a nap. Went to dog park at six and came home at seven as wind was starting up briskly. We are getting the edge of Gustav. Lady Chica went through agility. Then I got Blitzen through tunnels one and two. He ran from tunnel two through tunnel three without being on a leash. Yeah!!!!

BOOK REVIEW
John R. Erickson, *Let Sleeping Dogs Lie*
Hank the Cowdog. And, yes, Hank is a blue heeler. He talks about his "Australian fangs". In
this book he is accused of killing chickens and is going to be put down. It is very scary. I find it upsetting.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

Raymond Khoury

I know if I listen to those tapes any more that I will have nightmares. The killer has kidnapped our heroine. He plans to kill her.
10 PM Sunday night. I think I will listen to news and hear about the hurricane.

I am so frustrated. After spending all that money, my car engine is heating up. And tomorrow is a holiday. I keep telling myself one step at a time.

Well, fortunately I listened to the tapes some more. I should have known that Susan was not dead; I had four more tapes to listen to. Susan was left for dead in the desert, and the killer left a clue that the autistic kid deciphered. So she was rescued.

Monday. I am amazed at how well I can manage my life. I got to a gas station by parking every other block and letting my engine cool. A nice young man helped me refill my coolant. Something is still wrong, and I will takeit in on Wed.

Ft. Woof was seren. Talked with history prof andhis wife. We discussed politics. Then I went over to Martha's. We watched the news, the hurricane and the RNC. The RNC was rather surreal.
Jeff grilled a pork roast. After dinner I took a nap and came home.

BOOK REVIEW
Raymond Khoury, *The Last Templar*
Same plot as Dan Brown. A lot of historical stuff about The Knights Templar. I am fascinated with the book.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Carolyn Hart

Woke at 5 am with a nightmare. My sister says it is the books I read. Actually listening to books on tape is worse.
Pushed snooze button four times. Thot of my son. Saturday (yesterday) he had the day off. He deliberately set alarm in order to push snooze button several times

My friend, Nan, is denomination searching. She wished to visit Arlington Unitarian Universalist church, and I suggested that I would accompany her so that she would not feel so strange. first I explained that Arlington UU was a church in name only, that it was de facto a fellowship. Nan asked what was the difference. Well, today must have shown her. It was *Do It Yourself* Sunday. Members share poems and pieces of reading. One member recited *The Owl and the Pussycat*. She told her story and it was clear that the poem had deep meaning for her. She and a friend used to recite it over the phone.
Today was also potluck. Nan decided to go home. Lea asked if I would go with her to La Madelaine, where I had a spinach thing.
Lea and I are fast friends. We agree that the most important equipment for a trip is books. So we went to Half Price books to pick up some paper backs. I mean, we did pay for them
I came home and took a nap until Lady Chica decided I needed to get up and licked my face over and over. Temp is 93 degrees. We are off to Ft. Woof.

BOOK REVIEW
Carolyn Hart, *April Fool Dead*
chick book. The heroine owns a book store selling mysteries on an island. She is holding a puzzle thing to publicize a book signing. Somebody fakes a list of clues all having to do with dark secrets people are hiding. One of a series.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

William Bernhardt

We arose and went forth to Ft. Woof. Hot and humid. Saw our friend, the history prof from TCU. Lady Chica went up to him and asked to be petted. She has changed so much. She lies onthe table.
Stopped at Town Talk to pick up cheese cake to take to AA bday party. Hot and humid.
Paid the rent.

Came home and took a nap. Where has the day gone? Went to AA bday party which lasted until 9:30. I have been attending for five or six years now. I have been watching people stay sober.

BOOK REVIEW
William Bernhardt, *Dark Eye*
I would not recommend this book to anyone with a delicate stomach. The murder scenes are described in detail. One of the sexual encounters is gross. The protagonist is a practicing alcoholic, and I the reader want to stop her drinking. It is fascinating, however. An autistic young man is solving puzzles, cryptograms left by the killer. The killer is using Poe's stories.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Patricia Cornwall

I woke from a strange dream. I am not exactly sure what happened, but I was in a protest meeting of some sort. I was suddenly asked to give a lecture off the top of my head on the status of women. So I went to the podium and began. In the audience was a woman buck naked, as protest (forget burning your bra). Of course, she had precedence. Isaiah did this in Biblical times. He was reminding people that as prisoners of war they would be paraded naked through the streets.

I slept until eleven. I was tired.My walking on the beach did me a world of good, releasing my ham strings. I can now squat!!!

Well, I wish I used the phone more frequently. I am needing innoculation for going to Mexico.
I drove over to Public Health in Arlington. They gave me a piece of paper with phone number and I have made reservations for Tuesday after Baptist Center. I had forgotten this was Labor Day weekend, and the traffic was horrendous. Almost worse than Houston.

I stopped off at Sonic and treated myself and Marilyn to a fried ice cream Sonic blast. that was so good. Then I came home and slept for two hours. I was tired.

I have not listened to books on tape nor sewed a stitch. Off to Ft. Woof.


BOOK REVIEW
Patricia Cornwall, *Trace*
Scarpetta novel. I prefer the early Cromwell, but this was welldone altho depressing. Five years after she was fired as Chief Medical Examiner in VA, Scarpetta returns to Richmond to consult on a case. Trace refers to traces of bone ashes and paint found in two disparate corpses. Scarpetta is accused of carelessness.

William Bernhardt

Wed nite at the dog park. Blitzen seems to need to re-establish himself. He goes around humping various dogs. Meanwhile Lady Chica has become friendly. She has come and sat on the table under the shelter. Making up to people.
Just ordered a trial version of earthlink. I may change providers.

The bigots were out in the park tonight. Some people are so racist.

Thursday morning. I gave Marilyn a wakeup call at eight and planned to go back to sleep, but I am wide awake. I am so agile these days. Walking on the beach did me so much good. We are going to stitch workshop at Club House.

What a busy morning. Attended Stitchin Time. That teacher gave each of us triangles to make one quilt block of flower garden. Wow.
Martha emailed me offering leftover shrimp scampi if I drove over and picked it up. Yes!!!! It was out of this world. I have monk fish besides.
Then off far far away to post office to pick up mail.
Now for a nap.

I never did get to sleep, I don't think. Maybe I did. I got up and have been sewing furiously on my string quilt top. Listening to novel by William Bernard.

BOOK REVIEW
William Bernhardt, *Dark Eye*
When I listen to books on tape I get into them. I feel as if I were in Las Vegas. Bernhardt's books are different. Serial killer in Las Vegas. The protagonist is a woman profiler who is an alcoholic and keeps drinking. I hope it has a happy ending. I am on disc six of eleven.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday August 26

Arose and went to community breakfast. Really good. German pancakes with sauce. My walks on the beach did me a world of good. I was jumping up and down, serving others.
Took a nap.
Then I took Marilyn to Senior Center to sign up for food bank.
Made a library run.
Have been having a lot of trouble getting on Juno. Lea suggests I try other ISPs.

Took my second nap. Off to Ft. Woof.

Back from Vacation

Arrived home 8 PM. Exhausted but happy. We had a good week. Went up to tell Marilyn I am home and she offered me a dish of ice cream with choc sauce. That is a joke, bc all week I was eating dessert for my entre at expensive seafood restaurants.

Monday 10 am. I intend to spend the day lolling in bed. I am more agile but tired. The first day I walked barefoot in the sand and could barely walk for four days. I would not qualify for the senior olympics.

I did go down and visit Marilyn who gave me a bowl of soup. Martha I am using your red bowl. Went to Walmart and bought a scrapbook binder.

Meeting of Philosophical Paleontology and Quilting Society. I will bring dogs home.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Lisa Scottoline

Mornings are easier without the dogs. They get up and Blitzen barks and lady Chica licks my face, demanding to be walked and fed.

Attended Sunday School and church. Then Ron brot some watermelons to the fellowship hall so that we could fellowship together. The Farmer was there.

REMEMBER: I will be gone for a week. On vacation.

BOOK REVIEW:
Lisa Scottoline, *Legal Tender*
Boilerplot but fun. Bennie Rosato (Benita) is a defense lawyer in New York City whose cases are mostly demonstrators and such. Her law partner wants to defend massive pharmaceuticals and plans to dissolve the partnership. Then he is killed and bennie is the chief suspect. Her race to find the real killer is a fun odyssey.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Jayne Ann Krentz

Tomorrow will be my last journall for a week.
Slept in until ten again today. Even Blitzen did not get up. I think the cool weather makes a difference, altho my muscles ache this morning.
Going to Circle Theatre with Lea this afternoon and leave Blitzen and Lady Chica for their vacation.

Nobody to greet me at the door when I came home. I am so tired, happy tired. Lea and I attended *Unnecessary Farce*. It was hilariously funny, a true farce.
Then John took us out to eat at Ryan's buffet. The food was sooo good. I am tired and sated.

Jayne Ann Krentz, *White Lies*
I can't believe I read and enjoyed this book. paranormal romance and soft porn. A fellow resident recommended it. So I took it home so that I wouldn't hurt her feelings. I intended to just look at it, but I became intriqued. Paranormal means the characters have psychic powers.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

James Lee Burke

Slept until ten. Every muscles in my body hurts. What did I do yesterday? Probably moving fast. We had heavy rain during the night.

