Saturday, July 11, 2020

Weekly Mews: My Week & July's TBR List Winner

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics.

Outside: It is 102F as I write this. Summer is definitely here. There seems to be a breeze, however, so it's not unbearable.

What I Am Reading: I am currently reading How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Thank you to those who recommended it last week. I have begun reading this month's TBR winner, and think it will be a good one--a much needed escape from reality.

What I Am Watching: We finished watching Elementary. I was not as thrilled with the direction the last two seasons took, but they were still enjoyable. My husband and I next want to re-watch and catch-up on the British Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. We had seen the first couple of seasons years ago, and really liked them. We seem to be on a Sherlock Holmes kick. Maybe I should actually read Arthur Conan Doyle's work. I have only read The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Off the Blog: I got word that a woman I have worked with off and on for 20 or so years passed away from cancer one morning this past week. I supervised her for a number of years directly, and then occasionally more recently. She was a free spirit and had a big heart. She will be missed.

Our local school board met last Wednesday evening to discuss the proposed options for the upcoming school year. After seven and a half hours they approved both a virtual learning program and a homeschool-based learning program. The in-person plan was tabled for further exploration and will be addressed at the next board meeting on the 21st. That portion of the meeting was not without drama. Meanwhile, I have between now and the 23th to decide which of the three programs to sign my daughter up in. A lot of neighboring school districts are making similar decisions, many planning to start the year out with a virtual format. 

The rate of the virus continues to skyrocket in my county and many other places around the U.S. The county offices have closed down to the public again. My family and I continue to lay low, working mostly from home and going out only for essential business. I still go into the office once a week. 

What I Am Grateful For: My daughter and I taking turns braiding each other's hair before bed. My husband--we are celebrating our wedding anniversary this weekend. We may not be able to go out and do something special, but we are together. Safe and healthy. Kitty kisses and cuddles. 

I hope you all have had a great week. Please share what you have been up to this past week? What are you reading? What are you watching? Do you have any plans for this upcoming week?


Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 




Thank you again for your votes! It was close, the winner coming out on top by two votes (9) and the other two, All Cats Are Introverts by Francesco Marciuliano  and They Call Me the Cat Lady by Amy Miller, tying each with 7 votes. 



The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel 
Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break...
I began reading it earlier today and have met Nana and his human Satoru. I am looking forward to further immersing myself in the novel. I have a feeling it will be both heart warming and heartbreaking. 


Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!


© 2020, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

62 comments:

  1. I’ve never seen the British Sherlock series. I’ve been wanting to forever though. Hopefully I’ll get to it soon.

    I’m sorry to hear about your coworker. That’s so sad.

    Happy anniversary! And how true you are! At least you guys are safe and each other. We celebrated our anniversary in May at home too. It was still fun!

    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. Maureen - I hope you get a chance to watch Sherlock. It's an interesting take on the characters.

      Thank you for your kind words about my coworker. Cancer is so cruel. She didn't believe in modern medicine and so took a more holistic approach to it. It's impossible to know if it would have made a difference in her case, I suppose, but I know her family wasn't too happy about her decision. It's sad all around regardless though.

      Thank you too for the anniversary wishes!

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  2. Sorry to hear about your friend.

    We have just gone back to lockdown because the numbers have gone up. Our numbers are nothing like the US numbers though.

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    1. Marg - Thank you for your kind thoughts.

      I was sorry to hear you went back into lockdown. We should, but no one with any authority is going to make that decision here unfortunately. This whole situation has been so mismanaged from the start. It's sad really.

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  3. I'm trying to lay low too. It's too scary to go out right now with everything on the rise again. I'm just so disgusted that we had two or three months to get a handle on this thing and we didn't come out in a better position. So frustrating!

    Anyways- congratulations! Hope you have a great weekend celebrating! And I'm anxious to see what our school district decides- i think a lot of them are going to do some variation of what you describe. I hope ours does since sending kids back for full time in classroom seems risky at this stage.

    Be well this week!

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    1. Greg - It really is frustrating. And now schools are starting up again and that is opening a entirely other can of worms.

      Thank you for the well wishes!

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  4. Sounds like you've had a lovely week 😊 I loved the BBC's Sherlock series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and I highly recommend reading the originals novels and stories too - I have read them all! 😁 Take care in the coming week.

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    1. Jessica - It was nice. :-) I do want to read the Sherlock stories one of these days. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. How to Be an Antiracist is on my TBR and I should get to it soon. I am a huge fan of Sherlock, the BBC version. Have fun reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles, it is one of my best reads of 2020.

