CincyKris

Levi has been in his own head since his mom died. He has slowly let people, and their thoughts and opinions in. Now, working with Jamie has given him a whole new viewpoint. Feeling responsibility for another person is powerful. I think his old mental framework developed by his grandpa and mom of either "sinful" or "not sinful" has gone by the wayside. Jamie is obviously not an evil person that chose to sin. Now Casey, on the other hand......

I got interrupted in reading and commenting by a tornado warning! No tornado, fortunately. Won't know about wind damage until it gets light out. I don't have a basement (or a root cellar!). I'm so happy that they are starting out with the top of the line for structures and tools. Those solid barns and that cellar could be life savers some day.

Oh, and Happy 53rd Birthday to @FanLit!!!! I passed that milestone 3 years ago. It only gets better (total lie, getting old sucks, but living is better than the alternative anyday!).

Forgot to mention that I am, according to a DNA test, more Scottish than anything else! I'm basically a western/Northern European mutt, but mostly Scottish, which was a total surprise. I am looking forward to Edinburgh. Maybe I'll get there myself sometime!

I work on Saturday so I can read the story at lunch (which is more than @weinerdog) but not read comments, or comment until after getting home and cooking dinner! I have so many thoughts! Troy is an adult, who has made his own decisions on his life. The effect of Miles on his his adult life and his relationship with Owen are his own, not Miles'! Miles has very publicly declared that he has given up on Troy, due his own issues, and realized that Troy has moved on. This is why he has not disrupted Troy's life. Any decision that Troy makes is his own. Please stop demonizing Miles for mental health issues he experienced as a 19 year old, precipitated by serious issues he lived through as a child. Troy, Miles, and Owen are all adults now. They have lived through their own shit and come out as individuals who can make their own decisions. I can't wait to find out what those decisions will be!

Another newbie to the krew! Welcome.

I just finished a full reread of the Charlie Boone series, all 29 of them! This last story gave the promise of more adventures with a new intriguing character. I think it was a fitting end. I can only imagine our quirky, powerful band of explorers out there solving mysteries and fixing problems, all while providing only good positive energy. I'm sad that Geron is gone, but his wonderful stories are timeless and a great pick-me-up if your having a rough day.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being the fly on the wall for Alex and Neil's journey together. The realistic pace and language (particularly Neil's), made them seem like actual people, I didn't at all miss the exaggerated drama we sometimes get in romances. Real people are interesting too!

I think this quote says the most about Miles’ current state of mind: guilt plagued me. I told him that it was okay if he let Troy know I was alive and traveling, but only if he asked. In return, all I asked from Erik was an occasional acknowledgment that Troy was alright. I never asked for specifics, and Erik didn’t volunteer them. I hated how I’d left things, and now that I had more answers, too much water had gone under the bridge. Regret was a bitter pill to swallow. He knows his exit hurt the person he loved the most, but thought it was his only choice at the time. By the time he got his shit together, he felt his chance was over. Guilt and regret are powerful emotions! I hope he gets his second chance.

Casey does not strike me as the sharpest knife in the drawer, even for a Thompson! I hope he will do something extra "Thompsony" and cut his own throat, metaphorically of course!

Almost all of our important characters have experienced a tremendous amount of personal growth, some much more than others. I think that Russ would be a fan of Neil's sculptures, I hope he becomes aware of them!

That August and Fletcher were more concerned with Runyan and Willy James than happy for their own good luck says a lot about their character. I bet Willy James will have a good story!

I'm glad that Troy is content in his relationship with Owen. Although one must remember that college romances are only slightly longer lasting than high school ones. Come on folks, these are 22 year olds, give them some time and a little life under their belts. I think Troy is a little more understanding of Miles' severe trauma and mental health issues than some of the readers! Will Miles and Troy end up together, I hope so, but I'm more interested in their journeys.

Uncle Edwin pulls through again! Alex and Neil will be kinda sorta living together, but with their own spaces to retreat to as needed. Poor Maudie must feel like Uncle Edwin and his friend are just waiting for her to die. Just for spite, she'll live to 100!

See, this is why we Krew members love you! How many authors get 5 pages of comments on a mid-story chapter? I love the back and forth arguments and conjecture! We are an engaged audience that appreciates complex characters.

I’m going to guess, by context, that a “whipper snipper” is what we yanks call a weed whacker?

You forgot plants! Or cut herbs sitting in a cup of water on the counter.

I'm sorry, I'm going to have to disagree that "this wasn't anywhere near that crisis and panic". Just because he was in mental crisis, it does not lessen the crisis Miles was feeling. And he kind of did communicate to the best of his ability at the time. If you reread, you'll see he couldn't work out his severe mental issues in his own head. If he can't explain it to himself, he can't explain it to others. He left Troy because he couldn't find a way to stay and not hurt him. He felt he was doing what was best for Troy because he loved him more than he loved himself. Did it suck for Troy? Hell yes. Staying and destroying their relationship or killing himself were not better options.

I have my thoughts on what Miles has lost, besides the love of his life (temporarily). Unlike a certain pooch, I will keep my wild guesses to myself for now. I will say that I think Miles' crappy parents are as much at fault for his mental health issues as Robbie's crappy parents were at fault for her problems. But, Robbie took control of her life and remade herself. Miles will hopefully use this conversation as a turning point and start rebuilding himself. 1st on page 2!

This is why I love reading stories in progress! Have the fun is the conjecture and anticipation!

I don't think I would have liked Yel very much. She seemed a drama collector/instigator. Why else would she keep Minty around her circle?! Not my scene. I think it's great advice to hold off on the baby talk for 5 years! Who knows where the guys will be in five years. Maybe Neil will be a famous well-known artist and Alex will be a successful and popular composer? Or maybe they'll still be sometimes struggling, sometimes successful? I just hope they're happy and together.

Sometimes we get hit with sudden changes that we have no choice but to accept and move on, like Levi's mom's death, meeting his dad, and moving. Other times we adjust so slowly that we all the sudden realize that we changed, without really knowing it. I feel like the latter is often healthier and more "real". It implies a choice, rather than just adjusting to things thrust upon you.

I'm so happy our predictions were correct, but way more land than we thought! August and Fletcher will be able to realize their dreams together. His amazing good fortune is contrasted by Runyan's desperate longing for Willy James. I can only hope that Albert doesn't find out about the land. Thank goodness there was no fast way to spread gossip over a big distance! Big news may have traveled fast by train or Telegraph, but August's news will be kept close by his and Fletcher's loved ones.

My first fear was that Miles was developing schizophrenia, which usually presents around his age. I hope not, because that is a really tough diagnosis. Like @weinerdog, I wonder who the "her" is in Miles' dream. His mom is in jail, so is dad. We didn't hear about a sister? If Miles was telling Troy the truth about therapy, he was struggling to work things out in his head, suggesting heavy stuff like repressed memories or a difficult diagnosis.

Was this last line referring to Meg’s ordeal or foreshadowing the boys’ future? I know my guess! Little did I know that anguish is sometimes the price of perfection.