Quaranitine Life with Max

  This is, as everyone knows and is indeed saying, a totally weird time.

  In March,

BOOM: You get a trophy! And you get a trophy!

Hi, I'm Boom. I was born between 1982 and 1997, which makes me a millennial. (Yes, that's right. Even by the most generously late definitions, there are no millennials who are teenagers anymore.) And I have been given a participation trophy.

Autism Help and Suggestions from my Inbox

From my latest Autism Society e-newsletter:

The Autism Society is proud to present our State Advocacy Toolkit detailing Covid-19 policies that relate to the autism community, and how you can take action now! Check out this month's Ignite! Autism Society Policy Newsletter to download now, as well as an update on the Autism Society's advocacy efforts surrounding the COVID-19 public health crisis.

 Alert Reader Matthew made a suggestion for a helpful autism link:

https://www.wizcase.com/blog/internet-safety-guide-for-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/#8 

I've read a lot of similar guides before, but this one is quite thorough and opened my eyes to risks I never even previously considered.

 Thanks, Matthew.  As they keep reminding us these days, we're all in this together, and you're one of the people helping to make that true.

Wordless Wednesday: Following Doctor's Orders

Feet over Heart: Laundry Basket, foam wedge belted to basket, 2 pillows.Not for comfort, but decreasing swelling

Below, a couple of post op incision photos - NOT pretty!

In Love with a Fictional Creation?

  i may be wrong about this, but it seems female fans often fall in love with Sherlock Holmes & Lord Peter Wimsey, but not with Hercule Poirot or Nero Wolfe.

  Of course, Lord Peter's title and wealth are a plus, and Nero Wolfe's irascibility is a negative, but Wolfe is wealthy and Holmes is irascible, so that can't cover it.
   i think the key

Wordless Wednesday: Why i insist on pencils that are available in open stock

Perfectly lovely pencils, but if i want more, i will have to find another set. The discrepancy in length will only get greater as i use them more.

Team Meeting, March 2019

  Last week we had Max's quarterly meeting.  Things seem to be going well with the services.  Our

Words on Wednesday: My Favorite Agatha Christie stories, and Others' Nominees

 This list led me to consider my own favorites.  i'll

Scrapbook Magazines: Moving On, Moving Out

Part of the current stash

  Over the years, i've had several different Creative Memories consultants, as well as learning from non-consultant friends and printed materials, not to mention previous art training.
  i've accumulated a LOT of scrapbook magazines and books over the past 25 years.
  i am trying to be  "recovering" in my hoarding.
  This the

End of Year Valerie Recap

• It's been several years since my hand surgeries. 

Wordless Wednesday: O Christmas Tree

Since we're not actually putting our tree up, i added artist's tape to the front door, where Max would normally tape our Christmas cards anyway

2018 Reading List

  Lately i've been doing a lot of reading.  Possibly too much, but hey, to read i don't have to move those pesky knees.
  Anyway, i've compiled a list of many of the books i've read this year, with a few scattered comments.   Hope you enjoy!

A friend, her freshly-published book, and writing insights

When i attended a writers' group, Michele shared a lot of great stories with us.  i'm happy to let you know that she's just released a new one, a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. She's having an online release party this coming Thursday evening (9/27/2018, if this is an old post when you get it!).
https://love2readlove2write.com/kill-the-beast-releases-today/
Note in her post how hard, and how LONG, it takes to get a story to this point.  i've never stuck with one so long - the "novels" i used to say i was writing are more like synopses, maps to building a story.
Check out Michele's description of the process, whether you visit the release party or not!

Words on Wednesday: Agatha's Managing Women: A Favorite Character Type/Trope

  Some of my favorite Agatha Christie characters are her women.

We're on the last week of the 3bathroom remodel project.  The dumpster should be gone in a day or two.

Come to My Church (Be Sure & Listen Close the 1st time. . . .)

  i've generally made it a policy to not mention by name the churches & schools i'm associated with.  Not that there's anything wrong with them, but, in the natural course of events, life does not flow smoothly when humans get together. And, to a certain extent, the heart of blogging is discussing problems.
  My idea in this reticence is

Wordless Wednesday: Photoless Scrapbook Pages

These pages are about boarding the plane when i went to Europe.  No photos - who needs them?

These pages actually come before the ones above: a night out on the town, in NYC, and the next morning, before catching the plane that night.  Can you tell what the weather was?

Wordless Wednesday: Street Find

It's hard to read, but one of the lines says, "John Morgan is out and gone"

   My father in law found this book

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: Lifetime Love

Wordless Wednesday: The Further Reaches of the Family Tree

  Among the pictures inherited from my aunt was a mid1800s album with the metal clasps worn away and barely recognizable as velvet-covered.  It shows my great-grandparents as young people, and, on the last page, is this woman.  My aunt explained