Better Late Than Never
1. Had I not written this Thursday Thirteen, it would have been the first Thursday Thirteen I'd missed in about 300 week, or over five years. That's a hot streak, right?
2. Why am I late? Can you believe I forgot it is Thursday?
3. Recently I have been forgetting a lot of things. I forgot to put the chicken salad in the refrigerator and stored it in the cabinet instead. I put food in the microwave and forgot to serve it. I think my brain wiring went cuckoo when I hit 50. *Added later* After I wrote this, I forgot to post it!
4. Apparently "go see a pain management specialist" is doctor speak for "I don't know what is wrong with you and it's not my problem, anyway."
5. I love you even though I don't really know you. It's sort of like the way I like watermelon on a hot Sunday afternoon.
6. From my writer's notebook, one of my favorite signs, seen long ago: Cash for God, any condition. I think that about sums it all up right there, doesn't it?
7. I learned this week that the English call kitty cats moggies.
8. My office needs a good cleaning out and I want to rearrange my desk. However, I am unable to move the furniture. It's that heavy precut crap that weighs a ton.
9. I feel like I am writing nonsense just to get to thirteen.
10. I read an article about not writing and realized that it defined my issues. My belief system is all screwed up. I believe stupid things and they keep me from working.
11. Do you believe the dead can hear your thoughts?
12. I have a license to laugh plastered on my wall above my computer screen. Really. It says, "This license entitles the bearer to perform random acts of spontaneous laughter."
13. I want to go back to school. If I could I would be a student forever.
There. Thirteen things. I don't know why this has been such a struggle the last two weeks!
Thursday Thirteen is
played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a
while and this is my 330th time to do a list of 13 on a
Thursday.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
By the Mail Box
Given the weather and my inability to get out and about much, I thought I'd take the camera to the mailbox with me. If nothing else, it's a different perspective.
Looking back up my driveway.
This road is directly across from my driveway.
The big hay field across from the driveway.
Oh look! Lanetta on her tractor.
Lanetta is our neighbor. She is in her 70s and still farms. She used to be the athletic director at Hollins University. She is in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. She is a catbird and a really wonderful lady. You can see a video of her talking about the efforts to bring Title IX to the higher education system at this link. It's worth the three minutes.
There she goes to feed her cows!
Another shot of the hayfield.
Looking back up my driveway.
This road is directly across from my driveway.
The big hay field across from the driveway.
Oh look! Lanetta on her tractor.
Lanetta is our neighbor. She is in her 70s and still farms. She used to be the athletic director at Hollins University. She is in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. She is a catbird and a really wonderful lady. You can see a video of her talking about the efforts to bring Title IX to the higher education system at this link. It's worth the three minutes.
There she goes to feed her cows!
Another shot of the hayfield.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Heritage Family Market
Heritage Family Market is a new store that opened in Fincastle in mid-December. It is located on US 220 in a former doctor's office, across from the landscaping store.
The store sells deli meats and cheeses, baked goods, jellies, candy, and baking supplies.
The store should become a destination shopping point, especially for folks who visit The Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft. This store carries similar items.
They have a whole aisle just for candy. Candy sells big in Botetourt. Apparently we all have a sweet tooth.
The bulked items, like brown sugar, flours, etc., are very reasonably priced. I purchased a huge bag of light brown sugar for $1.89.
The spices are also very reasonably priced and, I think, better quality than what you buy in the supermarket. If you do a lot of cooking or use one or two items more than others, purchasing here might save you some money.
I am very happy to see a new business in Fincastle. I love our little county seat but it doesn't have much of a retail trade. There is a drug store across from the courthouse, and that's about it.
If you live in the Roanoke area, I hope you will check out Heritage Family Market.
*No one paid me to write this. I just like to promote local businesses once in a while.*
The store sells deli meats and cheeses, baked goods, jellies, candy, and baking supplies.
The store should become a destination shopping point, especially for folks who visit The Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft. This store carries similar items.
They have a whole aisle just for candy. Candy sells big in Botetourt. Apparently we all have a sweet tooth.
The bulked items, like brown sugar, flours, etc., are very reasonably priced. I purchased a huge bag of light brown sugar for $1.89.
The spices are also very reasonably priced and, I think, better quality than what you buy in the supermarket. If you do a lot of cooking or use one or two items more than others, purchasing here might save you some money.
I am very happy to see a new business in Fincastle. I love our little county seat but it doesn't have much of a retail trade. There is a drug store across from the courthouse, and that's about it.
If you live in the Roanoke area, I hope you will check out Heritage Family Market.
*No one paid me to write this. I just like to promote local businesses once in a while.*
Monday, February 03, 2014
Books: Abhorsen
Abhorsen
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2003
518 pages
This is the third in the Abhorsen trilogy books by this author. I also reviewed Sabriel and Lireal.
My friend Inga, who lives in England, turned me on to this trilogy after we had a discussion about necromancers following the initial showing of The Hobbit.
In this fantasy world, there are two lands - the Old Kingdom and the new one. They are separated by a magical wall, but the wall can be crossed. The Old Kingdom has magic, but the new one has science.
Sabriel is the Abhorsen, which is to say, someone who puts the dead back where they belong after a necromancer brings them back to the world of the living. Lireal, we learned in the book of the same name, is her sister, though neither knew that until late in book two. Lireal is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, meaning she will take over the duties of Sabriel when she dies.
Abhorsen picks up where Lireal left off, and it really is more of a continuation of that story than one in its own right. I suppose one might read this book without having read the other two, but I would think at the least reading Lireal might be in order.
Lireal is with Sam, her nephew, and they are trying to reach Hedge, a very powerful necromancer who has enslaved Sam's friend Nick. Nick is from the new world and is using science to help free a very powerful magical being.