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    1. Gayahtri - How To Be an Antiracist is really good, and I hope you enjoy it when you read it. I am glad you enjoy the Sherlock series as well. :-) The Travelling Cat Chronicles was so good! I can see why it's a favorite of yours.

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  6. Right now, our school district is offering parents the option of in-person or online learning. How can parents make a good decision? Neither is good. But what other choices can districts offer?

    All three of those cat-themed books look good. I hope you will read the others after you read Traveling Cat.

    My husband and I will celebrate our anniversary next week. Happy anniversary to you!

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    1. Deb Nance - Yes, none of the options our district offered were good either, but I don't know what option would be good under the circumstances. We can only do the best we can, I suppose.

      I intended to read the other cat books as well this past month, but my reading has really been suffering.

      I hope you and your husband and a great anniversary! I am sorry I late with my well wishes.

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  7. I am glad your school was able to come up with safe options. I worry about young families that have to deal with these issues amidst an out-of-control Pandemic. If only our Federal leaders had been more alert and responsive...they still aren't! Our governor is better, I think.

    Stay safe and enjoy your week, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I hope things will work out well for the schools and everyone. It's such a difficult situation all around. I'm with you. I really think the federal leaders dropped the ball on this big time. I am glad we have the governor we do.

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  8. We were sad to see Elementary end, but I also think watching the British Sherlock would be a nice. Also, do try Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock series - so good! And with all the female characters - Mrs. Watson, etc. The schools here are coming out with plans - most seem to be doing 100% at school or 100% at home - not sure about the specifics. My husband's brother is an elementary art teacher in a local district that hasn't decided yet. He is not very excited about this year. Figures he'll be the one going from room to room with cart and wearing a hazmat suit. I'm kind of sad for him. Take care, Wendy. Sorry about your friend's passing and also Happy Anniversary!

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    1. Kay - I've read the first in Sherry Thomas's series and enjoyed it. I look forward to reading her other books in the series.

      I really feel for the teachers right now. My brother and his wife both are teachers and start this coming week online. I know there's a lot of mixed feelings on the subject, and I'm not sure there is any good solution at this point. Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. Our schools are up in the air about how things are going to go this year. I'm expecting a mix of home/ virtual and classroom. They're talking about staggering the classes so half the kids go one day and half the next. I'm nervous about what this is going to bring. I hope you enjoy your books and have a great week.

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    1. SJ - Our district came up with similar plan options for families. They all aren't ideal, but given the circumstances, I don't see there's much alternative. It's all so frustrating, isn't it? Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I am sorry to hear about your work colleague - it's always a shock when this happens...

    If you do want to read more of the original Sherlock books, I very highly recommend Stephen Fry's narration of the complete works. At 72 hours work, it's very good value and you can listen to it in chunks - I managed to spin it out over several months and loved it. Yes - I very much enjoyed the Cumberbatch version, too:)). Have a great week, Wendy!

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    1. Sarah - Thank you for your kind words.

      I'll have to look for Stephen Fry's narration of the Sherlock stories. I don't have much time to listen to audio books these days, but maybe eventually. Even just reading itself is proving to be a challenge most days.

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  11. Happy anniversary!! I loved the first seasons of Elementary, unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the BBC version all that much. I loved the acting, but I just wasn't a fan of how they told the story for whatever reason. Me and my family are trying to stay as isolated as possible, only going out when our dog needs to go for a walk. The situation here in Italy is much improved, but we're all just basically waiting for the other shoe to drop. Hopefully it will all end soon. Stay safe and happy reading!

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    1. Ruby Jo - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Elementary too! I'm sorry you weren't able to get into Sherlock. It took a bit of getting used to for me, but in the end I really enjoyed it. I can see how it wouldn't appeal to everyone though.

      I am glad the situation in Italy is so much better. I hope it continues to stay that way. I keep hoping things will start looking up in the U.S., but given the poor government response and so many people taking it so lightly still, I worry. I hope you stay safe too.

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  12. Hope you enjoy The Travelling Cat Chronicles! We're still waiting to hear what our schools are going to do here in Utah.

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    1. Lark - Thank you! Have you heard anything about the schools in Utah? It's been interesting to hear what other parts of the country are doing and how it compares. It's not a good situation for anyone, is it?

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  13. No plans here for this week. Just staying inside as much as possible. The temps here today is 114. Too darn hot to be going outside for anything right now.

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    1. Mary - That's our life here. Staying inside as much as possible. I hope you are staying cool. We are still in triple digit temps too, but not quite as hot as you've got there.

