CAN WE TALK? JANUARY 2024

Tell us what's on your mind.

Happy New Year everyone. May the New Year bring you peace, good health and all the happiness your heart can hold.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE ☺️🎉🎉

Happy New Year Everyone! 🍾🥂🎊🎉🎊

🍾🥂

Happy new year ... and happy heavenly wedding anniversary to my parents, who were married on New Year's Day, 1950.

Ditto!

On Thursday we hit the next Mystery and Suspense Group Read, which is The Poet by Michael Connelly (#1 in the Jack McEvoy Series, but #5 in the Bosch Universe). I have also been told by the library the book from last month’s read is finally in transit to my library.

I suggest we go ahead with the Michael Connelly Group Read on Thursday (11th) as planned, likely to be over 6 days looking at the length of the book. Then the following week if people still have the book we read A Cursed Inheritance by Kate Ellis.

Let me know if you are happy with this or any other thoughts.

>8 Andrew-theQM: Fine by me, if everyone else is ready.

This is the schedule for the Group Read of The Poet by Michael Connelly, book 5 in the Harry Bosch Universe. It’s quite a long book so has been separated into 6 sections.

Thursday 11th January : 1 - 8
Friday 12th January : 9 - 16
Saturday 13th January : 17 - 25
Sunday 14th January : 26 - 34
Monday 15th January : 35 - 43
Tuesday 16th January : 44 - 53

This is the link for the group for the Group Read of The Poet by Michael Connelly.

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24214/Book-Discussion-The-Poet-by-Michael-C...

Hope all my friends that live in almost any state in the U.S. have not frozen into blocks of ice yet. Michigan has had from 0 to minus 2 degrees for the high since Saturday after we received the dubious gift of 10in of heavy, wet snow. We had none, zero, nada...up until Friday night and Saturday morning. I see that there is hardly a state across the country that hasn't shared in either the gift of snow or freezing temps. The city and the state have kept the roads plowed and travel is possible. It amazes me how people forget how to drive on snowy roads every year. Anyone want to take a trip to Hawaii? Their temp this morning is a balmy 64 degrees. I wouldn't trade Michigan...after all, I love it and I chose it...but just an hour of even 32degrees would be more than welcome. If anyone is asking themselves why a life-long Florida girl would pick a state that is frozen, and snow covered in the winter. It was because Michigan was where my husband was taken to Florida from by his parents just before his last year of high school. He hated it...well, except for meeting and marrying little old me:) When he retired, he said...choose a state, and I said Michigan.

>12 Carol420: Not much better here in the U.K. Carol. Today a balmy high of 1 degree and low of -3, and likely to be this all week. In colder at nights later this week. It’s fffffff freezing 🥶🥶🥶

>13 Andrew-theQM: Glad I'm not freezing by myself:) Also glad I have lots of good, warm books...no I'm not burning them!") I was also extremely impressed that you could convert Celsius to Fahrenheit:) The entire world could save a lot of brain power if we just used "cold and colder"...."hot and hotter".

It went from 60 to 8 this week. And we got snow last night, which mean everything shut down. Husband grew up in MN and he just laughs and laughs at the south...

From 60 to 8 is quite a leap. Those Minnesotans are a tough lot. My daughter's husband is from northern Wisconsin and has lived in Arizona for the past 35 or so years. He says he doesn't care if he ever sees another snowflake. My daughter got her high school diploma in her hand and drove herself to Arizona from Michigan the day after she graduated. She comes back to visit but has no desire to leave all that heat...which can be just as bad as the cold is. She says it's "dry heat". My mother used to tell her to turn her oven on to 115 degree and stick her head in it. that's dry heat too. Our oldest son is in Louisianna, and they had snow 15 years ago. He showed the neighbor kids how to make snowballs. We thought the youngest son was going to stay in Indiana, but his husband was transferred to Texas...so they are no longer there.

>17 genesisdiem: Oh, yes. I could also do without the 100+temps for a month in the summer. I need to find somewhere that has "nice" weather all year round. :)

>17 genesisdiem: You could try Hawaii...If you don't get swallowed by a giant wave or cooked by an erupting volcano.

>18 Carol420: ha. I guess everywhere has its quirks.

>14 Carol420: The beauty of Mr Google! 😂

>20 Andrew-theQM: OH ...and I just thought you your exceedingly smart. Mr. Google is my best friend:)

Well, it's January 15th, and we've been snowed in under two feet of snow for the past week. We had about a foot of snow early last week, and were luck enough to be able to get out on Thursday to get groceries. Then Thursday night into Friday, we had another foot of snow, with horrible winds. Maintainers were out on Saturday and got the highways opened up. Sunday they were able to fully open the highways and start on the gravel roads. Our road and the road to the highway were opened up late Sunday afternoon - just in time for the temperatures to take a dive. I woke up this morning to -14 degrees. The dogs did not spend much time outside this morning and the outside cats refuse to leave the garage. It's winter in Iowa.

A friend of mine flew from Minneapolis, MN, to Nashville, TN. So she left behind a blizzard to land in a rare snow for Nashville. She said their Uber driver kept apologizing when he would slide on the roads. They did offer to drive since they have experience driving on snow and in a snowstorm.

>22 Hope_H: Seems to be winter all over the world. Hard to believe that on January 1 our temperature was 47 degrees and not a flake of snow to be found. Our sons in Louisianna and Texas said they didn't sign up for this. It's still a balmy -2 degrees this morning. Be safe and try to stay warm. Knit the dogs and the cat some sweaters and caps.

Well, we have intense cold but, sadly, no snow here in ATL. And with so many people who now work from home, will there be any more snow days??

Still, I see that later this week it is supposed to get to 60 or so with thunderstorms, which makes me cringe. It's January - it should be cold! And thunderstorms are for spring and summer.

Also encouraging the knitting of sweaters and caps for dogs and the outdoor kitties. I was working on a sleeve for DH's sweater this morning, and wouldn't you know, there was a cat curled up on the sweater in the basket?!

>24 threadnsong: I can send you lots of snow if you would like. I wouldn't want you to feel that you're being left out.

>24 threadnsong: >25 Carol420: Snow and freezing temperatures in U.K. last week, this week much milder but in the middle of two successive wind storms. Overnight winds at tornado speed, and highest winds for many for 10 - 20 years. Another storm due tomorrow and Wednesday. The joy of winter months. Roll on Spring!

>26 Andrew-theQM: Hope springs eternal:)

>27 Carol420: Spring is my favourite time of the year.

>26 Andrew-theQM: My part of the US - having just had 24 inches of snow in a week - is now supposed to get an ice storm tomorrow.
Let me know when that spring is supposed to get here!

>29 Hope_H: Wow! Definitely not soon enough!

>29 Hope_H: Sending the ice your way. We got your storm overnight. I'd soooo much rather have snow than ice.

It looks like the hopes (no pun intended >29 Hope_H:) have sprung eternal, and the daffodils have started sending up their leaves. My first crocus (yellow) has bloomed, too!

Chilly temps at night, and we're back to more normal temps during the day. Sadly, though, no snow this season. And like >31 Carol420: much rather have snow than ice any day.