Spring has definitely sprung, in the KC area.

The red maples have are well into leafing out, the redbuds have blossomed, the oaks are flowering.

And a female cardinal pursued by two male cardinals just made a brief stop on my deck. The two males fought over dominance while the female observed. All three were vocalizing.

I wasn't quick enough to get a picture of the males, but here is a picture of the female: [link]

Soon it will be time to set out the hummingbird feeder.

In Florida, why you be that way, news. DeSantis is now suing the Biden administration and CDC to reopen the cruise industry. When we are spiking again. Of course he didn't have an issue with Trump's actions on cruises. That said, I would surely love to be on a cruise. But I can wait.

I remember a children's book that hinged on solving a mystery, which was solved by reading Shorthand which had been stitched into a quilt.

I have no idea what the title is, but you will be completely unsurprised to know I also read and remember that book.

The males get all the good press but female cardinals are so pretty.

I have the steno pads that my grandmother used to write lyrics she heard on the radio when she was teaching herself to take dictation. I don’t know if she ever used that particular skill professionally, but she thought it would be useful snd set herself to acquire it.

I have no idea what the title is, but you will be completely unsurprised to know I also read and remember that book.

As an Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew fan, I couldn't resist looking for this one.

Is it this? [link]

Shorthand is very interesting and mysterious to me. I know my mom knew some at one point, I think she learned in high school. I took a typing class in high school which I hated at the time (also it was using like, word processors, but they were super strict about teaching how to format a letter and stuff, at some points, which was weird?) but it meant I touch-typed ever since, and that's been very useful in life. I do wonder if they even still offer that class or if they just assume kids picked it up earlier in life, now.

I have no idea what the title is, but you will be completely unsurprised to know I also read and remember that book.

I seem to recall this as well. I always thought that shorthand would be a cool skill to have, but by the time I got old enough, dictaphones were all the rage.

I have been stabbinated twice, the second time today. Arm is sore (more sore than the first time, I think). I'm going to take some Tylenol and go to bed in a bit.

Is it this? [link]

Oooh, I think that's it! How funny that it's illustrated by Joe & Beth Krush, who also illustrated Gone Away Lake. That must have been why I was drawn to it initially.

The key plot point revolves around the fact that there are TWO different schools of Shorthand. One common in the 20s, that was superseded by an entirely different approach later.