I have been working all day on my string quilt. Also my tote bags. Cut out lining for tote bags.
Went to Ft. Woof as usual. Then Marilyn had a homecoming party for Helen who has been in hospital and nursing home. We shared cake outdoors.

BOOK REVIEW
James Lee Burke *Moon of Red Ponies*
Finally finished listening to tape. It ends in a satisfactory manner, like reality. The focus of conflict during the novel was a set of stolen computer discs. Finally they were sent to the media and published but nothing much happened. And Billy Bob lived happily ever after.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Linda Fairstein

I have had a day!!!! First off, I went to Stitchin Time. A fellow resident of Sunset Gardens is having a craft class. The teacher cut off fabric for a tote bag, actually two for me and one I will give Clara. So I have a new project.
Then I took my car to Kwik Kar in Arlington, where I have gone for 15 years. The little light that is a coolant icon kept coming on and going off. It turned out to be the thermostat. They cleaned it and replaced something. Now even the AC is cold. I don't really understand all this.

Then off to Town Talk. They had lots and lots of goodies. I bought strawberries. I read in Wikipedia that people who eat fruit regularly have a lower probability of getting shingles. I know two people with shingles, Bill R and Doris.

Came home and took a nap. Then worked steadily on my string quilt. I am making three scrap quilts. Off to Ft. Woof at seven. Lady Chica got muddy. She got wet and rolled in the dirt.

BOOK REVIEW
Linda Fairstein,*Killer Heat*
Police procedural. Our heroine is an assistant district attorney and the case revolves around a serial killer. They visit various historical sites around Manhattan. Interesting.




Hugs, Dr. Liz

J.D. Robb

Sometimes I think dogs have built in alarm clocks. At ten am Blitzen barked and barked until I got up. He wanted breakfast. All testosterone!!!!!

I just had time to shower and dress and get over to Senior Center for birthday luncheon for Bill R , our tai chi teacher. he has shingles. It was good to see him. Margie T was there. We had spaghetti. from Olive Garden.

Took almost all library books back. I WILL BE OUT OF POCKET NEXT WEEK. Going to Galveston for memorial Reunion on LIbby's birthday. Libby is my daughter who died 2006.

I slept for three hours this afternoon, until Blitzen barked and barked. After we had gone out to pee, I had fed them, and they played for a while, they quietly went to sleep while I worked on a quilt top. At seven we went to Ft. Woof. There were a lot of new little dogs there, and Blitzen was busy humping everyone. On the way home, Blitzen told me that he was just trying to organize the crowd, that the chaos was getting on his nerves.

BOOK REVIEW:
J.D. Robb, *Survivor in Death*
romantic police procedural. soft porn. Lt. Eve Dallas is a member of NYPD in 2059. This is a clever book. I enjoyed it. A family of four are wiped out by a home invader, and Dallas has to figure out why.

James Lee Burke

8 am. Up in time to eat breakfast. Still sleepy. No pains this morning.
Staffing reception desk at Baptist Center and busier than if open. All morning I answered questions. We are closed bc at 1 PM we are giving out 1200 school uniforms.

PPQS is Philosophical Paleontology and Quilting Society

I came home, ate lunch and took a nap. Then we dashed to Ft. Woof. Then I went off to have dinner with Leta. Leta is a great cook. We had goulash.

On the way to the meeting I was almost run over by a police chase. I was in the near lane when a great big white van was racing down the center line. Right behind him was a screaming police van. I meanwhile got into the outer lane. Then another police car came screaming. Then another police car came screaming. By then I was totally disoriented. I turned at the wrong corner. Then I met the three police cars come screaming back. I did manage to get to the meeting.


BOOK REVIEW
James Lee Burke, *Moon of the Painted Ponies*
I am only on cassette four of nine. His protagonist is BillyBob the Texas lawyer who has moved to Montana. He defends Johnny American Horse who dreams of red ponies.

I have two other books underway.
I will be going out of town next week. I will be returning all my library books.
We are having a Memorial Reunion on Libby's birthday. LIbby is my daughter who died in 2006.

Torch

I ache all over this morning. We may not get rain but the air pressure is changing. I think I will go back to bed.

I have worked hard all day on my three crazy quilts. Resting now and then.

Off to Lea"s (with dogs) for PPQS meeting. I could not even list what we talk about. Our conversation goes back and forth.

BOOK REVIEW
Deanie Francis Mills, *Torch*
My assessment is that this book is not focused. It seems to me that the author could not make up her mind what book she is writing. There is the mystery of the arsonist and the hunt for him. Then there is the story of the arsonist as well as the coming of age of the reporter. I found parts interesting. The novel needs editing.

Seven Sisters

A little gecko is living near me and walks across my window.

I made it to Sunday School and church. I have been tired all afternoon. Listening to tapes of *Torch*. The casettes are bad.

Finished hemming Lea's quilt. Went to dog park. Both dogs tired themselves out and are asleep. Judy, Ken and Szabo were there.

BOOK REVIEW
Earlene Fowler, *Seven Sisters*
In this series, every book title is the name of a quilt pattern. This pattern has seven stars and is based on pelaides. In the book this is the name of a ranch. I had read this before but wanted to read again for the relationships. Each book is an episode in Benni Harper's life. In this case, Benni's stepson is engaged to marry a woman from an important ranch family. At the engagement party, the fiance's aunt's husband is shot.

Indiana Jones

10:44 am Dawdled in bed until time to shower and dress. Dogs to Lea's backyard and me to Indiana Jones with Lea.
Well, Indiana Jones is still Indiana Jones. (It is a movie starring Harrison Ford.) The usual impossible events. As the story grows more rediculous the movie gets better and better. Harrison Ford is still sexy in my book.

After the movie, Lea and I made our pilgrimage to Joanne's fabric. This was a PPQS field trip. I bought a pattern and Lea bought some fabric.

Book Review
Earlene Fowler, *Broken Dishes*
This is the series where each title is the name of a quilt pattern. I could not find this pattern in my book of patterns. It may be there under another name. In this book, Broken Dishes is the name of a ranch where Benni Harper is helping her friends start a dude ranch. On a trail ride, one of the ranch dogs brings back a human bone. Long buried.
I thot I was so clever guessing the villain in the first chapter, until I reached the end and realized that I had read this book before long ago. It was published in 2004.









Hugs, Dr. Liz

Marcia Muller

Woke at 8 am. Sky was overcast. So we hightailed it over to Ft. Woof where we met Judy. Yeah. Mower was in small dog park. So we sat in big dog park near where Blitzen escapes so that we could watch Blitzen. Then a huge intact male pit bull arrived. So we retired to small dog park. Meanwhile Blitzen escaped in another place in the fence. Fortunately he joined us in the small dog park. Judy and I chatted away for two hours.

I took a long nap. Then I went over to chat with Marilyn and found myself watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. I am glad I did not miss that. Incredible.

BOOK REVIEW
Marcia Muller, *Where Echoes Live*
Yeah. This is the book where Sharon McCone meets Hi Ripinsky, whom she later marries. It is a very complex plot, concerning a company who scams land out of the BLM. Somehow one can buy federal land if one stakes a mining claim. I don't understand it. Companies fake gold mines in order to buy land cheap.

Delectable Mountains

The Bible never talks about how Jesus handled recalcitrant followers. I can hear them now, "Jesus, I come from the same village as Hezakiah and you turned the water into wine at his wedding. I have a right to have you turn the water into wine at my wedding."

We got up at 10 am and raced to Ft. Woof. I did stop for coffee this morning. Park was not bad with a breeze blowing and shade. Most of the time we were the only small dogs. Rascal came for a while. His owners think he is a whippet but I think he may be a saluki.
Blitzen pulled a Lady Chica on me when it came time to go home. Usually he waits at the gate.

I came home and took a nap. This evening I spent the evening at Marilyn's chatting with Oda Mae and Mildred.


BOOK REVIEW
Earlene Fowler, *Delectable Mountains*
The title of each book in this series is the name of a quilt pattern. Delectable Mountains were the destination of Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress. This has to do with the plot of the book. Benni Harper directs a children's play of an adaptation of Pilgrim's Progress. The church maintenance man is killed in front of the altar and an antique violin is stolen.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday Aug 7

Up at 6 am for breakfast. Then back to bed.

The maintenance man drives by in his golf cart and my dogs are agitated. The morning is so cool. I have hair apt unfortunately and cannot get to dog park.

I got my hair cut. Then it was cool so we went to Ft. Woof. Few dogs and people.

I am hemming Lea's most recent lap quilt. I listen to tape, visit Marilyn.

BOOK REVIEW
Sally Spencer, *Dying Fall*
English police procedural. This is not Miss Marple's English village. Set in Lancashire, England, in 1966 this is a dying industrial village complete with hard mods (gangs). Someone is burning tramps alive (albeit asleep so they don't feel pain). Chief Inspector Woodend and his team must find the culprit. One of a series.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Hank the cowdog

Forgot to set alarm. Woke with fifteen minutes to get outthe door.

This morning was chaos. Next week kids begin getting school uniforms and people were hectic. I blew up and I feel such shame. I believe that I am the only woman who ever blows up.
My problem is that I shut up and shut up and then blow. I don't know how to politely talk to somebody.
In Sunday school class we talk about feeding the poor, but nobody mentions that the poor are demanding and sometimes hostile.

I came home and slept four hours. Chatted with Marilyn and watched wether channel. AT 5 pm temp was 99. I walked dogs to pee and they came in and have gone to sleep. No dog park tonight. Walking for three minutes exhausted me.
The dogs have slept all evening.

