First, here's my new lifesaving bit of equipment. My battery jump starter arrived, and seems to be in good order. So the borrowed one went home this morning. This little deal also charges cellphones, that kind of thing, too, and has a bright light on the end, always a good thing if you're needing to start a dead battery at night. It's like an insurance policy that I hope I won't need to use.
Meanwhile, among the cooking and spinning and visiting with Handsome Son, there has also been a jolly little murder mystery or several. I've read several of the Annie Haynes mysteries, and they're really fun. A good puzzle, and a kind of Victorian melodrama, along the lines of Maria Marten or Murder at the Red Barn, that audience participation murder mystery. Anyway, aside from bits of Hallmarky stuff put in for the love interest, it's a pretty entertaining few hours with any of her books.
Then I finally, after a pandemic-long wait, got a copy of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club, and it's as funny and amusing as billed. Set in an upscale retirement community, needs to be upscale, because they have to afford the shenanigans needed to follow up unsolved murders, it's a great sendup of murder mysteries, the quirks of retired folks, I'm a geezer, so I can laugh at geezers, and a politically leftish viewpoint. Highly recommended. I see that Kate Atkins, one of my favorite serious writers, also likes it, so that's a point. I don't believe he's written any more, yet, anyway, but I'm hopeful.
About murder mysteries, I've noticed how many take place around Christmas, completely with snow and country houses, with the suspects all stuck in the same house together, and snow revealing a lack of footsteps, just a lovely addition to your holiday celebrations, I guess. Also I suspect a boost to Christmas sales for the book, but let's not get cynical here. What every Christmas gathering needs, a nice cosy murder or two.
Yesterday, Handsome Son completely upended my sense of what day it is by visiting on a Monday instead of the usual Sunday, because of his work hours. So today has to be Monday, because he was here yesterday, and it suddenly felt like Sunday. I was puzzled that the mail was delivered, until I remembered.
He also mentioned that he thought the almond crescents were terrific and could I make them again some time, maybe? I explained the twists and turns to getting there, and he said, hm, too bad you didn't take notes..I'll give it a try sometime, but no guarantees are being offered.
And now the CDC tells us that the fear of contagion from surfaces is overdone. At first they feared that was a prime source, so we've all been gloving and wiping and spraying everything that gets near us, and now we find it may not be necessary, since the prime source is now believed to be respiratory droplets.
Masks continue to be the answer. They have apparently tested surfaces around actual Covid patients and found little to no contagious material, just the rna residue from the dead virus, not possible to get infected from it.
I've had the cleanest groceries, though, I will say.
The battery jump starter looks useful. I had a look for one on line abd didnt see anything quite so small and compact.
ReplyDeleteTry pre ground almonds for the almond crescents. And roll them in icing sugar while they are still worm from the oven.
We are currently in lockdown until Jan 23, nothing open, only for essentials. I will have to find something interesting to do for the long cold month of January.
I discovered it wasn't the almonds, it was the pastry flour. It needs different ratio of flour to liquid, which is why adding milk was the answer. Whole-wheat pastry flour is quite different from my usual whole-wheat, different wheat source. So at least I know why the complications.
DeleteMy days have been all messed up and the holidays have only intensified that. My two anchors are that on Friday I wash the bedding and we have martinis that night. The most exciting day of the week!
ReplyDeleteI do love a good murder mystery.
You should try the pecan puffs and see if HS likes those as much as the almond crescents. At the very least, they are a lot easier to make and are not a bad cookie in any way. The Joy of Cooking has a good recipe.
Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.
DeleteGroceries clean as a whistle, I say. it will take me time to extract myself from grabbing the wipes container though.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning coronovirus are known to be air borne.Wiping surfaces where droplets land seems to me, common sense.
I read about six months ago that the chance of getting covid from surface contact was slim to none. someone would have to have coughed or sneezed on the item and you would have had to touch it in that exact spot almost immediately after and then touched your nose or mouth so I have not ever worried about surface contact and never meticulously wiped down surfaces in the house, just wash my hands after being out in public. I don't use anti-bacterials in general because I think it's detrimental to building up a good immune system. for a while I was taking a clorox wipe and wiping down the steering wheel and other surfaces in the car I touch while driving but haven't done that in months.
ReplyDeleteI read a wide range of fiction but hardly ever murder mysteries.
To be even more exact, that person sneezing or coughing would have had to be infected in order for any danger to arise. Even more remote chance.
DeleteI remember a while back an epidemiologist saying to someone who'd asked about UPS packages: if the driver had coughed or sneezed right on your package as he left it, and been infected and you'd picked it up immediately and handled and touched your face, there would still be a low risk. But I think we've all been so anxious that it seemed better to be safe and wiping.
I agree with you about not being too antiseptic, though. Better to build up your immune system with a bit of exposure to the world, rather than try to live in an antiseptic bubble. Too much of it, and you lose the natural ability to shield yourself.
I am concerned about my own isolation, in that once we get can among people again, I think people like me will be vulnerable to all sorts of viruses, aside from the worst ones, simply because we've been so protected from them. Very little face to face contact for months now. Can't be helped if you don't have a built in group to live among.
Still wiping down here because it is flu season, I was sad that Osman book ended though I had some issues with the whole nun thing. Nice to have the stuff for emergencies though I hope you do not have one.
ReplyDeleteAbout using the starter, read on....
DeleteThat looks like an excellent bit of insurance to have on hand. Hopefully you won't need to use it! As for the surface contact thing, we're still going to wash/wipe everything that comes into the house. It's ingrained in us now and just that little bit of extra safety. I'll be checking to see if our library has the Osman book because it looks like it would be a fun read.
ReplyDeleteIt has sad parts, too, but that's part of why it's good, not all happy fantasy stuff. But very very funny.
DeleteOh happy day - the library has it and I have it on the 'hold' list.
DeleteI love mysteries and will have to look up your authors.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any to recommend, too?
DeleteI trust you know Louise Penny's Inspector Gamage books?
DeleteChris from Boise
Yes, read one, moved on. A bit slow and repetitive for my taste. But there are people who love them.
Delete