They are helped by two magic creatures, the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, a cat. Both are ancient magic beings themselves.
The story moves along very quickly as Lireal and Sam attempt to save the world from the trapped magical being. I won't give it away in case you want to read this (or better yet the entire trilogy) but I enjoyed this romp very much.
Nix creates a fascinating world that is both believable and incomprehensible. I was reminded a little of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass as I read; there was a tiny bit of what I consider steampunk in the old world, which had technology akin to early 20th century and yet the division between the two lands was great in many ways. Even the weather and the moons were different, so that passing through the wall was like moving through time and space into a parallel universe.
All in all a very good read, and if you like fantasy this is a trilogy you will want to pick up.
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2003
518 pages
This is the third in the Abhorsen trilogy books by this author. I also reviewed Sabriel and Lireal.
My friend Inga, who lives in England, turned me on to this trilogy after we had a discussion about necromancers following the initial showing of The Hobbit.
In this fantasy world, there are two lands - the Old Kingdom and the new one. They are separated by a magical wall, but the wall can be crossed. The Old Kingdom has magic, but the new one has science.
Sabriel is the Abhorsen, which is to say, someone who puts the dead back where they belong after a necromancer brings them back to the world of the living. Lireal, we learned in the book of the same name, is her sister, though neither knew that until late in book two. Lireal is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, meaning she will take over the duties of Sabriel when she dies.
Abhorsen picks up where Lireal left off, and it really is more of a continuation of that story than one in its own right. I suppose one might read this book without having read the other two, but I would think at the least reading Lireal might be in order.
Lireal is with Sam, her nephew, and they are trying to reach Hedge, a very powerful necromancer who has enslaved Sam's friend Nick. Nick is from the new world and is using science to help free a very powerful magical being.
They are helped by two magic creatures, the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, a cat. Both are ancient magic beings themselves.
The story moves along very quickly as Lireal and Sam attempt to save the world from the trapped magical being. I won't give it away in case you want to read this (or better yet the entire trilogy) but I enjoyed this romp very much.
Nix creates a fascinating world that is both believable and incomprehensible. I was reminded a little of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass as I read; there was a tiny bit of what I consider steampunk in the old world, which had technology akin to early 20th century and yet the division between the two lands was great in many ways. Even the weather and the moons were different, so that passing through the wall was like moving through time and space into a parallel universe.
All in all a very good read, and if you like fantasy this is a trilogy you will want to pick up.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
I Myself Am a Minor Celebrity
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost Meme
From Sunday Stealing
1. Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first song.
A. I listen to the radio or to CDs. I have an iPod but don't use it, and I have some things on the Amazon cloud player. Anyway, I turned on the radio and the song playing was Drift Away by Dobie Gray. "Give me the beat boy and free my soul, I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away." That's some real music there.
2. If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you?
A. I would like to go to England to see my friend Inga, and visit Scotland and Ireland while I was in the area. I think I would need a month, not a week, but there you go. I would take my husband with me.
3.What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)
A. I will only write with a black Pilot G-2 0.5mm retractable gel ink rolling ball pen. People actually buy me packs of these for Christmas.
4. When did you go on your first trip alone (without your parents)?
A. In 1979, I went with a few students from my class and others from my area on a week-long adventure to Spain and France. We flew out of Roanoke, landed in New York, flew from there to London, switched planes again, and flew to Madrid. We stayed in Madrid for three nights. We went to museums and other things, but there was some civil unrest of some kind going on at the time and we did not get about as well as our tour guides wanted. We took a train to France. We were actually supposed to take buses but there was some kind of bus strike going on so we ended up on a train. In Paris, we saw the Louvre and Eiffel Tower and all of the usual tourist things.
5.Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them.
A. I have met a lot of politicians, unfortunately, through my work with local newspapers. Some familiar to Virginians and perhaps others: former governor Bob McDonnell (who is actually very charming and personable in person), former governor Doug Wilder, Senator Mark Warner, former governor George Allen, and probably others I'm not thinking of right now. I have met most of the local TV media folks at one time or another, know most of the writers at the local newspapers, and not long ago someone told me that I myself am a minor celebrity because my work appears in print and I have local name recognition. I don't know if that is true or not.
6. Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are.
A. My glass of water, my telephone (not my cell phone, it is in the car where it belongs), and a stapler.
7. How would you describe your sense of humor?
A. Dry, sarcastic, and educated. Not everybody gets my humor.
8. Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favorites?
A. I like to play Scrabble and gin rummy.
9. A musical artist you love that isn’t well known.
A. I don't think I have one of these. Well, I really like Howard Shore's work. He does the music for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He's probably not too well known outside of movie circles.
10. A musical artist you love that is well known.
A. Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge; they both tie for my affections.
11. What is your desktop background currently?
A. Solid blue, old school Windows. I am boring that way. I can't stand the clutter of pictures on the desktop.
12. Last person you talked to, and through what you talked to them.
A. My husband, he stood beside me and I talked to him through my mouth to his ears, sound carrying through the air. Is that what you are asking? Has conversation become so passé that people don't even speak to one another now?
13. What do you carry your money in?
A. I have a pocketbook. At the moment it is brown.
14. What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in?
A. I have three clocks on the wall, my watch on my wrist, and the clock on the computer.
15. What kind of headphones do you use?
A. I generally don't. This is my house and if I want to blast music out the eaves then I do so. I don't need earphones.
16. What musical artists have you seen perform live?
A. Linda Rondstadt, Journey, Foreigner, Neil Diamond, Loretta Lynn, Elton John, The commodores, Bonnie Raitt, and others.