BOOK REVIEW
John R. Erickson, *The Case of the Most Ancient Bone*
Hank the Cowdog. This is the fiftieth book in the series. The series is composed of children's books, funny for children with sly humor for adults between the lines.
In this book, archaeologists come to dig on the ranch. They find a buffalo bone which Hank covets. Two coyotes come in to steal the bone and Hank manages to trick the coyotes into leaving. He is a hero.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Killer Angels

10 am Well, I am up and walking. PPQS meeting tonight. Meanwhile I stay indoors.

I stayed inside all day except for walking the dogs. Tonight we all went over to Lea's. Lea's dog, Pup, was lying in the hole he had dug. Next to him Blitzen was lying in a hole he had dug. Shades of Hank the Cowdog. Meanwhile Lady Chica was barking at the mice.

Our topic tonight was medicare. Lea is contemplating medicare four years from now.

BOOK REVIEW
Michael Shaara, *Killer Angels*
Listened to it on tape. It is easier for me bc narrator uses different voices. This book was published in 1974 and was used for *Gettysburg*. Everybody should know about it by now.
It is a "fictional" account of the Battle of Gettysburg. Strange how suspense builds as Pickett's charge nears. I remember the scene from Ken Burns' documentary of the 25th reunion at Gettysburg. As the Rebs come forward, the Yanks run down to meet them and they all hug.

I think wars are so stupid. Twenty-five years later the combatants are friends.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sneaky Pie Brown

AT 4 PM outdoor thermometer in the shade reads 104.

Attended Sunday school and church. Our interim pastor is a forceful speaker and wears cowboy boots in the pulpit. I am not sure about where he is on the theological scale. He began the sermon with an AA slogan. There is a God and you aren't he.
Then he quoted Karl Barth and Paul Tillich. Also Bonhoeffer. Those are all guys from the fifties but pretty radical.

Came home and took a nap. It is so hot outside. The dogs take a brief walk, demand to be fed and go back to sleep.

Official temp is 107. I watched the news at Marilyn's and it was all about the heat. I went over to chat with Marilyn for a while. I am doing hand work on my crazy quilt.

BOOK REVIEW
Rita Mae Brown, *Claws and Effect*.
This is a neat mystery for those not bothered by dogs and cats that talk. They only talk to each other, not the humans. But the animals discover the secret passage left over from the Underground Railroad.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Saturday Aug 2

Noon. I have decreed we will not visit the dog park today. Too hot. I only woke at 10:30 am. Struggling with my ISP. I have so many projects to finish.
Listening to *Killer Angels* on tape. These books are easier to hear on tape bc the narrator changes voices.
The Black Hat Brigade of Detroit was considered the best unit in the Union Army.

I feel so tired. No energy. Tuesday will be 107. Over 100 all week.


BOOK REVIEW
Jonathan Kellerman, *Compulsion*
Alex Delaware novel. I have read this before but I could not remember the ending. Well, it was worth reading twice. A serial killer is on the loose, a shape shifter. A frustrated actor uses disguises.

Friday August 1

8 am Up briefly to orient myself. Woke from a nightmare where all was chaos, sort of like the beginning of Left Behind.

11 am Lady Chica licks me until I get up. She is so determind. I believe that Hank the Cattle Dog is a blue heeler altho he is not pictured as such.

Ran errands. Remind me never to go to the bank at noon on Friday. Long waiting line. I am so tired this afternoon. The temp ranges around 105 every day.

Couldn't get to sleep. Just tired. Took dogs to Ft. Woof and they just lay around. Then they come home and use the house for a race track.

BOOK REVIEW
Janet Ivanovich, *high Five*
I found this amusing whereas in the past I have hated this series. The protagonist is Stephanie, a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey. In this book she is searching for her Uncle Fred, who has vanished.

J.D. Robb, *Interlude in Death*
romantic police procedural. This is the series about Eve Dallas in 2060, lt in New York Police. Only this time she is off planet in a resort satellite owned by her husband. She is speaking at a police seminar and murder ensues.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Jonathan Kellerman

I threw down breakfast and threw on clothes and off we went to Ft. Woof. Guess who was there> Fifteen cops on motorsickles, seemingly being trained. The cops set up an obstacle course in the parking lot, using traffic cones. These guys seemed to be learning. An instructor was out yelling at them.
Blitzen and Lady Chica run side by side in perfect tandem, and people are amazed. It comes from being on a double leash and running. They learned.

I went Krogering. Indulged myself with dove bars and a calzone.
Mystery solved: Marilyn and I have thot Mildred non compos mentis. She confided that she is on meds for Alzheimer's.

I worry about senility but Martha assures me that I have always been like this.

Took a nap. This evening I went over and sewed while chatting with Marilyn. She tells me about her childhood.


BOOK REVIEW
Jonathan Kellerman, *The Conspiracy Club*
In my opinion, this is not one of his better novels. Kellerman introduces a new protagonist, a young psychologist whose fiance is slain by a serial killer. With the help of the Central Conspiracy Club he tracks down the killer.

Wednesday July 30

The cover jacket for *Under the Beetle's Cellar* calls it a modern morality play.
I have slept the clock around more or less. It rained this morning. Off to Ft. Woof.
We had the place to ourselves and Lady Chica loves to chase birds all over the field.
Went over to Martha's. She and I ran errands. Then we went to Kohl's. I bought a beautiful sleevless dress.
Jeff grilled exotic chicken breasts. We had the usual great chat. Had a wonderful time.

No book reviews. Did not have time to read.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Under the beetle's cave

My usual Tuesday routine. I hit the snooze button thinking I have Sunday school time. Only I need to leave at 8:30. Threw on my clothes and arrived early.
Lighter load this morning. Altho later we had hostile people demanding groceries. The director suggested people were desparate.

I came home and slept for three hours. Then the dogs demanded to go to the dog park. Fairly cool with a breeze.

BOOK REVIEW
Mary Willis Walker, *Under the Beetle's Cellar*
The title comes from a line in a poem by Emily Dickinson.
The story concernes a hi-jacked school bus where the driver and eleven children are taken hostage to be sacrificed after 50 days when the world would end. Members of a cult had taken them hostage and buried them in a school bus underground "to purify them".
The driver is allowed a phone call of one minute. He refers to the poem as a means of telling the FBI negotiators where the hostages were located, under ground.
This is not a mystery. I found it compelling. The bus driver displays courage, keeping the children alive, altho he dies in the final attack by the FBI swat team.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Mary Willis Walker

I sat up until 4 am listening to The Red Scream. And I did not guess the killer. It was a big surprise.

10 am. Listening to *Under the Beetle's Cellar*, another Molly Cates novel. A cult buries school children in a bus.

I listened and sewed most of the day. Off to PPQS tonight. Temp was reputed to be 104 yesterday and the same today.

It was so hot. So hot. Had a great time talking with Lea. Lady Chica was barking at a mouse.

BOOK REVIEW
Mary Willis Walker, *Under the Beetle's Cellar*
Molly Cates is a writer for Lone Star Monthly and had written an article on religious cults. Hence she was assigned to write an article on the situation where Mordecai and his cult had kidnaped a school bus and eleven children, making a total of twelve. They were buried in a school bus under the beetle's cellar. I am half through.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Mary Willis Walker

I went to bed in time to get up for Sunday School. It is 8:14 am and Blitzen is still in bed, rather than up begging to lick my breakfast bowl.

Our new Interim Pastor preached his first sermon. He has a pronounced southern accent (not Texan). Margie T is on the other side of the church divide. She and I each agreed it was a good sermon. He used a lot of Biblical support but it was a strong sermon. He has spent the last ten years teaching in a seminary, the same job that our former pastor has taken over.

Lay around all afternoon. went to the dog park. I told Ray about the jack russel. It turns out that Ray knows that jack russel. Chip (the jack russel) attacks Ray's dog every time Chip comes to the park. Ray threatens to shoot the jack russel.

BOOK REVIEW
Mary Willis Walker, *Red Scream*
Molly is a true crime writer. She has written a book about a serial killer. Now it appears that there is one murder the serial killer did not commit. I am halfway through the tape. I can think of three suspects. It is going to be a surprise ending.
I recommend this book to all mystery fans.
Hugs, Dr. Liz

Mary Willis Walker

I slept so well, perhaps because I am pain free. Slept till eleven and we made the dog park by noon. Only dog knowedgable people there and not many. Two owners came over from the big dog area bc somebody brot in three, yes thee intact male pit bulls.
There was a dog who looked just like Blitzen, she was part lab/part rottweiler. Caused me to wonder what Blitzen's genetic makeup is. Blitzen and I had a confrontation last night. He refused to "down" for a treat. So I walked away and he raced over to hastily "down".

I have found two Texas writers, William Manchee and Mary Willis Walker

Just lay around all afternoon. Trip to the dog park does me in. Listened to tape of *Red Scream* by Mary Willis Walker. Red scream refers to the scream of a person being executed.

Attended AA birthday night. Always a lot of food and birthday cake. Tomorrow I start my diet. Ha. I brot home some home made bread. The lady who brot it kept telling me to take some more.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sunshine and Shadow

We were up and out to the dog park by 8:45 am. I went before breakfast. Judy was there and we had fun chatting.
Then the dogs had a fight. A little jack russel snapped at Blitzen and he retaliated.
I lost my temper when the owner told me to take my aggressive dog out of the park. I used the f word. Her dog had already attacked two other dogs, including Szabo. She complained that Blitzen didn't have a collar. Well, he lost that in the fight.
Then she came over and harangued me that I did not get up and stop the fight. By that time I thought she was humorous. She decided I was too old to jump up and control my dog.

