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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 19 May 2008

Latest Update: Sunday, 25 May 2008 1:00 p.m.


Monday, 19 May 2008

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Yesterday I started reading Murder by the Book by D.R. Meredith. Published in 2006, it has been sitting on my TBR shelf for only about a year. I had trouble finding this last work published by Meredith. Not sure where I finally found it. The main characters, Dr. Megan Clark and her best friend Dr. Ryan Stevens are members of the Murder By the Yard reading circle which meets at the Time and Again Book Store. While Megan has several degrees in the paleontology and archeology fields, she is currently working as an assistant reference library at the local public library. Ryan is a professor of history at the local college. Ryan hates the site of blood and dead bodies, and Megan is constantly finding them.

When a sever drought dries up a local lake some kids discover an old 1938 car that had been buried in the lake. Megan thinks there is a connection to the dead bodies that keep turning up when she started investigating the reason for the old car to be in the lake. When the skeleton of a woman is discovered buried in the walls of an old building Megan finally gets to investigate a murder and use her archeology skills. As usual, Ryan gets involved trying to keep Megan out of trouble. Normally, the Murder By the Yard book club likes to get involved in Megan's investigations but for some reason they are all shying away from this one.


Another busy Monday to start off the week. I walked uptown during lunch to enjoy the nice temperatures and sunshine and made it to the gym after work. 



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Tuesday, 20 May 2008

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I finished the D.R. Meredith last night. During lunch today I started another China Bayles, Rueful Death. After a very busy, stressful Christmas season in her herb shop, China is ready for some rest and relaxation. Across the street from China's shop is a restaurant run by a former nun who was the cook at St. Theresa's. Maggie and China decide to spend 14 days in the nunnery guest cottages located along the Yucca River. In the first few chapters of the book we learn how St. Theresa's acquired the land and buildings for the nunnery and how Maggie came to be a nun.

Maggie has not told China of the unrest and problems at the nunnery due to the million dollar legacy attached to the nunnery. Upon arriving in Cory, the small town closest to the nunnery, China hears about the problems first hand. So much for China's R & R. As you know religious orders need to have a way to make money to support themselves. This one grows a type of garlic bulb that is hard to find but superior to garlic grown most places for sale to grocery stores and fresh markets. Very interesting to learn the difference in the types of garlic bulbs and their tastes. Albert manages to convey all this information without rambling and fit it into the story line along with the information about the nunnery.

Interestingly, I had a former nun as one of my library course professors at App. She was a very interesting person to talk with as well as an instructor. Several years after I graduated I ran into her at a library conference. She had left App, married, and started some type of education curriculum business.

Another busy day at work. I'm ready to relax awhile before bedtime.


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Wednesday, 21 May 2008

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No update.


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Thursday, 22 May 2008

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I worked through lunch today so I could leave work at 4pm. Came home to mow and edge the lawn before fixing dinner. The trash is rounded up but I still need to get the recycling out and bag up the library books to return after work tomorrow for the usual library, pet supply and grocery store run.

Whew, after we get Friday over with it will be the start of a nice three day weekend. So far, the weather is looking nice.

I can't tell if the robin babies have flown the nest or not. My neighbor has been watching them I will have to ask her. If they are gone I want to knock the next down from the gutter.



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Friday, 23 May 2008

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No update.



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Saturday, 24 May 2008

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The mystery of the missing mystery. Last night when we were preparing to the take the dogs out for last time I could not find the China Bayles mystery I am currently reading. Upon further contemplation I realized I must have left it in my desk drawer at work where I store my pocketbook, tote bag etc. I know I had when I came back from lunch yesterday. Rather than start another mystery I decided to grab one of my non-fiction books from my TBR pile to read in bed then run by the office today to pick up the book to finish over the weekend.

I grabbed Lands End: A Walk in Provincetown  I picked up last year on our Cape Cod trip of which we spent a day enjoying this unique town located at the very end of the Cape Cod peninsula.

The weather this morning was cold and drizzly.  I took off around 9 to run some errands in the area before heading across town to my folks via that stop at work. To my surprise my book was not in the desk drawer or any other desk drawer or on my desk. Hum. No wonder I did not bring it home, I must no have seen it when I was packing up my stuff to leave work. All I can remember is how tired I was when it was finally time to head out with no recollection of when I might have done with my book. When I got back to my car this morning I looked around in the car to see if I did leave work with it but it might have fallen out in the car.

Puzzled, I drove on my folks house for a visit and lunch. At this point I am totally clueless as to what happened to it. I will check the lost and found at work to see if I dropped it on the way out the door. Thankfully it is a paperback. If it does not turn up Tuesday I will purchase another one, finish reading it, and donate it to the library. If I pay for the book, the money goes back in the general fund of the county, not to the library. When I worked for the library we always welcomed getting a replacement copy for a lost book instead of money. This of course is very embarrassing as a librarian to loose a library book, though, I have had to replace one other paperback that Malcolm ate when he was a puppy. I took the money out of his allowance to pay for it.

In the meantime the clouds have blown through, the sun has come out, and it has warmed up nicely. It did not rain enough to prevent needing to water the plants later this afternoon.

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Sunday, 25 May 2008

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I woke up at 7:30 when Bob got up with the dogs. I had intended to just rest/snooze a few minutes and get up. Next thing I knew it was 9 am.

After getting my ironing caught up I took the dogs out back to play and help while I did some  odd jobs in the yard. After lunch I did more of the same  then spent some time just sitting outside and enjoying the weather. A flock of white breasted nuthatches had a game of tag going between the red maple at the end of the driveway and the silver maple by the deck. I watched them chase one another back and forth, crawling up and down the trees, and making whatever weird sound they make. The temperatures are a pleasant 74 degrees with mostly clear blue skies. We get an occasional white puffy cloud and some breeze.

Last night we watched the first four episodes of Jericho. You can read Bob's take on the show  along with a picture of a radiation survey meter. I had heard good things about the show but was not sure I would like it based on the  storyline. Despite the misgivings I did enjoy the first episode. It was a lot like watching Firefly. Very intense drama with doomsday consequences but still not quit real for TV.

When they showed the fallout shelter it reminded me once again of my experience in 2nd grade. That would be 1962 - 1963 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Two kids from each class or grade, I can't remember, were chosen to spend Friday night in our schools fallout shelter. I was one of the chosen. Somewhere in the archives of "my life so far", I have a newspaper clipping of the event. We went into the shelter as soon as school let out. I remember drinking the foul tasting water stored in a big green barrel and eating some type of military instant meals. I think we may have packed some type of food from home but I can't remember that part either. I do know we slept on cots on the floor. The next morning my dad was waiting for me in the school parking lot to greet me when we came out. I'll have to see if I can find that article sometime.

I have very little planned to do for the rest of the day. Perhaps sit outside and enjoy some more of this beautiful weather.



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