17. How often do you clear your browser history?
A. Occasionally.
18. What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
A. Being a freelance writer with steady and reliable clients. It's not such a great job when the clients aren't steady or reliable.
19. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
A. I went to work for a bank once and lasted about two weeks. I thought I would die of boredom before I could get out of there.
20. What magazines do you read, if any?
A. Writer's Digest, Reader's Digest, Redbook, Woman's Day, Poet & Writer, Woman's World, O! the Oprah magazine. I read a lot.
From Sunday Stealing
1. Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first song.
A. I listen to the radio or to CDs. I have an iPod but don't use it, and I have some things on the Amazon cloud player. Anyway, I turned on the radio and the song playing was Drift Away by Dobie Gray. "Give me the beat boy and free my soul, I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away." That's some real music there.
2. If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you?
A. I would like to go to England to see my friend Inga, and visit Scotland and Ireland while I was in the area. I think I would need a month, not a week, but there you go. I would take my husband with me.
3.What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)
A. I will only write with a black Pilot G-2 0.5mm retractable gel ink rolling ball pen. People actually buy me packs of these for Christmas.
4. When did you go on your first trip alone (without your parents)?
A. In 1979, I went with a few students from my class and others from my area on a week-long adventure to Spain and France. We flew out of Roanoke, landed in New York, flew from there to London, switched planes again, and flew to Madrid. We stayed in Madrid for three nights. We went to museums and other things, but there was some civil unrest of some kind going on at the time and we did not get about as well as our tour guides wanted. We took a train to France. We were actually supposed to take buses but there was some kind of bus strike going on so we ended up on a train. In Paris, we saw the Louvre and Eiffel Tower and all of the usual tourist things.
5.Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them.
A. I have met a lot of politicians, unfortunately, through my work with local newspapers. Some familiar to Virginians and perhaps others: former governor Bob McDonnell (who is actually very charming and personable in person), former governor Doug Wilder, Senator Mark Warner, former governor George Allen, and probably others I'm not thinking of right now. I have met most of the local TV media folks at one time or another, know most of the writers at the local newspapers, and not long ago someone told me that I myself am a minor celebrity because my work appears in print and I have local name recognition. I don't know if that is true or not.
6. Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are.
A. My glass of water, my telephone (not my cell phone, it is in the car where it belongs), and a stapler.
7. How would you describe your sense of humor?
A. Dry, sarcastic, and educated. Not everybody gets my humor.
8. Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favorites?
A. I like to play Scrabble and gin rummy.
9. A musical artist you love that isn’t well known.
A. I don't think I have one of these. Well, I really like Howard Shore's work. He does the music for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He's probably not too well known outside of movie circles.
10. A musical artist you love that is well known.
A. Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge; they both tie for my affections.
11. What is your desktop background currently?
A. Solid blue, old school Windows. I am boring that way. I can't stand the clutter of pictures on the desktop.
12. Last person you talked to, and through what you talked to them.
A. My husband, he stood beside me and I talked to him through my mouth to his ears, sound carrying through the air. Is that what you are asking? Has conversation become so passé that people don't even speak to one another now?
13. What do you carry your money in?
A. I have a pocketbook. At the moment it is brown.
14. What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in?
A. I have three clocks on the wall, my watch on my wrist, and the clock on the computer.
15. What kind of headphones do you use?
A. I generally don't. This is my house and if I want to blast music out the eaves then I do so. I don't need earphones.
16. What musical artists have you seen perform live?
A. Linda Rondstadt, Journey, Foreigner, Neil Diamond, Loretta Lynn, Elton John, The commodores, Bonnie Raitt, and others.
17. How often do you clear your browser history?
A. Occasionally.
18. What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
A. Being a freelance writer with steady and reliable clients. It's not such a great job when the clients aren't steady or reliable.
19. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
A. I went to work for a bank once and lasted about two weeks. I thought I would die of boredom before I could get out of there.
20. What magazines do you read, if any?
A. Writer's Digest, Reader's Digest, Redbook, Woman's Day, Poet & Writer, Woman's World, O! the Oprah magazine. I read a lot.
Saturday, February 01, 2014
I Would Wander the Stacks
Saturday 9: I Gotta Feeling
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) What would make tonight a good, good night?
A. My husband coming in early, taking me out to dinner, and then driving me to Barnes and Noble, where I would wander the stacks a while and find a few good reads. I'm really pretty easy to please.
2) In the song, he sings that he's got money and wants to "spend it up." How much cash is in your wallet right now?
A. Really? I have to get up and go look? Okay. Seven dollars. I haven't been to the ATM in a while.
3) The lyrics include "mazel tov," which means good luck or congratulations. What other Hebrew/Yiddish phrases do you know?
A. I honestly have no idea.
4) The colorfully named Black Eyed Peas include Fergie (born Stacey Ferguson) and will.i.am (William Adams) and Taboo (Jaime Gomez). If you could choose a stage name, what would it be?
A. Susan Pumpernickel.
5) This song was crazy popular in Canada, debuting at #2 on the charts. Have you ever visited our neighbor to the north?
A. No, I haven't. I have some Canadian change in my "special coins" jar, though.
6) When's the last time you laughed really hard?
A. Probably the other night when my husband farted. What is it about farts that we find so amusing, anyway?
7) Who received the last text you sent?
A. I don't text. We are too cheap to pay for texting.
8) Which sounds like more fun -- skiing or skating?
A. They both sound really dangerous to an old gal like me. I used to roller skate and a very long time ago I went ice skating on a frozen pond. It was rather bumpy. If I went skiing I'd probably come home in a body cast.
9) Thinking of sports, are you looking forward to The Super Bowl?