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  14. Working on the reopening of school is such a tough job as there are no good answers. Anything we do will upset families, teachers, and/or students. I'm glad you are finding How to be an Anti-Racist informative and interesting.

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    1. Helen - It's so sad the heat school personnel are taking over the schools re-opening. I think most, if not all, are doing their best. We're all in this together, and I wish we'd remember that.

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  15. I agree the last couple of seasons of Elementary were kind of off and I really didn't like the last episode at all. It seemed unnecessary and I thought they should've ended with the show before that. I did really like the series and I enjoyed Sherlock though I think it is best watched close together as there are so many interconnecting threads. The school situation is crazy and I feel terrible for all the parents who are scrambling trying to make the best decision they can. The hospital here is recommending that ALL school age children in the house be homeschooled and not just the immune-compromised child so there are people in full panic mode. I'm so sorry to hear about your coworker. I hope you have a good week and enjoy your reading.

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    1. Katherine - Yeah, that last episode of Elementary seemed more of an epilogue that wasn't particularly necessary. This time round we watched Sherlock closer together--and yes, I agree with you, that makes a lot of difference. I appreciated more of the individual episodes after seeing the entirety of the series, I think. If that makes sense.

      I hope you and your family are doing well. I follow your FB page and appreciate you keeping us in the loop. I know this has to be hard on all of you. Prayers for your family.

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  16. I love the Sherlock Holmes books and I did a Series on Saturday on a bunch of the Sherlock style series. Actually COYER book club this month did A Study in Charlotte which is a YA one about the great-grandchildren of Holmes and Watson I enjoyed it a lot. I've watched a few seasons of Elementary. But I think I would love the British series so I should see if one of my streaming has it. I don't watch much. I have watched one movie this year and before that nothing since 2017! But my daughter watches. We have Netflix, Amazon Prime and our phone recently gave us HBO Max. Somebody must have it. And there are many other things I haven't watched.

    Good luck on the schooling. My daughter's college is going to be online again. She's feeling better about it after taking one summer class. Also she will pick options which she thinks will work online.

    Have a wonderful week and stay well!

    Anne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post   

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    1. Anne - I think I have A Study in Charlotte on my wish list. It's one I've been wanting to read. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it! I hope you get a chance to watch the British Sherlock. Katherine above mentioned watching the series episodes close together, and I think that's a good idea if you can do it. It brings the entire series together more. It's on Netflix right now--which is where we watched it.

      Thank you for the well wishes. I am glad your daughter is feeling better about online learning. Hopefully this new semester will be a good one for her!

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  17. I want to read The Travelling Cat, too. It sounds so good from your description last week. In fact, I've asked my daughter if we can do a readalong. I read a YA version of Ibrams book that he co-wrote with Jason Reynolds. called Stamped. Very good. My Sunday Salon

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    1. Anne - I did enjoy The Travelling Cat Chronicles and recommend it. Reading it with your daughter sounds like a great idea! I have heard about Stamped and was eyeing it the other day. I am glad to hear you liked it.

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  18. Our virus numbers have been going up so I've been sticking close to home. I enjoyed the first couple of seasons of Elementary, but then I started to lose interest so I stopped watching. Maybe some day I will go back and try to binge on the seasons I didn't see.

    I hope you have a great week! Stay safe!

    My Sunday Post is here.

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    1. Yvonne - I hope your virus numbers have started to go down. Ours are still up, unfortunately. I hope we get some good news soon. I think we all could use it. Thank you for visiting!

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  19. I’m looking forward to reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles, it really appeals to me. I love books set in Japan.

    Sherlock is great, Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect as the detective.

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    1. Heather - Oh, I hope you do read The Travelling Cat Chronicles. It was good. You get to "see" a lot of Japan in the novel on their travels. :-)

      Cumberbatch does make a great Sherlock, I agree!

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  20. Only going out for essential business sounds like a plan! Numbers have been fairly stable here in the UK lately but I guess we'll soon see if it stays that way now that pretty much everything is open. :/

    I've never seen Sherlock. I keep meaning to watch it but there's always something else that catches my eye. :( Enjoy the re-watch and catch up and I hope you have a lovely anniversary.

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    1. Nicci - I hope your numbers do stay stable. I keep hoping ours will become more stable, but no luck so far.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  21. Happy anniversary! Good luck with the school decisions. I can’t imagine how stressful this all is. I hope you have a good week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  22. Kitty book looks perfect for you. Enjoy.

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  23. My heart goes out to all the teachers, students and parents who have to figure out the upcoming school year. I don't think there are any perfect solutions out there🙁 Stay safe and have a good week!

