Fellow Dreamers

I finished five books this week! That's what happens when you spend the days at your mom's and have so much time to read.


What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: The Ape Who Guards the Balance (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters, The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell, Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells, Where Memories Lie (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, and All Mortal Flesh (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming.


What I am Currently Reading: I haven’t had time to start another book, but my plan is for it to be the second Lily Adler book.


What I Plan to Read Next: I have the next Amelia Peabody at the library, so probably that one.

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Book 48 of 2025: The Ape Who Guards the Balance (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

It was slow-going getting into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and have requested the next. I'm giving this book four hearts only because of how difficult it was to get into.

♥♥♥♥

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Book 49 of 2025: The Prince and the Apocalypse (Kara McDowell)

This was so good! I can't recall who posted about this book, but thank you! ( spoilers )

I highly enjoyed this book and have already requested the next from my library. I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

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Book 50 of 2025: Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)

I really enjoyed this! Though I'm glad I was warned to read it out of order as it would have been weird to read this one then System Collapse. ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one to be released. (I heard there *is* a new one coming out, but I haven't seen a release date for it.) I'm giving this one five hearts. And have the urge to re-read the entire series.

♥♥♥♥♥

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Book 51 of 2025: Where Memories Lie (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

I really enjoyed this book! ( spoilers )

This book was very good and I'm giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

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Book 52 of 2025: All Mortal Flesh (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) (Julia Spencer-Fleming)

This book was so good! ( spoilers )

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading the next in the series. I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Murderbot: Good ep. ( spoilers )


Resident Alien: Good ep. ( spoilers )

Another long day. Hopefully the final one. Today was Ian’s graduation party. Thankfully I did not have to be to mom’s as early as I feared so sister A could leave to get set up for the party. She said I could get there between 9 – 10am, so I split the difference and got there at 9:30am. Then I took mom to the party. Sister S relieved me at 7:30pm.

I did manage to get stuff done before I left the house: two loads of laundry (one dried and folded), hand-washed some dishes and did a load in the dishwasher, scooped kitty litter, took the dogs for a short-ish walk, and dropped a book in the library return box on my way to mom’s. I did more hand-washing of dishes when I got home and tossed some laundry into the dryer.

I watched the current ep of Murderbot, finished my book and started another (Fugitive Telemetry, finally). And, of course, attended Ian’s graduation party.

Temps started out at 64.4(F) and reached 87 (according to Pip). He couldn’t have been far off because it got HOT. (It was still 79.2 when I got home after 7:30pm.) My sister had moved Ian’s party from a tent at her house to the local fire house because we were supposed to have scattered thunderstorms all day, but we didn’t get any.


Mom Update:

Mom did well yesterday. ( more back here )

I had to be at mom’s by 7am so my sister A could get to work. I was not looking forward to today because it was going to be a long one. (As will the next two days.) Ian’s graduation was tonight. I didn’t originally plan to attend because I thought families would be limited due to space in the auditorium. Also, my sister never mentioned it, which backed-up my thought. Apparently there are no limits, so since both of my other sisters are working, I stayed with mom all day and drove her there that evening. By the time I got home ~8:30pm I had “put in” over twelve hours today.

I filled my gas tank after dropping Grant off at the garage; hand-washed some dishes and scooped kitty litter before heading to mom’s. (I also cut up chicken for the dogs’ meals and packed my own ‘lunch bag’.) After I got home I threw in a load of laundry to wash while I did up the dishes in the sink and then got ready for bed. After ‘decompressing’ for a while with some games on my phone I got to bed just before 10pm, which is late for me. I slept like a rock, though.

I read more fanfic and more Amelia Peabody.

Temps started out at 66.6(F) (which is weird since the high is only supposed to be 68) and reached an unknown high, as I was never home to check. It was much cooler than the previous 80s/90s days. Yes, I can complain when it’s too hot AND when it’s too cool! I want a nice median temperature. It’s already summer and we never got spring!


Mom Update:

Mom was feeling a malaise this morning when I arrived. ( more back here )

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. It was my annual exam in addition to an adjustment. I don’t recall if I mentioned it, but my lower back, left side, has been hurting me for a couple of weeks. I figured it was spending more time in the car driving to the hospital, sitting in those uncomfortable chairs in mom’s room, etc. Today when he did one of the scans, bright red lines appeared indicating trouble on the left side low back region. I was like, I knew something not-good was happening there! One of the comments the chiropractor has made in the past is that he needs to adjust something different on me every time; I never come in with quite the same issue. One week, sacrum, another week, mid-back. I keep him hopping.

I hit Walmart, Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a longer walk around the park. Before I left the house I heated up a ham steak on the stove and frozen peas in the microwave for Pip to heat up for supper tonight. I also did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes and scooped kitty litter.

I read some fanfic and more Amelia Peabody.

Temps started out at 75.6(F) and reached at least 88.0. That was the temp when I left the house for mom’s just before 11am, but Pip said it got to 92. Less stifling than yesterday and there was a breeze that had a coolness to it. I still wouldn’t have wanted to be out there all day. Just walking to the mailbox was uncomfortable.


Mom Update:

Mom is doing okay; no major ups or downs today. ( more back here )

I didn’t have to be to mom’s until 10am, so I got some chores done before I left the house. I did two loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, emptied the dishwasher, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, and changed kitty litter.

I read fanfic and more Amelia Peabody, and finally watched the current ep of Resident Alien. Pip suggested I stop at Dairyland on the way home from mom’s so I picked up soft vanilla ice cream in a dish for him and a milkshake for myself.

Temps started out at 77.9(F) and reached 94.7 (that I’m aware of). I made a couple trips outside (to check mom’s mail and other errands) and it was stifling. There was a breeze, but it was a hot breeze and didn’t help much. The temps are supposed to drop a tiny bit today and be 69 on Thursday, which made both mom and me go o_O.


Mom Update:

Mom is showing more improvement physically; she stayed awake almost all morning and we chit chatted a bit. ( more back here )

I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, emptied the dishwasher, scooped kitty litter, and stopped at Stewart’s on the way home for milk. I dropped off a book at the library, started the next Amelia Peabody book, and finally got to see the current Murderbot. My brother and his GF were visiting mom when I arrived, so I got to see them.

Temps started out at 67.8(F) and reached high 80s. (Again, I wasn’t home to check.) Thunderstorms rolled in around 4am, which woke everyone up, and dropped quite a bit of rain between then and 8am. It didn’t rain again, and remained overcast, but it was hot and humid.


Mom Update:

Mom continues to do well. ( more back here )

I got a lot done before I left to go visit mom. I did a load of laundry, baked chicken for the dogs, boiled eggs for egg salad, put a chuck roast in the crock pot for supper, did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. For fun stuff I started a new book.

Temps started out at 59.4(F) (and windy) and reached 74 (that I saw at 6pm, though Pip said it got to 78). The day started off windy and cool, but the sun came out so it was really nice, if still windy.


Mom Update:

Mom is home! ( more back here )

Having visiting hours not start until 11am has really helped with being able to get stuff done before I go out.

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I didn’t do any shopping, but I did get in a longer walk around the park. I did a load of laundry, a load in the dishwasher, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I read more (currently one of the Duncan Kincaid books).

Temps started out at 66.7(F) and reached 83.8. It was overcast with some sprinkles in the morning, then the sun came out in the afternoon. It was so humid! For the first time since it was hot back in May we had to use the AC in the bedroom.


Mom Update:

Mom was still doing well, but she was more tired today. She’d had some issues, one of which may have contributed to her being so tired. ( more back here )