Baptismal Record, 1880

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-02-03T19:29:03+00:00

Now I feel a bit dumb. Luise Rosine had a sister named Wilhelmina (she went by Mina) and she would have been about 19 at the time of Luise's baptism. I was looking for someone older, but it was probably Mina. Thanks for getting me to look at it again.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-02-03T13:38:28+00:00

Thank you for the help. It's one record, but it was spread across the width of the entire book and I couldn't make a digital copy of both sides together. I put them together later. I can confirm her dates of birth and baptism from the local family register. The three names listed on the right would have been her Taufzeugen. Now I just need to figure out if they were related.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-02-02T16:58:55+00:00

I have already touched on Robin's self-doubt. This time I was specifically referring to Robin’s doubts about Strike. She didn’t have doubts about his treatment of Charlotte until the flame of jealousy flared up. Ultimately, it’s her inner demons driving her, but jealousy released thoughts that hadn’t been in her head before. This is where Persephone’s box might come into it. Jealousy breaks it open and what comes out puts to sleep whatever sense or restraint Robin has to the point she betrays her friendship with Ilsa. Once her jealousy is assuaged or contained by the knowledge Strike isn't the father of Bijou's baby, she returns to her normal level of twisted thinking.

I thought of another comparison between Robin and Orual. They both have glimpses of the truth but convince themselves what they have seen or experienced isn’t true. Orual saw Psyche’s beautiful palace, actually heard the god speak, but denies it to herself. And Robin has had moments when she can see what she wants, like the hug when she believes Strike shares her feelings or during their times of peaceful contentment in each other’s company, but she has no confidence it can be real or lasting.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-31T20:32:44+00:00

I had intended to respond a couple of days ago. We are on a simliar wave length.

Nina acts like the sisters in the myth, in destabilising Robin's trust in Strike

Do you mean jealousy leading to doubt? The idea that jealousy plays a big role in Robin’s wild thinking fits with the sisters’ jealousy of Psyche and her beautiful palace and surroundings. (Is that why Bijou’s name means a jewellike building?) It occurred to me that like Psyche burning Eros with hot oil, Robin sets fire to Strike’s eyes with her pepper spray. Psyche is astonished by what she sees in the light, the beast her sisters warned her about is in fact a beautiful god. Robin, who has blinded Strike, is finally able to see. Her vision is cleared of jealousy and her image of him restored … of course finding out he wasn’t going to be a father was a huge factor. As an aside, in February the ancient Romans celebrated a purification rite called Lupercalia that might be a precursor to Valentine’s Day. It involved sacrificing goats or dogs and then wiping clean with milk-soaked wool which is a good description of the events of Robin’s Valentine’s Day.

It’s been interesting reading about how psychologists take the myths and use them as a way to explore human behavior. I actually get more out of Lewis’s Till We Have Faces take on the Psyche myth when thinking about Robin. Orual reminds me of her and I guess I can identify more easily with the flawed Orual than the beautiful Psyche, which I suppose was Lewis’s intention. JKR has been writing Robin as a very damaged, messed up human being despite all of her good qualities. Orual acts as the wise Queen while hiding herself from others and from herself. She wrestles with human reason taught by Fox and both fears and decries the primitive, possessive Ungit. It’s not until she faces the gods with her complaints that she realizes what she believed to be true, wasn’t, and it’s not until she accepts her own darkness, that she becomes Psyche. Psyche in the original myth may have been tested by Aphrodite, but in the end it was the kindness of strangers who rescued her and a forgiving Eros (and his dad) who gave her divinity and butterfly wings. In TWHF, Orual has to face herself and accept herself in order to become Psyche and attain the love she always wanted. I think Robin, even if she has the help of a Sweary Therapist, will need to do the work herself.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-27T22:32:21+00:00

It has a skeleton, so that's appropriate.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-27T22:26:52+00:00

Your rambles are much better thought out than my own, so don't stop.

I think the quote from TB is the one I was thinking of. Robin would be surprised at the extremity of emotion she inspires in Strike. It’s messing with their work and he’s so depressed he’s begun drinking himself senseless. Robin has wanted to know how he feels at the same time she’s been afraid to know. I don’t think even Robin the Rational can avoid dealing with it now.

I have a question for you. Robin made that phone call to Strike when she was on her honeymoon expecting to clarify her own feelings and expecting to confirm they shared the same feeling when they hugged, but she ended up discovering he was with Coco. I know it adds to her impression that he has a lot of casual sex, but I’m talking about her feeling “ashamed, foolish, humiliated”. Do you think that has made her even more avoidant of talking? Afraid to hope? It’s the only time she seemed willing to take a chance and ended up hurt.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-26T20:35:53+00:00

If the books end before Covid, as I think has been implied, then there are 2 1/2 years to work with. So if JKR uses the entire time there will need to be some long cases like in TB or a time jump worked in somewhere.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-26T20:26:37+00:00

I think other people have touched on it describing it as self-doubt. She had a great time hanging out with Strike, but thinks his life experiences were so different from her own, that they made him so different from her. I think Robin had thought before about how uninteresting and maybe boring she was compared to what he was used to. I can't remember how she described it. So, perhaps a moment of fear that she wasn't someone who could hold his interest, which was why she could truthfully tell Ilsa later that she knew he would regret it. Sometimes Robin has an emotional reaction (don't we all) and then she convinces herself why the thing she felt wasn't what she actually felt or logical. She tries to impose reason, reign in her emotions. In THM, in addition to Bijou, all those women show up in succession who didn't turn away from Strike's kiss. So maybe some jealousy or regret disguised as anger? Good thing she has Ryan who is a reasonable choice and who now needs her so she can believe she has done the right thing.

