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Reader's Paradise

CXCVIII The First Monthly Game

9 years ago

leel finished with:

The Prisoner of Zenda - Anthony Hope

The Ballard of Reading Gaol - Oscar Wilde

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Comments (179)

carolyn_ky
9 years ago
The Teahouse of the August Moon, Vern Sneider
reader_in_transit
9 years ago
The Guns of August --- Barbara Tuchman
Related Discussions
First home, first lawn - some struggles
Q
Comments (15)
Welcome LJoy. I'm not the greeter, but thought I'd say, "Hi!" My first reply was one of frustration. Did you read the follow up? We have sudden rains, birds, water restrictions, and wind, too. Everyone does. And I'm sure your lawn with straw came in nicely. My point was that you don't need it. Mother Nature does not use straw. She uses force on the ground from livestock hooves to press the seed into the ground. Obviously I can't come through the screen and enforce anything I might suggest, but I can try to present some rationale for doing or not doing what I suggest. Basically my suggestions are the combined wisdom of my time on this and several other forums. My suggestions are definitely not based on my personal experience. I had to unlearn a lot of what I thought was the truth about lawn care to come up with what is a fairly simple approach to it. Sometimes that takes a long time to explain why it is so simple, but it really is. I owned many homes for 30+ years before I learned how to take care of my lawn. I wish I could go back in time to the 70s when I had a terrible lawn, and the 80s when I had a terrible lawn, and the 90s when my lawn was only decent every other year. It's only been since 2002 that my lawn came alive. That happened because of what I learned here. All the experts who were here when I arrived have moved on or were banned for various reasons. New ones have arrived. I'm just giving back where I can. I'm looking forward to new posts from you about your issues. I can tell you that 80% of lawn issues get back to proper watering. If you are not doing it deeply (inch at a time) and infrequently (weekly or twice a month), then you are doing it wrong. If you live in the north you should be mulch mowing at your mower's highest setting. And if your turf seems thin you either need seed (wait for fall) or fertilizer (only organic in the summer) or both. And sometimes Mother Nature does not cooperate.
...See More
Noob Mistakes (You made when you first started growing Hoyas)
Q
Comments (32)
I really enjoyed reading this post! I'm probably guilty of buying ALL THE PLANTZ!! I started with a couple then a few more... Because I'm lucky to find so many different types in my area at reasonable prices I take risks in buying ones that may or may not do well here. I figure it's worth the risk. I had no idea how lucky I am to find such a variety, but it's rare to find a big established plant. Although I just passed on a 5 foot (on trellis) multi flowering carnosa because I couldn't fit it in the car... I have a couple of Graveyard hoyas, most I've replaced and trying again. (Or will if I find another one for sale) I don't think I'll get another lauterbachii again even though they turn up all the time. Mine grew fast and tall but died. Not sure if it was underwatering or the cold but as I since found out it grows huge with next to no chance of me ever seeing flowers here I really cant be bothered buying it again. Since joining this group and learning "if in doubt, unpot and check roots and/or chop" I haven't lost many plants, except poor polyneura that got cooked in the last heatwave :( (I bought a new one in case my cuttings didn't take but they did!)
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First house - can't get a mortgage
Q
Comments (49)
"Early twenties tends to be when you have some truly wonderful opportunities to explore life and make your way." If that's what you want fine. I wouldn't change a single thing about my life. I would make the same choices. I enlisted in the AF at 18, had DD at 20, married DH at 21 (he was 22 and just out of the AF) and we bought our first house within the year with help from his father, had DS about 8 months year later and I got out of the AF at his birth and started college when he was 4 weeks old (It was DH's last semester*) . My FIL loaned us $3500 on a $38.5K house which we repaid (he only asked for what he would've made on the money in a Money Market account) when we sold the house for $46K a few years later. Life's been good. Kids are grown and on their own, but are renting because of house prices here in northern VA. I got my degree at the age of 32 (life happened), but I make great money 17 years later. We're on our 3rd house and even in the depressed market it's worth $500K more than we paid for it 14 years ago and we owe very little on it. I'm so thankful that my FIL was willing to take a chance on his 23 yo son and the son's 22 yo wife of 1 year and loan us the money for a down payment on that first house. Those were great times then! DH was in college with only the GI bill and Ready Reserve income, I was an E4 in the AF, we had one child and were trying for our second. I loved that first house - our 1000 sq ft rancher on 1/2 acre in Gloucester County VA. It was white with black shutters, 3 BR and 2 baths and a one car garage with washer and dryer in the garage. Now DH and I have our retirement almost completely saved for (and still 10 more years to put away more money) and we have money to help the kids out (but not too too much, which wouldn't be good for them), plus money for vacations. Our credit history/score has always been perfect. To get back to the topic at hand, there has been good advice for how the son can get a credit "history" fairly quickly, and I would advise that route over buying the house for him outright, or co-signing.
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November 2010 Monthly Block Lotto
Q
Comments (50)
The mail just came, bringing squares from Robbi and Petalpatsy. So, we're now complete, a day early! Quite a feat with so much going on this time of year. I'll be having cataract surgery tomorrow and making the almost 3 hour trek back to Baltimore on Wednesday for my post-op check. (And going through this again next week for other eye). Anyway, with all the blocks here and accounted for, I'd like to do the drawing this evening. I plan to be online around 7, and since I'd like to be a possible winner, I'll need some assistance with the drawing. I'll check when I get online to see who's available to draw a name. What a beautiful bunch of squares these are! Kay
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harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914, Barbara Tuchman
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
A Description of the Castles and Keeps of Scotland: Sundry Fortressess Towers Peels and Houses - F R Fraprie
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
THE NOBLE HOUSES OF SCOTLAND by Charles Wemyss
harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter
sheri_z6
9 years ago
Must Love Highlanders -- Grace Burrowes & Patience Griffin
phyllis__mn
9 years ago
Sunshine on Scotland Street....Alexander McCall Smith
donnamira
9 years ago
The House on Mango Street .... Sandra Cisneros
harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
The House on Maple Street .... Stephen King
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
The King at Windsor Castle - Anthony Blunt
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
BLUNT DARTS by Jeremiah Healy
woodnymph2_gw
9 years ago
The Sword in the Stone - T.H. White
harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
carolyn_ky
9 years ago
Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiana
reader_in_transit
9 years ago
The Love of Stones---Tobias Hill
netla
9 years ago
Between a Heart and a Rock Place: A Memoir - Pat Benatar
(double points!)
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
No More Kidney Stones - John Rodman
woodnymph2_gw
9 years ago
The Narrowing Stream - John Mortimer
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
PROSTATE HEALTH by Larry Clapp PhD
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
Sex Sin and Suffering: Venereal Disease in Society - Roger Davidson