A. Can't say that I am. I don't watch football and I don't care about the commercials, and I have no idea who is doing the half-time show. I will probably read a book.
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) What would make tonight a good, good night?
A. My husband coming in early, taking me out to dinner, and then driving me to Barnes and Noble, where I would wander the stacks a while and find a few good reads. I'm really pretty easy to please.
2) In the song, he sings that he's got money and wants to "spend it up." How much cash is in your wallet right now?
A. Really? I have to get up and go look? Okay. Seven dollars. I haven't been to the ATM in a while.
3) The lyrics include "mazel tov," which means good luck or congratulations. What other Hebrew/Yiddish phrases do you know?
A. I honestly have no idea.
4) The colorfully named Black Eyed Peas include Fergie (born Stacey Ferguson) and will.i.am (William Adams) and Taboo (Jaime Gomez). If you could choose a stage name, what would it be?
A. Susan Pumpernickel.
5) This song was crazy popular in Canada, debuting at #2 on the charts. Have you ever visited our neighbor to the north?
A. No, I haven't. I have some Canadian change in my "special coins" jar, though.
6) When's the last time you laughed really hard?
A. Probably the other night when my husband farted. What is it about farts that we find so amusing, anyway?
7) Who received the last text you sent?
A. I don't text. We are too cheap to pay for texting.
8) Which sounds like more fun -- skiing or skating?
A. They both sound really dangerous to an old gal like me. I used to roller skate and a very long time ago I went ice skating on a frozen pond. It was rather bumpy. If I went skiing I'd probably come home in a body cast.
9) Thinking of sports, are you looking forward to The Super Bowl?
A. Can't say that I am. I don't watch football and I don't care about the commercials, and I have no idea who is doing the half-time show. I will probably read a book.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Surprise Snow
Tuesday night (January 28), we had our first big snow of the year. The forecast called for it to miss us, but we ended up with about 3.5 inches.
Can you see the deer in the above photo?
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Thursday Thirteen
1. The house hums with noise. An air purifier, a humidifier, room heaters and the imperceptible hum of electronic gadgets permeate the house. The silence is startling when the power goes out. Suddenly I hear the noise of my own brain and the whooshing of my blood as it whisks through my veins.
2. The online headline of the local paper at 6:30 this morning: Roanoke police say clerk shot suspect during robbery attempt. Shootings occur frequently in the city but they are not often reported. I know this because my husband is an emergency services worker, and they run gunshot calls almost every night. We are a nation at war with one another, each of us thinking the other evil and in need of annihilation. There is something insane about the way this is perpetuated. A nation of crazies, running the world.
3. The first thing on my Facebook newsfeed today is a story from The Guardian about dangerous hikes in the world. Our area is known for its hiking: the Appalachian Trail traverses the county and some of the most beautiful views in Virginia can be seen from McAfee's Knob. Hiking to McAfee's Knob is on my bucket list, but I need to get well enough to wander through the grocery store before I try that.
4. The news story in my Bing news on my MS Surface this morning is headlined: The Little Bit of Neanderthal in All of US in the New York Times. I can't help but think this somehow relates to my observations in item #2, but perhaps that is being unkind to Neanderthals.
5. On AOL this morning, the first story is from Huffington Post about a woman who had gastric bypass surgery. The woman appeared on Oprah with her father, who found her an unacceptable person when she was overweight. My aunt recently underwent gastric bypass surgery because she wanted to wear pretty clothes. She weighed only about 20 pounds more than I did last summer (I have lost 25 pounds). I hope she is happy with her decision to have this surgery. It is not something I would consider at this time, even though I am a fatty.
6. I hear the sound of sirens in the distance, an eerie noise in the country at 6:45 a.m. Looking out the window I see a parade of vehicles, three of them, lights flashing brilliantly against the darkness that still dominates the morning. The lights fly up Blacksburg Road, and out of my sight. I wonder who has wrecked, or woke up with chest pain, or suffered some other misfortune. I offer silent words of encouragement to the universe.
7. In an item related to item #5, the New York Times headline Obesity is Found to Gain its Hold in Earliest Years catches my eye in my NYT app. It starts out, "For many obese adults, the die was cast by the time they were 5 years old." I was not an obese child; my issues with weight began after I took infertility drugs and had a hysterectomy. My fattiness is hormone-related, but unhealthy eating habits learned in childhood (my mother thought as long as we weren't hungry we were well-fed) have followed me into middle age. I still don't know how to eat healthy.
8. According to USA today, the five things I "need to know today" are that Amanda Knox is awaiting her third Italian court verdict, Obama continues on a national tour, economists see a bright GDP report, Target is blaming its stolen data fiasco on an outside vendor, and Justin Bieber has been charged with assault. You know, I don't think I need to know any of that.
9. My brain hurts from trying to think about all of this stuff this morning. Some Thursdays this 13 stuff is hard. I am determined to get through it.
10. I've been doing Weight Watchers since June, which is how I have lost weight. I don't think Weight Watchers actually teaches you how to eat well, though. It just teaches you what not to eat, not what to eat. I did maintenance from Christmas until yesterday, when I went back to trying to lose weight. Sometimes you have to take a break. I was pleased that I stayed under my target weight for the holidays.
11. We went to UVA on Monday to see doctors about my health issue. I am sorry to report that we received no help there. I have reached the unhappy conclusion that no one really cares if a 50-year-old childless woman can function or not. We are a society that does not step out of its comfort zone, one that does not solve problems but instead puts band aids on dire wounds and hopes the bleeding stops. Our healthcare is not the best in the world, in spite of the propaganda, and I am in search of a voodoo queen in the bayou or a shaman of the mountains now because I am out of options. Know of one?