I know that I lose my temper when people deny something. I need to prepare myself. also be more proactive about Blitzen, altho that snippy dog was fast.
I despise jack russels. They are aggressive and their owners do not realize that or acknowledge.

I dropped by Senior Center bc Lee D called to see if I was OK. Then I made a library run. I think I have taken two naps today. Went to AlAnon birthday night. Leta celebrated and gave a moving talk.
Naomi from DID 12 step AA once asked me why we AlAnons celebrated birthdays. I think it is a chance to look at how far one has come.

BOOK REVIEW
Earlene Fowler, *Sunshine and Shadow*
cozy quilting mystery. This is a series where each title is the name of a quilting pattern. Benni Harper is curator of a quilt museum. In this case an old friend of her husband comes to town and is slain. Benni's husband is chief of police and formerly with LA police department. Is the killer somebody out of Gabe's past? I guessed the plot.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Loren Estleman

I slept in till eleven, no manic lawn care workers breaking the silence. We left for Ft. Woof just in time.
The park was cool and we had it all to ourselves. Lady Chica spent the hour chasing birds. I think they play with her.
One clueless couple planned to have a picnic lunch in the big dog side. Somebody must have shooed them away bc they had a radiator picnic. (They put food on front of vehicle.)
I think we must be feeling the effects of Hurricane Dolly.

had a massage this aft. It seems to have fixed my shoulder. We shall see.
Dinner at Outback with Leslie where we discussed linguistics. We split an order of this and that.


BOOK REVIEW
Loren Estleman, *Frames*
One never knows about Estlemann. This book is the first of a new series and I loved it. Valentino is a film archivist. He hunts for old films in order to save them. In this case he buys an old movie theatre and finds a silent movie as well as a skeleton in the liquor cellar.
He buys a movie theatre to live in bc he needs the space for viewing his movie finds.
He does a lot of detective work, discovers the murderer finds the police have reached the same conclusion.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday July 23

10 am. I intend to rest today. Just rest. No pains this morning. Temp is reaching at least 100 every day. The air feels like mush.

The dogs and I lay around all day. Spent two hours at Ft. Woof. Blitzen got a pack of eight dogs running on the other side of the fence. Later the dogs just lay in the shade. Lady Chica actually lay on the bench beside me. I read a Mrs. Murphy cat story. review soon.

BOOK REVIEW
William Manchester, *World Lit by Fire*
I read the chapter on Magellan. When his expedition returned to Spain, the 18 survivors found that they had lost a day. Magellan had been sailing westward as the earth turned east.
At first people tried to hide it, but several logs had been kept. The king destroyed one original but a copy had been kept. I don't understand how anyone figured out that the earth turned on its axis.
Actually, some scholars had known for years that the earth was round. Aristotle watched an eclipse and saw the round shadow on the moon.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday July 22

Baptist Center. Busy morning. Ninety sack lunches in 30 minutes. The guys (volunteers) are working.

My grandson, Josh, took me out to lunch at El Chico. Then we went to the Kimball Art Museum to see the Impressionist collection from Chicago Art Institute. We had a great time.

It was a workout, however. I came home and slept like the dead. I managed to get up and take dogs to Ft. Woof. Nothing to report.

I did not have time to read a word today.

Monday strikes again July 21

Monday morning strikes again. Dogs got me out of bed. I have been struggling with my computer for an hour. Windows involuntarily updates or did I hit the wrong button. etc etc etc
Off to purchase a new cell phone.

I did not need a new cell phone. Clerk cleaned dust in two minutes. I left happily.
Drifted past Thrift Town. Found a Chico's blouse. On Monday seniors get a 30% discount. I will get rid of two tee shirts.
Arrived home soaked to the skin with sweat. I changed clothes and Lady Chica expected me to be taking a shower.

I lounged in bed all afternoon, listening to Manchester on tape. The heat is getting to me, as well as ozone alert.
PPQS met tonight. I am going to try writing some stuff about my life. I want to write about the vast change that has occurred in my life time. *I Have Seen Rocks From the Moon*. Lea encourages me.

BOOK REVIEW
James Grippando, *Under Cover of Darkness*
Author has left some ends dangling, including woman hung in prison (literally dangling, get it?) On the whole, however, I recommend it for a thriller.
Got tapes for William Manchester. Struggling thru Milton Friedman. For lightening up I read Hank the cowdog.
Library does not have Gary Manzies, *1421 China Discovers America* and *1434 China Discovers Portugal*

Hugs, Dr. Liz

James Grippando

Made it to church and the Sunday feed.
Came home. Took a nap. Chatted with Marilyn for a while. Took dogs to park.
Lady Chica has completely changed. She recognized Judy coming into the park and ran to meet Judy. When Judy sat on a bench, Lady Chica sat down beside her.
The dogs sat in the shade. After we came home they raced and raced around the house.
Dropped by marilyn's house again. Ola Mae, her daughter visitin from Ohio, Clara with Benja the chihuahua, and Mildred. We had a party.

BOOK REVIEW
James Grippando, *Under Cover of Darkness*
This is a complex novel, with threads of plot. Beth W disappears. Her husband is frantic and one plot thread concerns his change in character as he remembers their marriage. Meanwhile the FBI is trailing a serial killer.
The tape is in terrible conditon. Anyhow, the husband and the FBI are converging upon a cult. A cult. Beth has joined a cult which is murdering people.

July 19

Saturday morning is so tranquil, with nobody coming or going. I feel rested this morning with little pain. I am off to Kroger's. I discovered last week that Sat twilight is no time to go Krogering. The store was crowded with people buying supplies for their party.
Think I will drop by Marilyn for another cup of coffee.

Met some Jehovah's Witnesses on the way. Marilyn was not up. I went Krogering and then made a library run. Did chant with Marilyn. Then I slept for three hours.

Nothing new at the dog park. I am still tired. Listening to tape of a novel. Cant remember author nor title.



BOOK REVIEW
Finished Death and Honor. I am waiting for the next episode. (proably not even in Griffen's mind)

I cannot finish Purgatory Ridge. Read the ending. One of the characters is too tragic. Another character is Lake Superior who never gives up her dead. That is because the lake is so cold that bodies do not deteriorate and rise to surface.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

WEB Griffin

This will be another day. I was up and down all night with an aching shoulder. From the Food Bank I recd a can of turnip greens. So I am feeding it to the dogs. They are crazy for it. A new book, *Me or the Dog* recommended a varied diet. Wolves eat the intestines of prey hence get vegies.
Potato soup for breaky.

Spent some time with Marilyn and the girls. Then I tried to take a nap. Finally I went to sleep.
Lady Chica behaved entirely different at Ft. Woof. She sort of adopted another little dog. She acted as if this dog were her puppy. It was so atypical. And Lady Chica did not run the fence.

Came home, and we all forced Marilyn to take a walk around the building. Then I came home and finished listening to Big Red Tequila. I am still reading *Death and Honor* It is a thick book.




BOOK REVIEW
W.E.B. Griffin, *Death and Honor*
This series is set in 1943 in Argentina, telling about OSS operations in that country, supposedly neutral. OSS was the precursor of the CIA. Griffin's heroes are all essentially the same guy with different names. Clete Frade had an American mother and Argentinian father. His mother's family raised him in Texas, they being wealthy oil people
I recommend the book for excitement. As usual with Griffin. Frade is recruited for OSS and goes down to meet his father. The first three books are about that encounter etc. In 1943 Frade is setting up an airline. Meanwhile the high ranking Nazis are preparing a nest egg for settlement after the war, which everybody but Hitler knows is lost. And senior staff officers of the Wermacht are planning to assasinate Hitler. Another character is Juan peron. I keep wondering how Frade survives the Peron years.

I looked up Canaris in Wikipedia. He was executed in 1945 after the failed July 20 assassination attempt on Hitler.
Hugs, Dr. Liz

Joan Hess

My avocado seed is sprouting. I have three little citrus sprouts.
Meanwhile I have two white denim pants and shorts I cannot find. Where did I pack them away? I have searched everwhere.
Well, I got up and walked dogs. Took package to post office. took some books to Half Price Books and did not make my gas money. When one buys used books from Amazon.com one cannot hope to make much at resale.
Then I attended birthday ice cream social at rec center. Marilyn, Mildred and Ola Mae insist I attend. We had banana splits and cup cake. Wow it was good. Now for a nap
NEW SCAM:
Some kind of Nestle something.

I was napping nicely when the lawn mower came by. Guess what!!!
Took dogs to Ft. Woof. Awfully warm.

BOOK REVIEW
Joan Hess, *A Diet to Die For*
Actually a classic mystery story. Claire Malloy owns a second hand book store. This novel deals with a friend who joins a diet clinic. I found it enthralling but light.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

William Krueger

Woke at 8 and took dogs out for a walk. It was so cool we jumped into the car and drove to Ft. Woof. I let Blitzen drive. (taht is a joke) The dogs really needed the exercise. Lady Chica was chasing birds back and forth across the field. The birds do this on purpose. I was enthralled in a trashy novel (review soon) and we stayed two hours. As we were leaving Judy was entering. I had not thot to call her.

