Sunday Salon -- Halloween

Weather: Rain. Rain. Rain. We had a 'bomb cyclone' rainstorm this week. The name alone is scary!

Halloween music: Listen while you are reading this post! Enjoy. Peter Bence Halloween Medley.

Baptism: Last Sunday our grandson Jamie was baptized. My sister, her husband, daughter, and son-in-law were able to join us at church and afterwards for brunch. Jamie's other grandparents were also able to attend. What a wonderful way to welcome Jamie into the family of God. See photo collage above.

Batman, Joker, and Bat-mom at Candy Catch at church parking lot.

Spokane and Eugene: Don and I have been tearing up the freeways making our way to Eugene, mostly, and to Spokane, last weekend. One good thing about making long-ish car rides together -- we finish audiobooks. Since the beginning of September (the beginning of football season, I should say) we have finished three audiobook together: This Is How It Always Is; The Plot; and Magpie Murders.

Books (This is a book blog, after all. I hope you don't mind allowing me a moment to plug my reading obsession. Phew, it's been a busy two week.):

• Completed the past two weeks (titles are hyperlinked if reviewed):
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  
•  84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff-- a series of letters written back and forth between a used books dealer and Helene from the late 1940s until the late 1960s. I will publish a review soon.
  
• The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
• Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
• On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the 20th Century by Timothy Snyder-- the graphic edition of this book. It is so disturbing to think about what is happening in our country around non-Democratic ideals right now. A review is coming.
• The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley -- an audiobook for an upcoming book club.
• A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson -- I love this poetry collection.
  
• Currently reading:
• The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor -- a YA graphic novel based on Chinese-American folklore. 34% complete.
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson -- I've never read this swashbuckling book before. 45% complete. Audio.
• Transcription by Kate Atkinson -- a book club selection. Don and I are listening to this on yet another car trip. 39%.
  
• Current challenges:
• Victober: To read Victorian authors during October. I've read one book by Wilde and two by Stevenson.
• Classic Club Spin selection: Treasure Island.
  
• Upcoming challenge: 
• Nonfiction November. Reading and reviewing nonfiction titles. I hope to read at least four books, including:
• Sexual Justice by Brodsky
• The Other Talk: Reckoning With My White Privilege by Brendan Kiely
• Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert
  

News:

• Carol's Journey: What Facebook Knew About How It Radicalized Users. (NBC News, Oct. 22, 2021) This is so alarming how Facebook send users down radical, QAnon-type rabbit-holes. I wish I could quit Facebook but still stay in touch with friends and get photos of grandkids. Sigh.

• The Five Universal Laws of Stupid People. If you only have a little time to read articles today, tag this one and read it later. It is both funny and terrifying. I highly recommend you read this. (Pocket Worthy)

• The Health Department in Salt Lake County (Utah) decided to keep the conversation going on vaccination rates by giving some rather odd, but discussion worthy, data:
  
  
  

•  Opinion: Why 'Evangelical' is becoming another word for 'Republican'. My family and I have been talking about this all weekend. We hate it that evangelicals have hijacked Christianity and made it into a shell for a political party. Read it if you can, since it is behind a paywall (NYT, Oct. 26, 2021)
  

On the lighter side:

I hope this book fairy trick-or-treats at my house tonight. We are expecting over 100 children as in years past. (Thanks for finding this for me, Rita.)

Ha! I started reading this one as if it were aimed at people in their 50s-60s. 

 

This one makes me laugh out loud since I've been there: seriously trying to fold a fitted sheet which just ends up in a wad anyway.

Our grand-kitties LOVE boxes. Love them!

 

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Fred and George and boxes! 

Top left: Fred playing with wiggle worm (Yes, he is a big boy!); Top right: Fred in, George attempting to get in, says 'make room for me'; Bottom left: George in, where is Fred?; Bottom right: Fred in, George out.

(Whenever I think about cats loving boxes I think of the line from the darling children's book, Jillian Jiggs: "Oh, look at the boxes! Yippee! Hooray! It's hard to believe someone threw these away. I'm mad about boxes. Boxes are fun. No one will guess who we are when we're done.")

More Halloween music: This one you will want to watch. Peter Hollens Epic Halloween Medley.

Halloween tricks or treats tonight! Enjoy!

-Anne