12. I almost have my tax stuff finished and ready to go to the accountant. I'm just waiting on forms from the bank. Nanner nanner boo boo.
13. It's twilight, that hour when it's light enough to see the shapes of trees but still dark enough to be ... dark. And it has taken me over a half-hour to write this up. None of it is connected except that it is my morning. I wonder if that is enough.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 329th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
2. The online headline of the local paper at 6:30 this morning: Roanoke police say clerk shot suspect during robbery attempt. Shootings occur frequently in the city but they are not often reported. I know this because my husband is an emergency services worker, and they run gunshot calls almost every night. We are a nation at war with one another, each of us thinking the other evil and in need of annihilation. There is something insane about the way this is perpetuated. A nation of crazies, running the world.
3. The first thing on my Facebook newsfeed today is a story from The Guardian about dangerous hikes in the world. Our area is known for its hiking: the Appalachian Trail traverses the county and some of the most beautiful views in Virginia can be seen from McAfee's Knob. Hiking to McAfee's Knob is on my bucket list, but I need to get well enough to wander through the grocery store before I try that.
4. The news story in my Bing news on my MS Surface this morning is headlined: The Little Bit of Neanderthal in All of US in the New York Times. I can't help but think this somehow relates to my observations in item #2, but perhaps that is being unkind to Neanderthals.
5. On AOL this morning, the first story is from Huffington Post about a woman who had gastric bypass surgery. The woman appeared on Oprah with her father, who found her an unacceptable person when she was overweight. My aunt recently underwent gastric bypass surgery because she wanted to wear pretty clothes. She weighed only about 20 pounds more than I did last summer (I have lost 25 pounds). I hope she is happy with her decision to have this surgery. It is not something I would consider at this time, even though I am a fatty.
6. I hear the sound of sirens in the distance, an eerie noise in the country at 6:45 a.m. Looking out the window I see a parade of vehicles, three of them, lights flashing brilliantly against the darkness that still dominates the morning. The lights fly up Blacksburg Road, and out of my sight. I wonder who has wrecked, or woke up with chest pain, or suffered some other misfortune. I offer silent words of encouragement to the universe.
7. In an item related to item #5, the New York Times headline Obesity is Found to Gain its Hold in Earliest Years catches my eye in my NYT app. It starts out, "For many obese adults, the die was cast by the time they were 5 years old." I was not an obese child; my issues with weight began after I took infertility drugs and had a hysterectomy. My fattiness is hormone-related, but unhealthy eating habits learned in childhood (my mother thought as long as we weren't hungry we were well-fed) have followed me into middle age. I still don't know how to eat healthy.
8. According to USA today, the five things I "need to know today" are that Amanda Knox is awaiting her third Italian court verdict, Obama continues on a national tour, economists see a bright GDP report, Target is blaming its stolen data fiasco on an outside vendor, and Justin Bieber has been charged with assault. You know, I don't think I need to know any of that.
9. My brain hurts from trying to think about all of this stuff this morning. Some Thursdays this 13 stuff is hard. I am determined to get through it.
10. I've been doing Weight Watchers since June, which is how I have lost weight. I don't think Weight Watchers actually teaches you how to eat well, though. It just teaches you what not to eat, not what to eat. I did maintenance from Christmas until yesterday, when I went back to trying to lose weight. Sometimes you have to take a break. I was pleased that I stayed under my target weight for the holidays.
11. We went to UVA on Monday to see doctors about my health issue. I am sorry to report that we received no help there. I have reached the unhappy conclusion that no one really cares if a 50-year-old childless woman can function or not. We are a society that does not step out of its comfort zone, one that does not solve problems but instead puts band aids on dire wounds and hopes the bleeding stops. Our healthcare is not the best in the world, in spite of the propaganda, and I am in search of a voodoo queen in the bayou or a shaman of the mountains now because I am out of options. Know of one?
12. I almost have my tax stuff finished and ready to go to the accountant. I'm just waiting on forms from the bank. Nanner nanner boo boo.
13. It's twilight, that hour when it's light enough to see the shapes of trees but still dark enough to be ... dark. And it has taken me over a half-hour to write this up. None of it is connected except that it is my morning. I wonder if that is enough.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 329th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
January Full Moon Set
I took these in mid-January as the sun was setting over the mountain in front of me, to the west.
The trees were loaded down with birds.
I was able to capture a few of them in flight.
They made a raucous greeting to the morning.
As the sun came out, I could see they were robins and starlings.
What a way to greet the dawn!
Monday, January 27, 2014
One Broken Horn
One day earlier in the month, I spied two deer resting beneath the cedar tree in the field to the left of our house. I slipped around the corner with my camera.
The buck was facing me. He had a broken horn.
As I stood there, camera clicking away, he closed his eyes. I was able to study him from afar. Notice his scars on his leg and side. I think he was in a big fight with another buck.
Soon his head lolled over and he was off to dreamland. It was probably a well-deserved rest from the looks of him.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Doing the Best I Can
From Sunday Stealing
Let's go!!!
Ask Me Meme
from "Just keep swimming." -Dorthy, Finding Nemo
1. What was the last argument you had about?
A. I had an important doctor's appointment and wanted my husband to take time off from work to go with me. We had a discussion about it. He is going with me. He was going to anyway, but we had to discuss it first.
2. How long is your longest relationship?
A. I've know my brother for 47 years. But my husband would be my longest non-immediate-family relationship; we've been married for 30 years. I also have a friend that I have known for that long.