I will spend the rest of the week de-tidying. I threw everything into leaf bags and shoved into the closet like Fibber McGee. I intend to keep lr and kitchen like a model apartment. I can close doors on bedroom and studio.

Slept for two hours. Went down to sit with Marilyn and do hand sewing. I dashed over to Dollar General for her, got cranberry juice and bread. Was amazed at the rise in prices.
Spent the evening listening to Big Red Tequila on tape.
Reading Milton Friedman and arguing with him.

BOOK REVIEW
William Krueger, *Purgatory Ridge*
I would classify this series as police procedural. Cork O'Conner is on again, off again sheriff in Aurora, Minnesota. (I dated a guy from Aurora, MI). Cork is part Ojibway Indian and each novel is usually about white/Indian hostilities. In this case, lumbering virgin pines. Cork's wife, Jo, is a lawyer representing the Indians.

I am adamantly opposed to lumbering. I was raised in the stump country of lower Michigan, the desert remaining after the pines were clear cut. My great grandfather was killed in the lumber woods. Pines grow only in soil where other plants do not flourish. I think it is acid soil.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

No book review

I do so want to sleep in. 8:30 AM off to Baptist Center. Dogs exhausted and glad to be home.

Baptist Center. 10 am and six people have been processed for groceries. Ricipients were calm today. No hostility.
I am the happiest and most serene ever.
Probably no book review.I have had no time to read.

I came home and slept three hours. starting to rain. I am not going to drive into Arlington for AlAnon meeting and group conscience (aka business meeting).

In lieu of book review:
Reading more on middle ages by William Manchester.
manchester thinks that Magellen is the key pin to the end of middle ages. Not only did his expedition sail around the world, but they discoverd TIME.

The ships kept a daily log, as ships do. When the survivors (18) reached Spain they found they had gained a day. This blew apart all the old theories about anything.
Hugs, Dr. Liz

Gerry Boyle

Woke up at 8 AM. Threw a bunch of towels and such in the washer. Going back to bed after sending Ruth an addition to family tree. Ruth has worked up a web site for me. It is so exciting.

Well, management inspected my apartment at 2 PM. It looked like a model apartment for rent. Sylvia, the mgr, brot the new maintenance man, Tony, who seems rational. Anyhow, I passed inspection and Tony fixed the pump on my toilet.

Went over for PPQS meeting and pick up dogs. Lady Chica was tired and glad to get home. She met me at the gate. Both dogs are tired. I am exhausted. And high as a kite. On adrenalin. I am so releived I passed inspection.

BOOK REVIEW:
Gerry Boyle, *Borderline*
I think the title has to do with the two young people Jack McMorrow met. I am skipping the middle of this book because it is boring.
McMorrow has contracted to write a travel article on Benedict Arnold's trek to conquer Quebec. obvious he failed. We are not speaking French.
I had no idea Arnold was trying to conquer Quebec.

Gerry Boyle, *Pretty Dead*
This book is fun and moves. Boyle's style varies so much. I did guess the plot. Jack McMorrow is a stringer for the NY Times. His cohab is a social worker. Roxanne, the social worker, is called to investigate a case of alleged child abuse, the child of wealthy parents. Complications ensue.

Gerry Boyle, *Cover Story*
This book was written earlier than the above. I think this was a turning point in Boyle's writing. In it Jack McMorrow is hired as a stringer for New York Times. the mystery has to do with the assassination of the mayor of New York.
Apparently Boyle has given up writing travelogues of Maine.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Warren Jeffs

Woke up tired. A good tired, Ruth pointed out. Martha is coming over today to mop kitchen and finish up. Meanwhile I must tidy.
I found my book on overcoming chronic pain. There are rewards for tidying. One finds lost treasures.

At 4 PM I am so tired. I played gofer all day while Jeff and Martha mopped and cleaned.
I put things in bags and piled them into closet.

I am planning to shred old letters and journals.

I took the dogs over to John and Lea's so that they don't mess anything up. John invited me to join Lea's birthday dinner. We went to La Isaleta because Lea chose flan.
Spending the night in Lea's yard is Lady Chica's dream come true.


BOOK REVIEW
Stephen Singular, *When Men Become Gods*
This is the further adventures of the Fundamentalist Modern Day Saints, FLDS.
The author's wife suggested he write about Warren Jeffs who at that time was a fugitive. Singular had earlier written a book about neo-Nazis in Denver, where faith meets terrorism. The author and his wife drove to southern Utah where Singular met Elaine Tyler, who was running Hope Organization which helped women and children escape Warren Jeffs.
Warren had taken over as Prophet after his father died, and he was brutal.
Only recently had I heard about the Lost Boys. I had not thought that if one man has 80 wives, then 79 men go without. The young men are excommunicated.
My thinking about polygamy had been conditioned by hunting and fishing cultures where the mortality rate of men is high.
The book reads like a novel and I stayed up late to finish it. Singular weaves the threads of Warren Jeffs and the women who are organizing to rescue other women. Women organizing began happening in the eighties, probably as the women's movement washed over the culture.

The members of FLDS have Biblical precedence. When King David got old, his advisors procured a young damsel to put in bed with him to keep him warm. Altho the king knew her not.

I Kings 1:1-4 (King James version)


Hugs, Dr. Liz

William Manchester

I forgot to mention that Tres Nevarre uses tai chi as a martial art.

Saturday morning. Suddenly these last two days I have become energized. I popped out of bed, walked dogs, did more tidying.

Jeff and Martha came over and steam cleaned my carpet. What a job! Martha went thru my kitchen counter tossing packrat stuff.

I am so tired I can hardly move. I intend to skip church again tomorrow and continue tidying.

Took the dogs to the park. Judy had emailed me to meet her. Lady Chica lay under the bench in the shade for the hour I spent there. Somehow I made a movement which told her I was leaving for home and she took off in sweeping circles. A kind lady held her at the wading pool.


BOOK REVIEW
William Manchester, *A World Lit Only By Fire*: medieval mind and the renaissance
Martha and I had a discussion about middle ages and what upheavals segued into the renaissance. So I am looking at Manchester's book. He started to write a biography of Magellan and it turned into this book. Manchester thinks Magellan is a huge factor in the change into the renaissance.
All I know about magellan is that his crew went around the world, altho he was killed in the Pacific somewhere. (I then looked him up in Wikipedia. He started with five ships and one ship and 18 sailors reached home.)
So far in the book we are dealing with the Dark ages. Roman Empire overrun by the barbarians. Manchester discusses how Chirstianity is diluted by paganism. I took a course in Applied Anthropology and most of the course was devoted to this subject, altho the course had a different approach. The Church survived by assimilating the pagan gods and rituals. Many churches are built on pagan sacred sites, e.g. Mexico City. to be continued



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Rick Riordan

I had a dreadful dream. I was a tourist in New York city and I put my purse down and it vanished. (I remember in Israel I wore a belly bag). Waking from that nightmare I got up and went to the bathroom. Went back and slept like a log. Woke at 8 am and walked dogs in a beautiful morning.
Baby bird has died. Wrong. I went to take it to trash and found it alive. I gave it some water and put it into a hanging plant where maybe the parents could feed it. They are still hanging around yapping.
Eventually the baby bird did perish.
I intend to spend the day tidying in preparation for Martha helping me clean tomorrow.

I worked all day. I am amazed at what I can do when I put my mind to it.
9:15 PM We just got back from Fort Woof. Days are slowly getting shorter.

BOOK REVIEW
Rick Riordan, *Big Red Tequila* (on tape)
This is the first novel in the Tres Navarre series. The title comes from Tres' memories of high school and drinking tequila and Big Red (a soda). Tres is raised in San Antonio. He leaves when his father, Bexar County sheriff, is assasinated. He goes to California and gets his PhD in English. Unable to find a job he works as an investigator for a law firm. The book begins when Tres returns to San Antonio after ten years.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Catherine Coulter

Writing at 7 PM. I didn't want to spend time at my computer today. I got up this morning and took car to get oil changed.
I am becoming absent minded about my absent mindedness. I had a coupon for a discount for oil change. About halfway to Kwik Kar I realized I did not have my coupon with me. I was irritated with myself. Waiting for my car, I went to the rest room and found the coupon in my pocket.

Had a massage this afternoon. I am tidying the house.
Making a big dent in the fabric pile.


BOOK REVIEW
Catherine Coulter, *Tailspin*
Coulter is a romance novelist turned mystery writer. One of those suspense thrillers with soft porn.
I found this entertaining. This is a police procedural. Coulter's two heros are FBI Special Agents married to each other. In this book they have two cases, each of which is a person being targeted for assassination. It is not much of a mystery. We sort of know who is attempting the assassinations. But how will we catch them?


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Clive Cussler

If I complain too much, I will get put in assisted living, altho I cannot afford that. IN my panic last night I ran after Blitzen altho that is counter productive. He is just playing chase.
The fastest human runs at 15 mph whereas Lady Chica has been clocked at 25 mph and Blitzen keeps up with her.
My dilemna is that I want to wring Blitzen's neck bc I am afraid he will get killed in the street.

Just learned from Wikipedia that a knot is nautical miles per hour and that it is one degree of latitude. (For my purposes I can use mph.) I have reached that place in a Clive Cusler novel when i get bored. We know what the villain is up to. Now we have the good guys go after the villain and we know Dirk Pitt wins. Or at least survives. Since the villain is planning to dump small pox on Los Angeles, we know that the good guys win.

