Panamanian chicken soup (or our version of it). Cassava, chicken, carrots, coriander. My wife worked it out after our last pre-pandemic family trip, a tour of Panama.

Quote by verbal
7 L’s

You have lived in seven states? Dang, you get around my friend.

I am with Verbs on this. I will bet the etiquette types have come up with some protocol but I am not a fan of protocol where matters of the heart are concerned. Congratulations and all my best for your marriage. And call yourself whatever you like.

Quote by Verity

Quote by AaronArcher

I never had an RR, so I guess the number is right.

I wouldn't worry. They don't actually do anything.

They're nice for bragging rights, I guess. And when I'm posting about my writing elsewhere, saying "A Stories Space Recommended Read" sounds impressive.😋

Quote by redwriter
Is there a hot chocolate and any kind of shortbread, please?

Hot water and instant for the former (with mini marshmallows on the side). For shortbreads, check the cookie jars and backup cans. Sara's got all kinds of stuff around.

Quote by redwriter
No blindness now though for me, picked up new specs to balance the effects of a cataract. Can actually read newsprint for the first time for years.

So I have two options for my cataract. Publicly funded means waiting until next summer (yes, really). Or I can pay the whole shot myself and go to a laser eye clinic just up the road from me. I am favouring the latter because they also have some really nice, newly approved IoLs to choose from and they can take me pretty much any time. Just need to harmonize with my calendar.

Pouring a fresh pot of tea along with Red's hot chocolate.

Okay, folks. The weeks wears on. Sorry I was AWOL yesterday. Just busy and tired (wasn't sleeping well for a couple nights).

I have some coffee brewing and there's some Red Rose in the pretty teapot. Hot water is in a nice, insulated urn for those what need it.

Taking one last crack at removing my stump today (a tree I cut down like a year ago). My cable connection is at risk so if I go missing, fear not. My phone does have a hotspot.😉

REAL Chinese.😉 Riblets with tofu and stir-fried garlic sprouts with pork.

(I married her for more than the food, but the food certainly didn't hurt)

Quote by Survivor
Also, I had the correct number of Recommended Reads shown with 15. Now the number is cleared out.

Same with mine. Was incorrect to start (see above), now the number is gone as if I only have one.

I get email notifications for new PMs but nothing else that I have noticed. I only knew Healer's Secret got an RR because I happened to notice when I was looking over my stories for something else.

Quote by Molly

I'm not sure that has been mentioned since the change over first took place. I will ask about that and about missing badges.

I notice that the count on my Recommended Read badge didn't increment when The Healer's Secret (my most recent story) was awarded an RR (my RR badge shows 3 and I now have 4). Not a big deal for me since I'm not a "badger" but I wonder if it ties into other badge issues.

Bump

I just realized that this story was awarded an RR. Apparently we don't get notified of these things at present. So I just thought I would give it a celebratory bump for those who may not have partaken yet.

Had Dark Passion Play by Nightwish on in the car while commuting this week. The lead off track on that album is the magnificent epic The Poet and The Pendulum, here done live with current lead singer Floor Jansen. The album version is sung by previous lead Anette Olzon.

Just clicked Send on this. Crossing fingers. They are okay with simultaneous submissions but I think I'll hold off posting it here until I see how this goes. Don't want to jinx myself. 😉 I am pretty happy with it, actually. I think I nailed the style pretty well.

And another...

Sunday. Time for us all to go to the Church of Holy Inspirations and partake in our communion of coffee and cookies. 😋Coffee pot is full, tea pot has some English Breakfast in it, hot water is out for other hot beverages and snacks.

And since verbs and I were discussing them, here's some rousing GBS to kick off your week.

Apple cinnamon whippersnappers? I'm in.

And having a proper butcher shop is so important. All the Asian grocery stores here have one along with a fish/seafood market. We often get them to cut stuff to order.

Quote by verbal
Any of you Cunucks know Great Big Sea? Good band!

Good? Hell, one of the best Canadian bands of my lifetime. Sadly, they called it a day a few years ago. Apparently lead singer Alan Doyle is going to be doing a musical in his native St. John's, Newfoundland. He has been touring solo and has done a solo album or two since the band quit.

Quote by gypsy

Doug and the Slugs did it better, in my opinion.

And almost certainly never had a hit, or were heard of, outside Canada.

I love Doug & the Slugs. And they are about as Canadian as it comes. If you cut Doug, he bleeds maple syrup. Blue Rodeo (country-rock or alt-country depending how you call it) would be another, I think, though they might had some success stateside. I forget.

This was from Rodeo's very successful debut album, Outskirts. That album also gave us "Try", which I think still remains their biggest hit.