3. What is something not many people know about you?
A. I can't stand to go barefoot.
4. Two truths and a lie. Go.
A. I have scars all over my belly. I have never had a pedicure. I used to be a race car driver.
5. Do you believe in fate/destiny?
A. I believe that our lives are what we make them, to a degree. Many things are out of our control - the way others treat you, talents, your ability to take advantage of a situation. There is, I think, such a thing as luck, and some people are drawn to situations that enable them to do better than others. I think I am doing the best I can with what I have, and I keep trying to make it better in the best way I know how.
6. Where is somewhere you’ve always wanted to live?
A. Wyoming. Although after this bitter cold I think maybe somewhere warmer might be in order.
7. Has there ever been a song that made you cry?
A. Yes. This song will make me cry every time I hear it.
8. Do you jump/scare easily?
A. Yes, but it is not as bad as it once was. Long ago I worked for a lawyer who learned to jingle the change in his pocket as he approached me at my desk so I wouldn't jump out of my skin when he came up behind me.
9. Which birthday has been your favorite?
A. Well, 50 wasn't too bad. My husband threw me a party.
10. Have you ever been pulled over? Arrested?
A. I have never been pulled over but when I was a teenager I was picked up by the police as a runaway. I was only gone a couple of hours.
11. Have you ever been to a fortune teller?
A. Not exactly. I once went to this "alternative healthcare" festival and this fellow did a reading there. I also piddle with tarot.com sometimes. I don't believe in fortune telling, really, but sometimes it gives me a new way of thinking about a situation.
12. What’s your favorite series of books?
A. I like anything by Adrianna Trigiani. I also like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series, and David Baldacci's King and Maxwell series. Also fantasy writers such as Garth Nix, Jane Lindskold, Tamora Pierce, and Lois McMaster Bujold, and many others.
13. Who is someone that you think knows the most about you outside of family?
A. Probably my friend Leslie, although my pen pal Inga in England knows a lot, too.
14. What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
A. Escargo. I tried it when I was 19 at a long-defunct French restaurant here called La Maison.
15. List one of your quirks.
A. I only write with a Pilot G2 (05) pen.
16. State 1 bad habit of yours.
A. I chew my fingernails.
17. Has a scary movie ever given you nightmares?
A. Yes, many times. When we were young, my brother and my young uncles and I would stay up and watch things like SSSSS and Planet of the Apes, and then I would wake up screaming.
18. When was the last time you got your hair done in a salon?
A. Friday, actually.
19. What was the last thing you did with your friends?
A. I met some of them at the library for our book club meeting about 10 days ago.
20. What’s something that you like to do that others might see as weird?
A. I eat Pez candies. But not in a Pez container. Just the candies.
21. What was the last trip you took?
A. I went to the market Friday, does that count? In November we went sight-seeing in the next county over and enjoyed their museum. Our last vacation was in the fall of 2012; we did not go away from home last year.
Let's go!!!
Ask Me Meme
from "Just keep swimming." -Dorthy, Finding Nemo
1. What was the last argument you had about?
A. I had an important doctor's appointment and wanted my husband to take time off from work to go with me. We had a discussion about it. He is going with me. He was going to anyway, but we had to discuss it first.
2. How long is your longest relationship?
A. I've know my brother for 47 years. But my husband would be my longest non-immediate-family relationship; we've been married for 30 years. I also have a friend that I have known for that long.
3. What is something not many people know about you?
A. I can't stand to go barefoot.
4. Two truths and a lie. Go.
A. I have scars all over my belly. I have never had a pedicure. I used to be a race car driver.
5. Do you believe in fate/destiny?
A. I believe that our lives are what we make them, to a degree. Many things are out of our control - the way others treat you, talents, your ability to take advantage of a situation. There is, I think, such a thing as luck, and some people are drawn to situations that enable them to do better than others. I think I am doing the best I can with what I have, and I keep trying to make it better in the best way I know how.
6. Where is somewhere you’ve always wanted to live?
A. Wyoming. Although after this bitter cold I think maybe somewhere warmer might be in order.
7. Has there ever been a song that made you cry?
A. Yes. This song will make me cry every time I hear it.
8. Do you jump/scare easily?
A. Yes, but it is not as bad as it once was. Long ago I worked for a lawyer who learned to jingle the change in his pocket as he approached me at my desk so I wouldn't jump out of my skin when he came up behind me.
9. Which birthday has been your favorite?
A. Well, 50 wasn't too bad. My husband threw me a party.
10. Have you ever been pulled over? Arrested?
A. I have never been pulled over but when I was a teenager I was picked up by the police as a runaway. I was only gone a couple of hours.
11. Have you ever been to a fortune teller?
A. Not exactly. I once went to this "alternative healthcare" festival and this fellow did a reading there. I also piddle with tarot.com sometimes. I don't believe in fortune telling, really, but sometimes it gives me a new way of thinking about a situation.
12. What’s your favorite series of books?
A. I like anything by Adrianna Trigiani. I also like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series, and David Baldacci's King and Maxwell series. Also fantasy writers such as Garth Nix, Jane Lindskold, Tamora Pierce, and Lois McMaster Bujold, and many others.
13. Who is someone that you think knows the most about you outside of family?
A. Probably my friend Leslie, although my pen pal Inga in England knows a lot, too.
14. What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
A. Escargo. I tried it when I was 19 at a long-defunct French restaurant here called La Maison.
15. List one of your quirks.
A. I only write with a Pilot G2 (05) pen.
16. State 1 bad habit of yours.
A. I chew my fingernails.
17. Has a scary movie ever given you nightmares?
A. Yes, many times. When we were young, my brother and my young uncles and I would stay up and watch things like SSSSS and Planet of the Apes, and then I would wake up screaming.