For almost an hour we were totally alone at Ft. Woof, on both sides of the fence, but we had police protection. A police car was parked in the lot. I was reading, *When Men are Gods*, another story of the fendamentalist Mormons, focusing on Warren Jeffs.

came home and attended Open AA speaker meeting.



BOOK REVIEW
Clive Cusler, *Dark Wind* (on tape cassettes)
You have to be a Clive Cusler fan. He thinks up wildly improbable scenarioes.
His books always begin with a scene from the past. In this case, a Japanese submarine in 1943 sets sail with a cargo of *Dark Wind*. bombs to drop on the U.s. Sub is sunk.
Dirk Pitt Jr. is sent to the Aleutians to look into the deaths of two Coast Guard meteorologists and a herd of sea lions. I can't remember how he finds the submarine. He dives down, finds strange canisters as well as a modern timer. People on a Japanese fishing boat shoot at him and later two guys try to assassinate him. Exciting chase.
Eventually we find a second submarine. Dirk has done historical research and finds records of it. So the NUMA ship dives on the sub and retreives canisters with small pox.
The NUMA ship is boarded by ninjas who steal the canisters as well as Dirk Pitt Jr and his sister. Meanwhile, in alternate chapters, we have followed the career of a north Korean fanatic who wants to reunite the two Koreas. He plans to bomb the US with enhanced small pox virus. Meanwhile everybody thinks this is a Japanese grp called Red Japanese.
I am only half way through the book. I may read Hank the Cowdog to put me to sleep.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Gillian Roberts

I lay in bed hitting the snooze button thinking I had an hour to spare. Oh,no. I leaped up and threw on my clothes. Security officer asked if I combed my hair.
The dogs get tired with their outing at Lea's backyard. Blitzen did not even get out of bed. Lady Chica checked that I was going bye bye and she curled up in her favorite chair.

I came home exhausted. I was so tired I did not untie my shoes. I think more people are hostile. People seeking food pantry argue when I ask to see proof of residence. I had to turn two people away. It was explained that if people could get groceries just anywhere they would drive around and around getting free food and selling it.
Two families drove off with each of two grocery carts.
One man asked Nancy for two lunch sacks. Upon being refused, he accused her of racial prejudice. That was almost funny.

Well, wearing my shoes I took a nap. Went to Ft. Woof. We came home. As I was unlocking the door, Blitzen took off. I guess I did not have the leash locked securely.
The whole neighborhood was mobilized. I was terrified bc Blitzen crossed the street behind us. He only stayed out about ten minutes. Usually he stays out forty, but he is getting exervise at the park. I am totally exhausted. What a day!!!



BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *All's well that Ends*
This is the last book in the Amanda Pepper series, by ukase of the author. The author did not want the series to deteriorate.
Amanda has married her cohab, the homicide dick. Meanwhile MacKenzie, the detective, has gone back to grad school to get his doctorate in criminology.
Amanda's friend's step mother dies in a mysterious fasion. Amanda is still teachig but working on her PI certification part time.
I dont think the following spoils the ending. Mackenzie's extended family lives near New Orleans and are devastated by hurricane. Eventually after the crime is solved, Amanda and MacKenzie with their cat move to New Orleans.
Having finished the book I agree with the author. She has lost her verve. She says on her web site that Amanda did not age. Faye Kellerman has her characters age. Clive Cussler had Dirk Pitt dig up two children he had never known he had. The younguns do all the exciting stuff.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Ellen Hart

1:25 am I sleep and dream and wake, discernment of each dissolving as one slides into another.
***************
I set the alarm and planned to go to yoga but I just couldn't. My shoulder ached and I cannot endure the torture of exercise.

I sort of rested today. by late afternoon my shoulder stops hurting. PPQS meeting tonight. Lea and I are going to Puerto Villarta in September. Tonight we were booking airline tickets. Took forever.

BOOK REVIEW
Ellen Hart, *The Oldest Sin*
The oldest sin is eating. After all, Eve ate the apple. Sophie Greenway owns a hotel in St. Paul, Minn. One of her college room mates has a support group for fat ladies. (It is now a big time organization.) They are having a national convention at the hotel the same time as a fundamentalist church. Sophie has a small reuinion of college room mates. They all attended a fundamentalist church college. Some have strayed and one remains in the church. The CEO of the fat ladies is poisoned. Eating? Get it? And the game is afoot.
A great deal of the book is devoted to the politics of the fundamentalist church.

Gillian Roberts

The alarm rang and I just could not get out of bed. So I missed church. My arm is not hurting this morning. Yeah.
Lady Chica is so tired she ate her lunch lying down and now she is asleep in her den.
Temp was 88 and humidity low. So I took dogs to Ft. Woof in order to clear up this evening for a meeting. during noon hour no other small dogs. Lady Chica went through the last half of agility all by herself. The goal is to go thru the whole thing all by herself. Blue does. Then she gave me a run for my money in order to go home. She runs all over.

I took a nap and went to an AlAnon meeting. First Sunday is always "Newcomers Meeting". We talk about AlAnon.




BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *The Bluest Blood*
By now I feel that Amanda Pepper is an old friend. She teaches high school in Philadelphia and she spends about a third of the book complaining about her students. She teaches in an expensive private school for rich kids.
One set of parents is holding a fund raiser for the school. And then there is the Moral Environmentalists who burn books. The MEs picket the school wanting certain books removed from the library. And the leader of the cult is the step father of one of the students. then this leader is murdered and the game is afoot.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Gillian Roberts

Slept in until almost ten. Hot already. In fact, when I made library run the outdoor thermometer read 98 degrees.
Noon and I am sleepy.
Last night the dogs were pestering me. After all, they had not seen me for eight hours. I gave them each a bone. So we took our bones to bed. I lay there trying to sleep with a bone chewing on each side of me. (I am the filling in the dog sandwich in bed.)

Took a long nap. Waking at 4:30 pm I spent an hour or so with Marilyn. I am giving her an AlAnon lesson in one easy hour. Her children are worried about her and have taken over complete control.

As the sun sinks below the trees, the dog park is pleasant. Few small dogs and many big dogs. Blitzen talks trash at the fence and they race in packs along the fence.



BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *The Dead of Summer*
Reading the book rather than listening to tapes gives one the feeling of reading an intimate letter, rather than the slowness of the series.
Amanda Pepper is an English teacher in Philadelphia. For financial reasons she agrees to teach remedial English during summer school. The classes are a mix of ethnic groups. A Vietnamese girl is kidnapped. Racist graffitti are found in the surrounding areas. And the game is afoot.

Tom Clancy

At the dog park, Ray has invented something cute. He has two dachsunds, Maggie and Charlie. Charlie follows him w/o a leash. So Ray has attached Maggie's leash to Charlie's collar. Putt, putt, putt, the two weinie dogs follow their leader to the gate.

Woke at ten. Off to Ft. Woof. Cookout with Martha and Jeff this aft.

The park was beastly hot. I get so irritated with people altho my dog is at fault. Blitzen was humping this little female.
bitch is the technical term
I believe there is a condition i term peri-esterus. weeks before they come in heat females give off pheronomes. (Other owners of fixed males agree with me.)
So many owners of small dogs think their dogs are babies, literally. I also think Blitzen humps little dogs just to get attention. Everybody goes into orbit. I mean the humans go into orbit. They pick up their dog, and Blitzen thinks this is a great game and he barks his play bark which frightens everybody. Well, I am home in the air conditioning. I need to shower and go to the cookout. Blitzen will be driving.

Cookout was great. Jeff grilled a turkey. We sat and chatted, drinking wine and beer. First we talked about the Battle of Hastings, then the Battle of Crecy, then the factors contributing to the dissolution of the middle ages, and finally the American Civil War. After eating nummies, I took a nap. The turkey was out of this world. Martha sent home pieces in freezer bags. Potato salad. And sorbet for desset. Some strange kind of berry from the Amazon, acacia.
On the way home I saw fireworks in all directions.


BOOK NOTES
Tom Clancy made a mistake. He thot the English won the Battle of Hastings with their long bows and we continued to speak English.

Actually the Duke of Normandy won the Battle of Hastings with soldiers who had stirrups on their saddles, giving them better balance. And we gave up speaking Anglo Saxon English. Our Creole language contains about half the words derived from Norman French. (who pronounce chateau like castle)Or is it vice versa, Leslie?

I think Clancy was thinking of the Battle of Crecy in 1315. Long bows sent arrows like a cloud over the sun. I have been trying to remember that passage about "band of brothers on St. Crispin's Eve"

BOOK REVIEW:
Gillian Roberts, *All's Well That Ends*
I picked up the book and read the jacket. This is the last of the Amanda Pepper series. I went to the web site. Roberts wanted to stop while the series was good. fourteen books. I feel as if I had lost a friend.

Sue Henry, *Degrees of Separation*
Sue Henry has created a new plot. I loved her first novel, *Murder on the Iditarod Trail*, which I have read about three times. Jesse Arnold is a musher who raises, trains and runs dog sled teams. I liked her second book. From then on the plots remained the same with different names. Even another series about Maxie and a dachsund. I thot I would try this latest, and it has an inventive plot. No snow. So her dogs are not mushing.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Gillian Roberts

Hunger drove me from my bed at 10 am. I intend to rest today, preparing for tomorrow's
cookout with Martha and Jeff. I may go back to bed. I may take some hand sewing over
and sit with Marilyn.