(sorry Larry Clapp . . couldn't resist it)
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
RASH RECKLESS LOVE by Valerie Sherwood

( I was hoping someone would notice that name :0)
carolyn_ky
9 years ago
A Rash Affair, Robert Black
harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
- Rashi (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) by Avraham Grossman
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
The Jerusalem Sinner Saved - John Bunyan
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL by William Shakespeare
sheri_z6
9 years ago
'Til the Well Runs Dry -- Lauren Francis-Sharma
reader_in_transit
9 years ago
In a Dry Season---Peter Robinson
harborrose_pnw
9 years ago
The Spice Lover's Guide to Herbs and Spices by Tony Hill
woodnymph2_gw
9 years ago
Two Under the Indian Sun - Jon & Rumer Godden
phyllis__mn
9 years ago
Under the Tuscan Sun...........Frances Mayes
carolyn_ky
9 years ago
Under the Lilacs, Louisa May Alcott
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
Beneath the Banyan Tree - Jayakanthan
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
UNDER A FIG TREE by Sandra Levesque
woodnymph2_gw
9 years ago
Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius - Fergus Mason
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
NOWHERE TO HIDE by Jerome Schultz
phyllis__mn
9 years ago
Somewhere Safe with Somebody.....Jan Karon
sheri_z6
9 years ago
How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? -- Jane Yolen
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
Hiding Behind the Couch - Debbie McGowan
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
DUST BUNNIES AND DEAD BODIES by Janis Thornton
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
A Cream Cracker Under the Settee - Alan Bennett
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
CRUMBS UNDER THE TABLE by Tim Bolton
phyllis__mn
9 years ago
Cards on the Table....Agatha Christie
reader_in_transit
9 years ago
Postcards from the Edge--- Carrie Fisher
vee_new
Original Author
9 years ago
Telegram from Guernica - Nicholas Rankin
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
NEWS FROM PARAGUAY by Lily Tuck
woodnymph2_gw
9 years ago
The Old Patagonian Express - Paul Theroux
carolyn_ky
9 years ago
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
(Too easy and obvious, maybe.)
yoyobon_gw
9 years ago
A FATAL TWIST OF LEMON by Patrice Greenwood

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