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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week of 21
February 2005
Latest Update: Saturday, 26 February 2005 3:39
p.m.
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Monday, 21 February
2005
Monday evening greetings. Today was not a holiday for myself and of
course Bob. The Washington office of the Firm was closed but all our
other offices remained opened. Mondays mornings are now the "swamped
day" with 600-800 database changes coming in over the weekend.
Below are some pictures I took Saturday of my first bulbs that have
started appearing I ordered last year from the Dutch Gardens.
The first group of snow crocus are some I planted several years ago,
thus they are more to them. The yellow and white ones are new for this
year. They will multiply themselves over the years. I still have some
other bulbs to come up as we progress further into spring.
<>At long last, you finally get to see our lovely, refurbished
downstairs area. The sofa straight ahead is the sleeper. On the
opposite wall, not shown is the fireplace. Behind the love seat and
chair are some book shelves. I am really pleased with how nice it
looks. Just in case you are not familiar, the doorway to the right
leads to the full bath and full galley kitchen which runs along the
right hand wall. French doors are to the left going outside underneath
the deck.
We ate our usual early, light dinner to allow getting to step class
by 5:30.
I talked with both vets Dr. Sue and Dr. Taylor. After some wonderful
research by Sue and relaying the information to Dr. Taylor the
diagnosis turns out to be a possible testicular tumor. Duncan will be
neutered on Thursday. The poor Guy has had a rough time of it the last
several months. He has never liked going to the vet but now he just
loaths it. Malcolm, so far, has not seemed to mind. He is still limping
on his leg and does not understand why he cannot play ball. Actually,
Duncan is a little puzzled himself as to why there has not been any
ball playing.
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Tuesday, 22 February
2005
I stayed up reading last night in order to
finish the Sister Fidelma. Tremayne's setting for Act of Mercy was aboard a trade
ship which also carries passengers. In this case, Fidelma has hooked up
with a group of religeous from two Abbey's going on a pilgrimage to
Iberia. The two Abbeys, one for males and one for females, had ties.
While Sister Fidelma traveled to the port from her hometown to meet the
ship the twelve pilgrims left their respective Abbey's. In route, one
older woman died. The leader of the group is murdered in her bed that
night at a dockside inn where she was staying after supposedly meeting
a friend. The remaining members of the group were staying overnight at
a nearby Abbey. The following morning the ten pilgrims plus Fidelma
boarded the ship. The group did not know why the leader did not meet
the ship but at the time did not know of her surmise.
One of the first persons Fidelma runs into aboard the ship is one of
the male pilgrims who just happens to have been her first love some ten
years ago, a warrior named Cien. Injured in a battle, in lost the use
of one of his arms thereby requiring him to leave the service of his
King. Soon after his injury his wife, whom he broke off his
relationship with Fidelma to marry, left him when he was now spoiled
goods.
On the very first night of sailing the ships is met with a horrendous
storm. When one of the pilgrims goes missing it was assumed she went up
on deck during the storm and was washed overboard. When her blood
stained robe is discovered hidden under a mattress Fidelma starts her
investigation of the murder. During her investigation Fidelma learns
several of the men and women within the group have been in
relationships with each other off and on over a period of time, Cien
included.
During the course of the voyage events continue to befall the group
aboard the ship including out maneuvering a pirate ship, saving three
members of another ship wrecked upon the rocks, and or course, a couple
more murders. All a very interesting mix of murder, suspense and
jealousy.
_____________________________________
We reached a high of 65 degrees this afternoon. The forecast for
tomorrow night is rain possibly mixed with snow or sleet. Go figure?
[Top]
Wednesday, 23
February 2005
Today was the usual grocery store trip,
dinner, and gym.
The city of Winston-Salem and nearby Greensboro has a serial rapist on
the prowl. So far, he has struck twice in Greensboro and four times in
our city. So far, he has targeted young women in apartment complexes.
Hopefully, one day soon, we will hear on the news he picked the wrong
young female and got what he deserved!
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Thursday, 24 February 2005
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Week]
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[Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday]
[Saturday]
[Sunday] [Next Week]
Well, we dodged yet another chance at winter
weather. A very cold rain was falling when I went out with the dogs
this morning. The temperatures hovered around 35 to 38 all afternoon
keeping our precipitation liquid rather than frozen or white.
