iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

September reads! I enjoyed all of these books. Every American should read Into the Wood Chipper and then vote them all out. I'm down to 23 unread books in my house.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

So excited for this in about an hour. I loved @mkn.bsky.social 's book The Westerners. This is probably the last weekend day in the 70s for us in the midwest for like 9 months, so I will be watching outside from my patio.

Screenshot of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History entry for Book Breaks today with Megan Kate Nelson for the book The Westerners.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Turned on Farm Aid in time to see some of the Mellencamp set!

Picture of my TV screen featuring John mellencamp in a white t-shirt singing into a microphone.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

World War 2 days at Midway Village. @ryangw27.bsky.social gave a great presentation, as usual. This year he talked about baseball in a Japanese internment camp in California. It's always great to see the awesome Clara Swenson Hellman, Peaches Batgirl.

Ryan is standing at a podium. To his right and behind is a screen pulled down with a slide from his presentation.

Slide from a presentation with the heading spotlight standout teams in the camps. A picture on the right of three baseball players in uniforms.

Slide titled How to Support the Manzanar Baseball Oroject. Greatleap.org/manzanar-baseball is the URL.

Clara! Ryan made her some cards with her picture on it, as well as the year she was a Peaches batgirl. Clara is always very popular when we do tabling and sell Peaches stuff at events. She signed this card for me today.

If only you could be blamed for this! Haha

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Jamie McKayis coming back to #Gamecock softball for her final year.

Let's go, Queens! (There are more people here than it looks like from this angle.)

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Back in Springfield for game 4 of the Women's Professional Baseball League championship. 62 and rainy at home. 3 hours due south it feels like 87, humid and sunny. Don't sleep on the heartland. The Queens are sort of my team but it's hard to root against any of these teams. #wpbl

Flyover country! Blurry field out the window of my car as I'm driving.

Banners outside the ballpark for the Women's Professional Baseball League with the icons of the team.

When you come back your car up against the fence out outside right field.

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Only bought four books total over the weekend. The top two I've already read, but didn't have signed copies. It was surreal driving past O'Hare on my way home and seeing all the planes overhead while listening to the oral history of 9/11 the weekend of the 25th anniversary.

Four books on a light tan mat: Death Among the Ruins by Susanna Calkins, Watergate Girl by Jill Wine+Banks, Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams and When the News Broke by Heather Hendershot.

Screenshot of the audiobook only playing in the sky by Garrett Graff. White letters on a black background.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I've been at the Printers Row Lit Fest this weekend. It's my favorite weekend of the year in Chicago. Since I'm here, I'm trying to just be here and not be on my phone paying attention to other things going on. But HOLY OMG I got a book signed by @jillwine-banks.bsky.social !!!

Inside cover and title page of The Watergate Girl by Jill Wine Banks signed to me!

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Newberry Library put together an exhibit after the first women's March. The person who put it together is listed here but I don't see her listed in the Newberry staff list. I'm happy to do some digging and see if I can find her if you want.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I was working on the 5th floor of a 40 story building in Chicago on 9/11. I read the 9/11 Commission Report. I celebrate bin laden's death day every year. This flag is one of my favorite exhibits at the Obama Center. It was finally time to read this book. @vermontgmg.bsky.social

I put this book on hold in Libby a month ago. My hold just popped. I don't know that I want to be listening to this book on 9/11, but... I loved the author's book on Watergate. I'm over an hour in and it's already gut wrenching.

Obama killing bin laden is one of the highlights of his administration for me. He showed the rest of the world that you can come for us, but we will never forget. The SEALs took this flag on the mission. It is on display at the Obama Presidential Center in Hyde Park in Chicago.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I refuse to accept that summer is almost over, but the last home game for the @beloitskycarp.bsky.social is an indicator.

Beautiful blue sky with clouds over green grass and brown infield of a ballpark.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Let's go, Sky Carp! What a gorgeous night after 5 days of oppressive heat and humidity.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

My staycation is winding down nicely. I had a blast museum hopping in the big city and having lunch with a good friend. No better place than Chicago in the summer.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

August reads! A Kind of Grace and Mermaid were fantastic. Loved Backtalker. I didn't realize the author was involved in many of the historic decisions in this country. Spy Master scheme was good. Only one more book left in the series. 25 unread books in my house.

Books A Kind of Grace and Mermaid sitting on a pink bench with a floral cushion.

Screenshot of the Storygraph entry of the cover of the book Backtalker.