And for those wondering what I'm babbling about (did these guys ever have any hits outside Canada):

Good morning! It's the weekend and as Loverboy (Canadian rock band) said, "Everybody's working for the weekend." Well, except retired people, I guess. And the unemployed. And probably some other groups I'm forgetting. Okay, many people are working for the weekend. Except that doesn't fit the tune. 😕

There's some fresh coffee in the pot and tea du jour is Scottish Breakfast. Hot water is ready for other teas, hot chocolate, etc. For those needing a quick feed, I've added some cups of instant ramen. Just add hot water and steep for three or four minutes. Several flavours, including a couple spicy ones. Chopsticks and forks available.

Good morning and Happy Fry Day!! It's the day when we all got out for what my shawarma place calls "STIX" (rice is ROX). Or maybe I'm just goofing off.

Coffee is in the pot, tea is Earl Grey, hot water is ready for all what need it. Marshmallow supply seems good right now but I'm sure the chip shortage will impact it somehow. 😜

Might finally get back to my story for the Ghost Orchid Press comp this weekend. The deadline (end of month) draws near so I need to finalize it, convert it from Google Docs to Word, and get it in.

Quote by verbal
Feets don't fail me now.

If you used your hands, it would probably be quicker.🤣

Quote by Ping
Sixty, six-toed cats.

This is either cute and cuddly or mind-blasting horror. I am on the fence right now.

And apple and a kiwi cookie should go nicely with evening green tea.

Marshymallows? Is that a new thing? frantically checks supplier catalogues

Family trees are most interesting when there's some ... um ... odd ornaments on them. Alas, mine is rather dull. Ministers, lawyers, doctors, cheese makers (at least i know where my love of old cheddar came from, eh), hardware merchants. No cool scandals found so far and that's after my uncle, my mother, and my brother have all had swings at it.

Good morning, storytellers and story readers! The coffee is brewing and there's a fresh pot of Red Rose. Also a big thermos of hot water for other teas or hot chocolate. Marshmallows (both the public stock and Sara's) have been restocked. Not sure about the marshymallows, though.

Quote by redwriter

Ping, Given your spooky success I'm sure you could work wonders with a story about cannibals, (long pig) is their main meal.

And just to ahow what a smart a-- I am, it is Bahrain, but surely Canada haven't qualified--oh, boy, we Brits have a great chance.

Actually, we are apparently quite close to qualifying. Given that our women regularly play, and even make the later rounds, in the Women's World Cup, our men need to up their game and it is starting to look like Qatar might just be the one.

Good afternoon, folks. Was at my first large in-person meeting since March 2020, hence my absence. Fun to see people again. And I now know that my vaccine passport is valid and works (the venue was checking).

Putting on some coffee and tea. Hot water for other drinks is available.

Quote by CuriousAnnie
But I have the best ever excuse.

Yeah, my wife actually wrote a textbook when she was pregnant, but had to put it aside while our son was small. Finished it once he was old enough to start daycare.

Quote by verbal
It's gonna be an annoying ton of work, getting everything ready.

Yeah, when we finally put our current place on the market, I can see needing to sink some money and energy into it first. Still a few years off, though. Not until I retire (she's retired now).

Quote by DenimAngel

Today is LIBRARY day !!

Music to this old librarian's ears.😎

Fun day tomorrow. In-person town hall with all the other IT people from my employer's corporate group. My first time at a large gathering since March 2020. Vaccine passports and masks mandatory (except during lunch), of course. Excited but also feeling a bit of trepidation. After all, COVID is on a bit of a surge in Ontario right now, even if my area has been somewhat spared so far relative to some neighbouring regions.

Grabs a couple pecan divines from Big Bird

Putting on the kettle for an evening tea. Going with Coronation Street Green myself. Anyone else?

Been watching Ken Burns bio of Thomas Jefferson with Mrs. Mendalla. Hits all the big notes like the Declaration of Independence and his presidency, but also works hard at painting a picture of Jefferson as a person, especially the sometimes contradictory nature of the man. He was a patrician who was an ardent advocate for democracy and a slave owner who argued for emancipation. Sounds like he was also a doting grandpa in his twilight years. His relationship with John Adams is touched on quite a bit, too. Style-wise, it's Ken Burns. Not sure I can describe it better than that. If you've seen Civil War or Jazz or any of Burns other documentaries, you pretty much know what you're getting.

We have a tablet that is being flaky, but not as bad as yours. Just spontaneously reboots at inopportune moments.

I have got coffee in the coffee pot and Earl Grey in the teapot. God help me if I ever mix those up. Hot water is ready for other teas or hot chocolate.

Have a good one!

One of my favorite Youtubers right now is alto rock singer Violet Orlandi. Terrific voice and a lively personality that comes across in her vlogs. Here she teams with Russian cover band Shershen & Zaritskaya, whose lead singer Daria Zaritskaya is no slouch in the vocal department herself, for an eighties hard rock classic.