Listening to Shelby Foote on the Civil War I am once more amazed at the mass delusion of
the South. But I guess they were provincial. They were expecting peace movements in the
North. And they did not count on the wild Irishmen just off the boat who were paid
substitutes in the draft.

Borrowed discs for Diana Stabenow's *Deeper Sleep*. Unfortunately I have read the book
twice and have it memorized.
Stabenow's main character is Kate Shugack, an Aleut in Alaska, who is an investigator. I
can't remember how she makes her living at the moment. She was an investigator for DA in
Anchorage. I have read all her books and love her. She has two books that are the Coast
Guard. It never occurred to me that there was Coast Guard presence in Alaska.

After a nap, I spent some hours sitting with Marilyn and doing hand sewing. Then to the
dog park. Not many people there.

BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *Adam and Evil*
Caution: this is slow.
Amanda Pepper is a high school English teacher in Philadelphia and as usual in danger of
getting fired (contract not renewed). In her senior class is a boy named Adam who is
showing signs of mental deterioration. Amanda calls a conference with his parents who
are furious, insist Amanda has battered him and plan to go to the media. Amanda teaches
in a private school.
So one day Amanda takes her senior class on a field trip to the city library where a
librarian is strangled while the class is there. Adam is missing and becomes the chief
suspect. And the game's afoot.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Laura Lippman

Rose and dashed off to grocery bingo. Then off to Kroger for liniment especially.
Latest word on Bill, our tai chi teacher, is that he has shingles. My hunch is that he has always had shingles outbreak, not poison ivy.
Folklore. One woman was telling about some friend whose shingles brought on Alzheimers.
Speaking of Alzheimers, our neighbor Jessie gets worse and worse.

Slept for three hours. Woke up, ate supper, slept for two more. My shoulder no longer hurts. Not getting much reading done today. Listening to Shelby Foote and the Gettysburg campaign. I had never read much about what was going on in the Confederate states.

Took dogs to park. Came home and spent an hour or so at marilyn's. Oda Mae and Mildred are taking care of her.

BOOK REVIEW
Laura Lippman, *In Big Trouble*
This is one in a series about Tess Monoghan, a PI in Baltimore, MD. I was carried away by the book jacket which says that a new case "will end far away in another world, where people dress and talk differently." I thot she was going off planet. Turns out she was going to San Antonio.
Her former boy friend vanishes, and she is hired by the guy's parents to find him. The trail leads to Austin, TX, and on to San Antonio. Several bodies along the way.





Hugs, Dr. Liz

Birthday Party

Baptist Center. Told by director to crack down on showing address. More people are coming in. I track people coming in for groceries.

Came home, took a nap. Took dogs early to dog park. The humidity was low. So a cold scarf around my neck kept me cool.

And what an evening this was!!!! Oda Mae and Russ had a birthday party for three of s, Mildred, Clara and me. So Marilyn in her wheel chair, Jessie, Peggy, Mildred, Clara and I were sitting with our hosts, waiting for Helen. Oda Mae kept calling Helen. No answer. I thot they were being overly protective.
Oda Mae, Clara and Mildred went over to see about Helen. She was lying on the bathroom floor. So Russ called 911 and her neice and her daughter. The ambulance came and carried Helen off on a stretcher. Later Oda Mae informed us that Helen had not broken anything. She was in the hospital with IVs attached.
We think Helen had the flu or something and passed out.
So eventually we had our ice cream and cake.



BOOK REVIEW
Gerry Boyle, *Bloodline*
The title is something of a stretch. I thot it was going to be a book about pedigreed dogs. (Nobody ever has a mutt. or a generic dog, like Blitzen)
The author is a man but this reads like a woman's book. The man is sensitive. Jack McMorrow is a former reporter for the New York Times who has retired to the woods of Maine. He contracts to do a free lance article on "babies having babies", that is, teen age mothers. That does not sound dangerous, does it? Nevertheless, he is almost killed.

Monday June 30

I spent the night in a British movie about life in the colonies in Victorian times, like Passage to India. (I mean it was a dream.) I was making instant wine, from powder, like instant coffee.

And so I belong to history. I have been reading an article about *Our Bodies, Our Selves* and the feminist movement, back in ancient history.

Went back to bed, slept until 1 PM. Woke up feeling rested. Strange.

PPQS met tonight. In the course of conversation Lea mentioned that during the War with Mexico, the Mexicans printed broadsides enticing the Irish Catholics to desert the American army. And some did. (Lea is an archivist and would like to have one of those broadsides.) I never thot of the Mexican war as Interactive.

BOOK REVIEW:
I gave away *Beach Road*. After three or four chapters I succumbed to the temptation to read the last two chapters. Patterson has violated the Prime Directive of the mystery story. I gave it away.

Ellen Hart, *The Mortal Groove*
I have no idea what that title has to do with the book. This is one of a series about Jane Lawless, a Lesbian restranteur in Minneapolis. Minnesota. Jane has a friend, Cordelia, whose girl friend is an investigative reporter. The reporter is knifed when she starts investigating an old unsolved murder from 1971.
I was wondering how that got into the story and now I remember. Jane's father is running for governor. The reporter is doing background investigating of the campaign manager who is involved somehow in that murder.
I was in suspense. I don't know how that can be when I know Jane survives for another book. Anyhow, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to liberal minded women. After all, the heroine is a Lesbian.

Sunday June 29

I did it again. I said to the dogs, "D'y'all want to eat?"

I woke when the alarm rang. Before the second alarm after the snooze button, it began to rain buckets. I drove home last night in a horrible cloud burst. So I have had enuf. I turned off alarm and went back to sleep. I ache all over. Another front must be coming in.

I was too tired to even take dogs to the park.


BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *The Mummer's Curse*.
Philadelphia has a tradition of a Mummer's Parade on New Year's Day. Mummers date back to the middle ages in various forms. Mummers seems to mean "masked". In Philadelphia there are social clubs composed of various ethnic communities, blue collar workers.
There are four categories of groups, Fancy, Comic, string bands and something else. The Fancies just march in complex costumes. There are competitions and prizes.
Our heroine is Amanda Pepper who is now cohabiting with a homicide detective. Amanda is a high school English teacher. One of her fellow teachers is an ardent mummer and takes Amanda to a rehearsal of their club. So Amanda and C.K attend the parade in order to watch her friend's club. As the group passes in front of Amanda, one of the mummers is shot. Eventually her friend becomes the chief suspect. And the game is afoot.
Recommended for women only.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Chesapeake

Off to Ft. Woof as fast as we can. I have things to do today. The dogs were quiet this morning. Nobody moving, esp that pesky little chihuahua next door. Dog named Benji.

Sat morn and parking lot at Gateway is crowded with tailgate picnics. Lady Chica loves the weekend. So many cars. She directs traffic. At first there were twenty people. I counted. By noon we were left alone with only a three legged dog.

Attended Circle Theatre. See review below. Then I scorched over to Primary Purpose for open AA birthday night. I brot a Key Lime pie.

THEATRE REVIEW:
Saw *Chesapeake* by Edward Blessing. That is the strangest play I have ever seen and certainly the most sophisticated. This is the last weekend; so I can't spoil it for anyone.
Our hero is a performance artist. One actor performs all the way through the play. He rants and raves about the futurists. When the senator from his state is advocating closing the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts), our hero decides to dognap the senator's dog. The senator uses his dog in his campaigning. Well, both hero and dog are killed in an accident.
The curtain for Act II raises on our hero who has been reincarnated as a dog. He can use the computer to communicate and convinces the senator that he is a messanger from God. So the senator supports the NEA. The senator's wife gets him tossed out in the middle of Chesapeake Bay. The dog is a retreiver and drags the senator to land, and they live happily ever after.
The dog is a Chesapeake Bay retreiver.
The play uses the term neonancy, a term I have come to love. Neonancy means late development of certain traits. Dogs are wolves who remain puppies. Homo sapiens are apes who remain in a foetal state. Julius Huxley wrote a novel about this in the 1930's, *After Many a Summer Dies the Swan*.
How did I like the play? I was on the edge of my seat but the man next to me slept through most of it.

Nora Roberts

Got up at my usual hour of 9:30 am. Dogs were busy this morning. Probably neighbors were out talking. I could not take the torture of exercise.
I have sort of hung around all day, cutting out pieces of shirts. Listening to another Gillian Roberts, Amanda Pepper in Philly. It is rather slow.
I took two naps. One in the aft and one in the evening. Got to Ft. Woof about 7:30 PM. Lady Chica and Blitzen raced a pack of big dogs along the fence. two of them were racing greyhounds.
I had a literary conversation with two people. One of the women remembers what I read last week.
Came home and sat out with the neighbors for a while. The old ladies sit around, Marilyn in a wheel chair. Mildred and Ola Mae are helping take care of her.




NOTES ON BOOKS:
j.d. Robb is Nora Roberts. I looked her up in Wikipedia and she began writing in 1981. She has three nom de plumes because her publishers wanted to publish more books.
The series about Lt. Eve Dallas are called "police procedurals".
BOOK REVIEW
Gillian Roberts, *Found Dead in Philadelphia*
another nom de plume
I found this book rather slow but the ending was a vast surprise and eminantly satisfying.
The protagonist is Amanda Pepper, a high school English teacher. A fellow teacher comes to her house early in the morning and begs sanctuary. When Amanda comes home from school the teacher is found dead in her living room.
The story is told in first person with much inner dialog. I would say this is a woman's book.