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    1. Tammy - Mine does too. It's such a difficult situation for everyone. Thank you for stopping by!

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  24. Happy Anniversary 🥂
    The school issue is difficult. I was wary about my kids returning 8 weeks ago when we had a barely a handful of cases in the state, I can’t imagine having to face it when there are thousands!

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. Shelleyrae - Thank you for the anniversary wishes. :-)

      I think many of us here are dreading this coming school year. And now with recent stories coming out of hundreds of children at camp testing positive--it's not helping anyone's confidence.

      Thank you for visiting.

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  25. Happy Anniversary to you and your husband, Wendy!

    The Travelling Cat Chronicles sounds like an interesting read. I hope you'll enjoy the book and I'll look forward to your thoughts on it.

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    1. Melody - Thank you!

      I did enjoy Arikawa's novel and recommend it. :-)

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  26. Happy Anniversary! Pick up some nice takeout at least.

    Still waiting on school plans to be finalized. We start on 8/11.

    I have been trying to spend more time outside. I organized a picnic for my youth group on Sunday and it was 107. I booked it two weeks ago. I had no idea it would be so freaking hot. I have a heat rash but the girls seems to have a good time. Although, no one ate much. Too hot to eat. Along with my attempt to be outdoors more, I am replanting things and my thumb is actually turning green and not pitch black like it usually is. Things are growing!

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    1. Ti - Thank you! We did end up getting take out. :-)

      That's great that you are trying to spend more time outdoors--and even in this heat! I'm not that brave. Haha. I hope your heat rash has gone away by now.

      I really need to get out and trim my roses. It's long overdue. I'm terrible at gardening and don't much enjoy it, but maybe if I did it more it would grow on me . . .

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  27. I'm so sorry about your co-worker. That is really hard. I hope you your work continues to go well and hopefully you can still keep working from home as much as possible. I hope you and your hubby had a very nice time celebrating your anniversary! Wishing you many more years of love and laughter. It's really hot here too and of course our rates of COVID-19 are right up there. I keep wishing this was all a bad nightmare.

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    1. Iliana - Thank you for your kind words. Cancer is such a terrible disease, in any of its forms. I hope they'll let us continue to work from home as well. Especially given the school situation. Stay safe and well!

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  28. Tough decisions to take re your daughter's education. I know very little on this subject, though here too children are being educated online. I do not know how successful it is since wifi and computers are not a commonplace item to be found in many homes.
    We have sadly gone into a second wave of Covid 19 and though not on the scale of other countries it is nevertheless scary. For the first time after almost five months we are having community transmission which is very risky to all.
    Stay safe and wishes for your wedding anniversary. Today is my husband's 65th birthday and it is bittersweet. All the children are in lockdown in Melbourne and we are anxious over them especially as two of them are front liners.

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    1. Mystica - There is a lot of concern here too about the families that don't have computers or internet access. The school districts in my county plan to supply the computers at least and offer low cost wifi options, but some areas don't have reception. I don't know how they will get around that. I guess time will tell.

      I am so sorry to hear your area has gone int oa second wave. I hope it will flatten again soon--and taper off.

      Happy belated birthday to your husband. I hope you and your family are all safe and well.

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  29. I can't remember which book I eventually voted for but I can remember it be a close call. The Travelling Cat Chronicles sounds great, I look forward to reading your thoughts on it. Happy reading and stay safe.

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    1. Felicity - I enjoyed The Travelling Cat Chronicles. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  30. Thinking and deciding about school has been the highlight of my past two weeks so far. It has been so stressful but we've finally made some decisions and I am relieved. The Covid numbers are getting scarier day by day.

    You have some excellent reading going on! Kendi's book comes highly recommended but I haven't read it yet.

    Happy belated wedding anniversary!!

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    1. Athira - I broke down crying after we made our school choice official. I had second thoughts for days after and only now am starting to feel okay with it. It shouldn't be that hard to decide, but so many factors come into play. I know you understand.

      Thank you for the anniversary wishes!

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  31. I'm sorry about your co-worker, that's tough.

    I can only imagine the stress parents and school aged kids are going through right now. It's such a hard time.
    Glad you are doing well and keeping safe. The numbers knock on wood have been better here in NJ but we are still staying home and social distancing.
    Happy anniversary! And enjoy your week ahead.

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    1. Naida - Thank you. She was a really nice person and we feel her absence every day.

      I am glad to hear your COVID-19 numbers have been better and hope it continues that way. We need a little hope.

      Thank you for visiting!

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