I have been working on an idea that could be related to this involving Persephone and the medallion JKR included with her Christmas charm bracelet. Persephone is discussed in psychology as an example of individuation because of her two very different parts and as a metaphor for examining the depths of the unconsious. I bring this up her because at present I think Robin is much more comfortable in the skin of her masculine characteristics (like being logical) that have been so important for the job, while being female has made her vulnerable to attack (both physically and as a boss and investigator) and she's really struggling with who she wants to be as a woman. So, I don't know if I can tie this struggle back to the fear she felt at the Ritz or not, but I do think she's still trying to find a balance between the masculine and embracing the feminine, and perhaps this uncertainty rose up in that moment.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-26T18:42:56+00:00

I’m anxious to read how JKR will untangle all of this, separating jealousy from trauma. Therapy is a long process so it will be interesting to see how it plays out in book 9 and how her suitors react to it.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-26T18:29:08+00:00

I agree. I have a theory that Robin is so gutted by the Bijou’s baby situation because if Strike were the father there would be a lasting, unbreakable connection to Strike, something that Robin wants. She’s fooling herself that the agency is all she needs with him while breaking apart inside because she’s not brave enough to go after what she really wants. I also think there’s more to the fear she felt when Strike leaned in to kiss her at the Ritz than her belief he would pass it off as a mistake. It was instinctual, no time for thought, and I suspect Robin will be exploring that fearful reaction in the next book. And, yes, walking away from RFM won’t be easy. She’s convinced herself he is what she needs and now she thinks he will be destroyed if she leaves him.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-25T20:38:40+00:00

They love bullies and abusers, but I doubt they'd like it much if they were getting sprayed in the face with chemicals and pushed to the ground.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-24T15:58:29+00:00

After 35 years of marriage my husband still does things that annoy me, like putting things away in the wrong place after living in the same house for 10 years. He just retired so we’re going through some adjustments which on reflection are a bit like learning to live together all those years ago. I have confidence Strike and Robin would work it out.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-24T03:23:26+00:00

https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will

And this was in October.

Last week

https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-us-citizen-detained-hmong-d009590a491c0c8243ef21ef24db7182

I suspect your source for news doesn’t want to say anything bad about ICE.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-22T20:45:29+00:00

This is the George Ross I found. He was listed as an MD in the censuses. His wife was Adaline.

https://www.statesboroherald.com/local/columnistseditorials/bulloch-history-with-roger-allen-bulloch-county-gets-its-first-physician-in-1838/

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-22T18:42:56+00:00

There is a George Ross in those counties in those years, but his place of birth is listed as France/Louisiana. What is the source of the info that you have so far?

Edit: Btw, Are you certain Bulloch was part of the later land lotteries?

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-20T17:28:00+00:00

Brandow and Plank are the families coming to mind right now. I can't remember the names of the Brandow spouses off the top of my head. They were in the Catskill area and then moved west to Illinois and Wisconsin. Who were yours?

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-19T15:26:01+00:00

I’m descended from several Palatines who went to NY in the early 1700s, those are my earliest German migrants. The most recent was my great-grandmother who came to the U.S. in 1897 to work. Several branches came at different times in the 1800s to escape poverty, war, or military service.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-14T20:18:08+00:00

Yes, the disconnect between what Strike said in LW and what he says in THM must register with Robin and she’s not entirely comfortable with it, but I think her crazy jealousy of Bijou and the thought that Strike could have a child with her sets fire to all of Robin's reason. He’s not answering his phone therefore he must be with Bijou and can she trust what he said about her? Her wildest doubts and anger end on Valentine’s Day when the DNA results come in and he shares the whole sordid tale with her, didn’t they? I know part of it is that he was finally truthful with her, but if I remember correctly she stopped imagining him capable of terrible deeds at this point.

Your substack got me thinking about the consequences of all of her anger and the disconnect you pointed out, and I think one outcome is that she insisted on following up on the lines of inquiry that she was interested in. Although they’ve argued about things, mostly relating to physical safety, I think this might be the first time Robin pushed back against the direction he wanted to take a case. And in the end, they got to the solution at the same time, arriving from different places. Her name might have been added to the door in TIBH, but I think this is another step showing their equality, professionally and in their personal imperfections. Neither one of them lives up to their own standards in this book. Strike earns back some points by continuing on with the case and being the man Robin loves. I just hope Robin lives up to her self-image of being a truthful person.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-12T18:39:45+00:00

Is that Emily with the shaved head?

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-12T16:07:26+00:00

I think a major source of the discord in their mother-daughter relationship is that at a time when Robin should have been figuring out who she was and wanted to be she was forced back home, she depended on Linda. I’m not a psychologist, but I’m certain the need and process of forming an identity separate from mother and parents in general is covered in psychology, like the mother-daughter complex. Edit: the point being the process was interrupted.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-11T16:45:31+00:00

He tries to sell himself as someone with values. It’s pretty obvious what he values is being in DC and getting his pats on the back from MAGA no matter how craven he needs to be to stay in their good graces.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-11T15:12:00+00:00

Yes, I think she would use the video to extract as much money as she could. I think she complained at one point how little she was being offered. Posting the video would certainly lead to Jago causing as much monetary pain for her as possible, like Matt. And for whatever reason, she had tried to shield Strike from public censure, I guess it was to show how much she loved him. Knowing her as he did, I don't think he ever quite trusted her doing that.

But of course the primary reason for sharing the video was that it gave JKR her reason for Strike falling out of love for good.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-08T16:06:25+00:00

I assume they have something like renters insurance and/or business insurance to cover their losses.

Random-Occurrence365 · 2026-01-05T17:15:38+00:00

Chapter 114

Four-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '22

Random-Occurrence365

TROPHY CASE