18. When was the last time you got your hair done in a salon?
A. Friday, actually.
19. What was the last thing you did with your friends?
A. I met some of them at the library for our book club meeting about 10 days ago.
20. What’s something that you like to do that others might see as weird?
A. I eat Pez candies. But not in a Pez container. Just the candies.
21. What was the last trip you took?
A. I went to the market Friday, does that count? In November we went sight-seeing in the next county over and enjoyed their museum. Our last vacation was in the fall of 2012; we did not go away from home last year.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
It's Kind of Sad
Saturday 9: I Will Always Love You (Play along with the meme at the link, if you like.)
1) The Bodyguard is the best-selling movie soundtrack ever and this is the song most often associated with Whitney Houston. Is it on your iPod/mp3 player?
A. No, I don't think so. I like the song but it is not one that I am keen to listen to over and over again. It's kind of sad.
2) In the movie, Rachel (Whitney) sings "I Will Always Love You" after she realizes she can never see Frank (Kevin Costner) again. What song reminds you of a past love?
A. The song Longer by Dan Folgerberg reminds me of my current love and our wedding.
3) Despite the movie's and the song's overwhelming popularity, Whitney Houston was awarded a Razzie Award as the worst actress of 1992. What's the most recent criticism you received?
A. I have been told that I worry too much and dwell on the negative more than I should.
4) On the bright side, share the last compliment you received.
A. Does a simple, "You look nice today," count?
5) In the 1980s, when Whitney first burst onto the scene, a trendy woman wore big hair, big bows and big shoulder pads. Can you think of anything you wore that was fashionable at the time, but looking back, makes you cringe? (An embarrassing photo to accompany your answer would be nice!)
A. I had big hair, I'm afraid. I have a really embarrassing photo around here somewhere of me with huge hair. I nearly threw up when I last saw it.
6) When this song was popular, cell phones were uncommon and Facebook was unheard of. Which has had a bigger impact on your life -- smart phones or social networking?
A. I don't own a smart phone (yet) so I would have to go with social networking.
7) Whitney's marriage to Bobby Brown left many people shaking their heads. Whitney and Bobby's daughter recently married the young man who was raised as her brother. Have you ever been in a relationship your friends/family didn't approve of?
A. I imagine I dated a few guys when I was in my teens that my parents did not find acceptable, but I can't think of who they may have been at the moment.
8) Whitney Houston's grave marker reads, "I Will Always Love You," so obviously her family is very proud of the success of this recording. How would you like to be remembered?
A. Beloved wife and good writer. She tried.
9) Whitney was born in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey. It's a major air, rail and shipping hub, and it's in the Eastern Time zone. Have you ever been to Newark ... or any town in New Jersey?
A. I have been through New Jersey on the way to New York City. I seem to recall my parents had some friends who owned a place in New Jersey and maybe we spent a weekend there, but that would have been 40 years ago or so.
1) The Bodyguard is the best-selling movie soundtrack ever and this is the song most often associated with Whitney Houston. Is it on your iPod/mp3 player?
A. No, I don't think so. I like the song but it is not one that I am keen to listen to over and over again. It's kind of sad.
2) In the movie, Rachel (Whitney) sings "I Will Always Love You" after she realizes she can never see Frank (Kevin Costner) again. What song reminds you of a past love?
A. The song Longer by Dan Folgerberg reminds me of my current love and our wedding.
3) Despite the movie's and the song's overwhelming popularity, Whitney Houston was awarded a Razzie Award as the worst actress of 1992. What's the most recent criticism you received?
A. I have been told that I worry too much and dwell on the negative more than I should.
4) On the bright side, share the last compliment you received.
A. Does a simple, "You look nice today," count?
5) In the 1980s, when Whitney first burst onto the scene, a trendy woman wore big hair, big bows and big shoulder pads. Can you think of anything you wore that was fashionable at the time, but looking back, makes you cringe? (An embarrassing photo to accompany your answer would be nice!)
A. I had big hair, I'm afraid. I have a really embarrassing photo around here somewhere of me with huge hair. I nearly threw up when I last saw it.
6) When this song was popular, cell phones were uncommon and Facebook was unheard of. Which has had a bigger impact on your life -- smart phones or social networking?
A. I don't own a smart phone (yet) so I would have to go with social networking.
7) Whitney's marriage to Bobby Brown left many people shaking their heads. Whitney and Bobby's daughter recently married the young man who was raised as her brother. Have you ever been in a relationship your friends/family didn't approve of?
A. I imagine I dated a few guys when I was in my teens that my parents did not find acceptable, but I can't think of who they may have been at the moment.
8) Whitney Houston's grave marker reads, "I Will Always Love You," so obviously her family is very proud of the success of this recording. How would you like to be remembered?
A. Beloved wife and good writer. She tried.
9) Whitney was born in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey. It's a major air, rail and shipping hub, and it's in the Eastern Time zone. Have you ever been to Newark ... or any town in New Jersey?
A. I have been through New Jersey on the way to New York City. I seem to recall my parents had some friends who owned a place in New Jersey and maybe we spent a weekend there, but that would have been 40 years ago or so.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Remembering First Grade
I saw in the paper earlier this week that my first grade teacher - or at least someone with her name - had passed away.
This lady seemed quite old when she was my teacher, though of course she probably wasn't. Still, that would have been 44 years ago. The obit did not give her age so I don't know it. But she could have been in her 40s when she taught me.
The thing I remember most about first grade is that Mrs. Zirkle gave me an "F". I don't remember in what subject, but I remember the grade and how much I cried over it. I think I got the F because I had missed a lot of school - I had the mumps in the first grade and missed at least 14 days straight because of it.
The mumps hurt. You don't hear about mumps anymore; do kids still get them? Anyway, I remember waking up that morning and telling my mother I had pain, but I couldn't really describe it. She sent me on to school and later that day they called her to come and get me. Mumps are contagious so I had to stay away from class until they were all gone.