Bob is preparing for his 8:00pm radio show. Duncan is sacked out on the
couch recovering. The vet did find something unusual looking in one of
his testicles which they will send off to the lab. Hopefully if it is a
tumor it will not be malignant.
I am reading a very interesting mystery I picked up at the library, Overnight Float. The "author Clare
Munnings" is actually a pen name for Jill Kerr Conway and Elizabeth
Kennan. If you have not read Jill Conway's autobiographies you should
consider doing so. In the first book The Road from Coorain, Jill talks
about her life as a child in New South Wales on an isolated sheep farm
to the University of Sydney. Her early life was filled with very tragic
loses in her family plus overcoming the changes from isolation to the
hustle and bustle of life in a major city in the 1960's.
A True North continues her
life as she has married and moved to the United States where she
eventually becomes president of Smith College. Not only do you learn
about her life but also the many hurdles she overcame in both her
professional and personal life.
The third book in the trilogy, A
Woman's Education, she details her life in academia, being
president of a small woman's college, etc. Masterpiece Theater did a
movie based on the first book and perhaps the second, I cannot remember.
Now, Jill and her coauthor, also the president of a woman's college,
have written a mystery set at a small, fictional college in Vermont.
The writing is as pure as it was in Conway's autobiographies. Their
character Rosemary Stubbs comes to this small college after abandoning
a very successful Wall Street job and then graduating from Divinity
School. The novel is centered around the murder of the college
financial officer who recruited Rosemary to come to the college. The
challenge for Rosemary is to get the Chapel program popular on campus,
get in tune with the students, and save the program from being cut from
the budget.
Rosemary left her high flying job in business finance after her husband
drowned in a boating accident. Looking for a new direction in her life,
she went to Divinity School but had no idea what she wanted to do when
she graduated. After being on campus for a short period of time she
finds her new job is exactly what she needs. And of course, like most
mysteries featuring armature sleuths, she finds herself getting into
life threatening situations while trying to solve the murder.
This book was supposed to be the first of a series of books about
Rosemary. It was published in 2000 so I am not sure if they plan to
publish any more or not.
[Top]
Friday, 25
February 2005
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Week]
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[Friday]
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Week]
If you read Bob's page this morning you know
my dad had to take mom to the emergency room last night. However, while
I was concerned I was not worried enough to interrupt his radio show.
My main concern was why dad had not tried to call me back when he did
not reach me the first time. Mom has been having a series of small
health issues which for her tend to run in cycles. Yesterday she was
feeling dizzy and light headed. Finally they called their doctor but
were told they could not see her until this morning. Dad was concerned
enough to go ahead and take her to the emergency room rather than wait.
He had called to let me know they were on the way down while we were
picking up Duncan.
As a matter of fact I was talking to Al and then Frances on my cell
phone just as I was finishing up last night's post. Since I still had
very little information as to what was going on I decided not to
mention anything about it last night. I knew as soon as Bob finished up
I would be heading down to the hospital.
Duncan is doing fine. He let me check the area of the surgery at dinner
time and everything looks fine. The vet said to watch for swelling
which can happen sometimes when older dogs are spay/neutered.
This afternoon after work I made a trip out to Lowe's hardware to pick
up some stuff Bob needs for the book and to Wal-Mart to pick up a few
things. I have so very little time on the weekends I hate to use up an
hour and half running those type of errands and would rather tack it
onto the end of a workday.
[Top]
Saturday, 26 February 2005
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Week]
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[Friday]
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Week]
I was up and out of the house by 8am to give
me time to make a quick stop at the drugstore on the way to the gym.
After the gym I filled the car with gas and stopped at the pet supply
store.
Before fixing lunch I had some things to do in the kitchen. After lunch
I gave the dogs a good brushing before doing the usual weekly house
cleaning. It is always good to that chore behind me.
This afternoon I have sorted through the usual backlog of e-mail plus
the pile of paperwork on my desk. Instead of writing hacks I am now
reviewing those complete by Bob for additions, corrections, etc.
It's a beautiful day outside with moderate temperatures and clear blue
skies. With Duncan continuing to recover and Malcolm's back leg still
lame, I cannot take them outside for a play session today.
Last night I finished up Overnight
Float. Up next, I will read Rhys Bowen's new book in her Molly
Murphy series, In Like Flynn. I promised a review for Mystery Morgue.
[Top]
Sunday, 27 February 2005
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Week]
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[Friday]
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Week]
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Copyright
© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 by Barbara
Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.