Screenshot of the Storygraph entry of the cover of the book Spy Master's Scheme.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I'm afraid I peaked on the first day of my staycation.

Large black and white banner with a mint green splash of color at the bottom with a photo of the exhibit of Anne Frank at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Obama Presidential Center building in the background in front of beautiful greenery in Chicago

Babe's Sports Bar. One of three sports bars in Chicago that only shows women's sports. Photo is a storefront with a mint green awning that says "Babe's" in white letters.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I'm cheating on the #WPBL tonight because I can actually watch a Sky game on national TV.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Beautiful night for baseball. Let's go, Sky Carp!

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

She spoke at our local community college this afternoon. She's a really good speaker. I remember the impact she made in Washington. Did they sell out their season one year she played?

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Meek! Chamique Holdsclaw spoke at the local community college this afternoon fresh off her Hall of Fame Induction. What a story. I'm glad athletes have more access to mental health resources today.

Gah! Howard Bryant commented on my comment. At least I think so. I'm going with it.

Gah! Howard Bryant commented in my comment. At least I think so. I'm going with that.

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The great @marlenekv.bsky.social is the SABR Founder Award winner!!

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Howard Bryant! on a SABR webinar talking about the integration era before the SABR all-time integration era team reveal. His book "Kings and Pawns" is excellent. If you're watching, stay tuned for a cool announcement after the reveal of the team.

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Welcome, Rally! This summer has been a bobblehead bonanza.

Bobbleheads of Mone Davis, Maybelle Blair, Rally and Ryno.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

First game back at Rivets Stadium since the Women's Baseball World Cup games. It's so weird to see men playing. Haha.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

July reads! The Second City book was okay. The history of the founding was interesting, but the rest was mostly descriptions of skits. The Born Frees was fantastic. Got that signed at a book fest when the book came out.

Covers of three books: For a Girl Becoming, The Second City and The Born Frees.

Cover of the book The Toymaker's Curse.
I have enjoyed this series, but I think they are running out of story lines with these characters.

Book cover of The Westerners. It's so interesting to read more about people we've heard of and people we haven't who made such an impact on the country. I was out west 20 years ago and it makes me want to go back

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Waited in line for an hour to get in. Women's professional baseball is back! So glad Maybelle was able to be here. See my pic of her talking with Team USA catcher Denea Benites. Everyone watches women's sports.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The line is so long maybe I'll make a 5:30 first pitch.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

These two posts one after the other in my feed tells us everything.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Women in baseball week is technically officially over, but is it really? @wibw.bsky.social You can check out this map with sites all over the place where women's baseball happened. @wbht.bsky.social Both of these are creations from the brilliant @ryangw27.bsky.social

Gratuitous photo of women's baseball to accompany this post. Team USA scoring in a game last week.

Gratuitous photo of women's baseball to accompany this post. The program from the World Cup last week

Gratuitous photo of women's baseball to accompany this post. Flag ceremony before a game at the Women's Baseball World Cup last week.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

We had a World Cup! 15 games in 5 days. What's better than spending 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at a ballpark everyday for 5 days. It was the most fun. I got to meet the coolest people. We saw some great games and some blowouts. Can't wait for next year. @wbht.bsky.social @iwbc4me.bsky.social

Night view of the ball field from behind the seats behind home plate.

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Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Australia and Canada have punched their tickets for the finals next year! #baseballworldcupW @iwbc4me.bsky.social @wbht.bsky.social

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Day 5! Korea versus Mexico. First pitch in an hour. #baseballworldcupW @wibw.bsky.social

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Ticket punched! Team USA moves on to the finals next year. #baseballworldcupW @wbht.bsky.social

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Naomi Ryan on the mound for Team USA vs Canada! @wibw.bsky.social #baseballworldcupW

Beautiful ballpark with players on the field.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

This seems like a good place to grab a few pages before have to head over to my Accreditations table. First game at 11:00. #baseballworldcupW @wibw.bsky.social @iwbc4me.bsky.social

An open book with a beautiful ballpark being maintained behind it.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Kelsie Whitmore on the mound! Nice-size crowd tonight. He's the lucky with the gorgeous weather all week. @wibw.bsky.social @iwbc4me.bsky.social #everyonewatcheswomenssports #worldcupbaseballW

Baseball field under a beautiful midwest sky. Kelsie Whitmore pitching for team USA.

Lorene @lorene9.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

People waiting for the players to get on the buses about 10:30 tonight. @wbht.bsky.social #baseballworldcupW

A bunch of people outside of ballpark by a bus.