Hugs, Dr. Liz

Thursday June 26

Phone call woke me at 9:30 am. I have no intention of going outside until evening, altho I do need to walk dogs. Most of my pain is gone.

I went outside and changed my mind. Off we went to Ft. Woof to spend two hours with Judy and Szabo. The day is getting warmer, however. I stopped at Town talk for dog food. Got some organic black berries and blue berries.
Came home and sat outside chatting with Ola Mae, Marily and Mildred.
Took a three hour nap.
Made a library run to return tapes. Sat around this evening, hand sewing and listening.



BOOK REVIEW:
J.D. Robb, *Memory in Death* (Nora Roberts)
Roberts has written more than 150 books. She is getting better with mysteries. I am enjoying this as a mystery, altho it is still soft porn.
Her protagonist for the series is Lt. Eva Dallas of NYPD. Her name is Dallas bc she was found on the streets there. No ID and no memory. For a while she was in foster care. (I find the chronology of her childhood somewhat fragmented.) In this novel, her foster mother comes to New York to get money from Eva, whether by pity or by blackmail. Mother is found beaten to death in hotel room. Happily, Eva and her husband have alibis. The hunt is on. Let the game begin.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday June 25

I rarely take a shower *before* exercise but I felt like it today. I must be feeling better. Off to exercise and grocery bingo.

Exercise was pure torture today. Torture. Stayed for grocery bingo. Got a water bottle with a stem I can freeze. Then soup was furnished by a home health care company.
Now for a nap at 12:45 PM (noon).
Slept for almost three hours. Pain in shoulder has diminished. Finished Cat Who book. Now to start tapes of Gillian Roberts.

My dogs were models of obedience at the dog park. When I shouted "Time Out" Blitzen stopped humping the puppy. blitz was just socializing him into the pack. With one clap of thunder Lady Chica sought me out. We were just at the car when the heavens opened. We are having heavy rain. This must be why my shoulder has been hurting so badly.

BOOK REVIEW
J. D. Robb, *Naked in Death*.
J.D. Robb is the nom de plume chosen by Nora Roberts when the author of romance novels changed to mystery.
This is soft porn for women. Romance. Every woman's secret fantasy. The richest man in the world falls in love with her. Meanwhile Lt. Eve Dallas is a police officer solving a murder.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Stone Kiss

One victim of the gas crunch -- victims of the gas crunch are the antique malls in Arlington. Vendors cannot afford to drive around searching for sale items. This is one change I had not anticipated.
Peach cobbler for breakfast. Off to Baptist Center.

This afternoon I listened to tape of Faye Kellerman, *Stone Kiss* As the final casette rolled I suddenly knew how it turned out, that I had read this before.
The title comes from the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Esau was the oldest by ten minutes and would receive his father's blessing and the largest share of the inheritance.
Jacob was wiley, however. One day Esau came home from hunting, voraciously hungry, and Jacob talked him into trading his birth right for a mess of pottage (some kind of bean soup).
After their father died, Jacob decided to bug out. He went far away to live with his cousin or uncle or some kin. Many years later Jacob came home with his two wives, children, and herds. Esau came out to meet him and kissed him and they lived happily ever after.
Rina said, however, that some Jewish scholars believe that Esau did not intend to kiss Jacob, that he intended to bite Jacob's throat and kill him. When he tried to bite Jacob's throat, God changed the throat to stone. Hence stone kiss.
How that applies to the story you have to read and find out.

We went to the park tonight. I am so tired. I did not get to sleep this afternoon.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday June 23

I guess the dogs missed me. They required attention all night. Lady Chica is vastly interested in my new bracelet. She knows they are bones.
My bracelet was made in Tibet. So I dreamed I was in Tibet. I don't know why I was there. What I remember is wrestling my car from falling into a pond of robin's egg blue viscous liquid.

No tai chi. Our instructor still is suffering from poison ivy. I made a grocery run. Got joint juice. glucosimine etc.
Tonight was the meeting of PPQS. Sienna, Lea's grand daughter, is a doll. Lea baked a special dish of peach cobbler to send home with me for a birthday cake. Sienna helped bake it.
More fabric. Some Lea will take to Senior Ladies in Keller who make things to give away, like bags for walkers.

BOOK REVIEW:
*Stone Kiss* has eleven cassettes and I am only half through. Started reading *Cat Who Trailed a Thief*
I read cat who out of sequence and some characters are alive who are later kicked off.
Qwill lives 400 miles north of everywhere. (One web site suggests Schoolcraft County in UP Michigan.) He has two cats, Koko and Yumyum. They solve mysteries. In this book, some thief is stealing small articles, like an antique dirk.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

June 22, 2008

Feeling better this morning. That heating pad helped my shoulder a lot.
Went to Sunday School and church. ate lunch with Bette. Then came home and walked dogs.
Today was my birthday. Martha and Jeff had a cookout. rib roast. mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives. Then strawberry shortcake for dessert. Persis, she used angel food cupcakes.

We just hung out and chatted. I took two little naps. Martha gave me a yak bone bracelet for my birthday. (That understates it. It has turquoise and coral set in each piece. )

BOOK REVIEW
Faye Kellerman, *Stone Kiss* (on tape)
This is one of a series featuring Peter Decker, homicide detective in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rina. Both are modern orthodox Jews. Jonathon,Peter's half brother, calls. Jonathon's wife's brother has been shot and the wife's niece has vanished. The victim is found naked in a hotel room, and he had been with his fourteen year old niece.
I am a Faye Kellerman fan. I have read all her books over the years. Recently I have begun to read consecutively in chronological order all her books over again. I know tht in this book Peter is badly shot up bc in the following book he is convalescing.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Summer Solstice

My body hurts like a storm is coming. My left arm aches a lot. I went to sleep at 3 am and slept until 11:30 am.
I am sorting my new fabric and cutting out one satin caftan shirt. Martha suggests I start sewing my mother of the bride outfit. They intend to marry in two years, giving me plenty of time.

Went to the dog park at seven. Not many there. Ray was spraying the area with detergent. And so it goes.


BOOK REVIEW
Rick Riordan, *Rebel Island*
This is the latest in a series featuring P.I. Tres Navarre in San Antonio, TX. Tres has a PhD in English and became a PI when he could not get a job teaching. I identify with him a lot. Now he teaches part time at UT San Antonio.
Riordan also writes children's books, and his Navarre books are more adventure stories than classic mysteries. I enjoy them thoroly. He throws in the essence of South Texas.
Rebel Island is an island in the Gulf off the coast of Texas near Port Aransas. He and his pregnant wife are having a honeymoon and run into all kinds of difficulties including a hurricane.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday June 20

Water was turned off from 8 to 10 but I slept in until eleven. My shoulder hurts badly. A front must be coming in. And my massage therapist has canceled. I think she is getting a biopsy.
Martha called on her long drive home from Laredo. She says Arlington has been getting a lot of rain. We always have such a good chat.

The afternoon wore away. Even at 7 PM the park was hot. Lady Chica was so eager to go home after only 40 minutes that she waited for me at the gate.
And so it goes.

BOOK REVIEW
A reader sent me a newspaper story about how a mystery has been solved. Seventy-five years ago a horse was accidently killed with arsenic. Used in ointments.

Nevada Barr, *Flashback*
The flashback is a box of letters sent to Anna by her sister, letters written by her great great aunt in 1965.
Anna Pigeon had been sent on temporary duty to Dry Tortuga National Park. This is an old fort on a mound of sand in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. During the Civil war it housed Confederate POWs and after the war two conspirators in the assassination of Lincoln.
Anna reads the letters written by the wife of the Fort's commander. being Anna she imagines the scenes of the ancient fort.
Meanwhile, in the present, I have gotten to cassette three of eleven and a cigarette boat has blown up within park boundaries, probably by accident when they did not clear gas tanks.
Yes, gentle readers. A cigarette boat is a fast boat used by drug runners. See Wikipedia.

Later. I have heard six of eleven cassettes and Anna has had her scrape with death. What happens now?


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Continued

Woke up stiff from toe to finger but moving around has loosened me up. I wonder if
I have been reacting to approaching front. Mild thunder storm this morning. We purely needed that rain.
Dogs set up a ferocious barking. I explained to them it is Charter workmen who are
setting up a phone or tv or something. They quieted down. Miracle.
Sometimes I feel like a herd of cattle that Lady Chica is guarding. She watches my every move. Now she has added the tape player to the repoitoire.

BOOK REVIEW
Laurien Berenson, *Underdog*
Chick flick. Don't bother.
Melanie Travis receives a standard poodle from her Aunt Peg, on condition she learn to show the dog. This dog does nothing to solve the mystery. The dog trainer is poisoned with arsenic. Did you know that in the past dogs were given slight doses of arsenic to give them a better coat. That is how the killer gets the arsenic. The killer maintains it was an accident. She did not mean to kill.

Nevada Barr's novels follow a formula. A body is found on National Park land. So Anna is involved in the investigation. At the end Anna goes through some terrible physical crisis. What makes the books interesting to me is that she gives a long description of some national park. Also the crisis scares me, altho I know that Anna survives because there is another book.
Hugs, Dr. Liz