That was the only F I ever made in my entire career as a student (which has been a life-long sort of thing). I am pretty sure I got to take a make-up test for the bad grade but it left an impression on me, obviously, since I remember it.
After my one F paper, I made A's and B's. I stayed on the A or A-B honor roll, though they didn't put you on the honor rolls until 4th grade. I almost always got a B in gym and an A in everything else. It was very irritating to me that I could not get all As simply because I was not as physically adept as others.
Another thing I remember from first grade is learning that no one plays fair. I learned this because I spent all year - yes, all year! - trying to get a turn at riding on this toy truck in the classroom. The boys hogged it during recess. Finally, I was first to it and able to ride it for a minute, but one boy quickly shoved me off and that was the end of that. And having finally ridden on the damned thing, I stopped trying to get on it again.
I also learned a few songs in first grade, one of which I still remember:
In a test, for our class, that we know we cannot pass, and the goof-offs go marching along! And it's rah rah roo! We'll fake the Asian flu! Shout our symptoms loud and long! Blah yeach! And wherever we go, the teachers always know, that the goof-offs are marching along.
That's sung to some popular old ditty but I can't remember the name of it.
And this one, sung to the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school; we have tortured every teacher, we have broken every rule. We are marching down the hall to hang the principal, and the kids go marching on! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Teacher hit me with a ruler! So I hit her in the bean with a rotten tangerine and she ain't gonna teach me no more.
I am a product of a strange era.
It's amazing the things we do remember, isn't it?
This lady seemed quite old when she was my teacher, though of course she probably wasn't. Still, that would have been 44 years ago. The obit did not give her age so I don't know it. But she could have been in her 40s when she taught me.
The thing I remember most about first grade is that Mrs. Zirkle gave me an "F". I don't remember in what subject, but I remember the grade and how much I cried over it. I think I got the F because I had missed a lot of school - I had the mumps in the first grade and missed at least 14 days straight because of it.
The mumps hurt. You don't hear about mumps anymore; do kids still get them? Anyway, I remember waking up that morning and telling my mother I had pain, but I couldn't really describe it. She sent me on to school and later that day they called her to come and get me. Mumps are contagious so I had to stay away from class until they were all gone.
That was the only F I ever made in my entire career as a student (which has been a life-long sort of thing). I am pretty sure I got to take a make-up test for the bad grade but it left an impression on me, obviously, since I remember it.
After my one F paper, I made A's and B's. I stayed on the A or A-B honor roll, though they didn't put you on the honor rolls until 4th grade. I almost always got a B in gym and an A in everything else. It was very irritating to me that I could not get all As simply because I was not as physically adept as others.
Another thing I remember from first grade is learning that no one plays fair. I learned this because I spent all year - yes, all year! - trying to get a turn at riding on this toy truck in the classroom. The boys hogged it during recess. Finally, I was first to it and able to ride it for a minute, but one boy quickly shoved me off and that was the end of that. And having finally ridden on the damned thing, I stopped trying to get on it again.
I also learned a few songs in first grade, one of which I still remember:
In a test, for our class, that we know we cannot pass, and the goof-offs go marching along! And it's rah rah roo! We'll fake the Asian flu! Shout our symptoms loud and long! Blah yeach! And wherever we go, the teachers always know, that the goof-offs are marching along.
That's sung to some popular old ditty but I can't remember the name of it.
And this one, sung to the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school; we have tortured every teacher, we have broken every rule. We are marching down the hall to hang the principal, and the kids go marching on! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Teacher hit me with a ruler! So I hit her in the bean with a rotten tangerine and she ain't gonna teach me no more.
I am a product of a strange era.
It's amazing the things we do remember, isn't it?
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Thursday Thirteen
Some words of wisdom I have found to be true.
1. When you play with the devil, expect to get burned.
2. You can learn a lot by reading, but you learn more by living.
3. Always be prepared.
4. Don't put things off; you never know what tomorrow might bring.
5. Aim high, make plans, and hope for the best.
6. Always do good.
7. Take care of the earth. She is not yours to destroy.
8. Use your talents.
9. It really is how you play the game, not whether you win or lose.
10. Do not fear; understand instead.
11. Worry is best left somewhere besides in your mind.
12. Be courageous in all things.
13. Always take the high road. You may take longer to get there, but the journey is worth the time.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 328th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. When you play with the devil, expect to get burned.
2. You can learn a lot by reading, but you learn more by living.
3. Always be prepared.
4. Don't put things off; you never know what tomorrow might bring.
5. Aim high, make plans, and hope for the best.
6. Always do good.
7. Take care of the earth. She is not yours to destroy.
8. Use your talents.
9. It really is how you play the game, not whether you win or lose.
10. Do not fear; understand instead.
11. Worry is best left somewhere besides in your mind.
12. Be courageous in all things.
13. Always take the high road. You may take longer to get there, but the journey is worth the time.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 328th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
It Snowed! Booyah!
My view this morning about 7:45 a.m. as the sun rises.
I love my mountains.
The snow blew out of the trees mostly; it was very windy last night.
According to the old legends, if the snow blows out of the trees, more is on the way.
Sunrise this morning.
The snow began yesterday and at first did not seem like it would amount to much.
It was enough to cause me to cancel an appointment, but mostly because I'm a wimp when driving in bad weather.
It came down very prettily.
O Snow! O frozen ice! Why do you taunt me so?
This picture looks a little fuzzy to me.
I didn't notice the squirrel until I downloaded the shot. Did you see him?
Maybe this shot is a little clearer?
My husband at 7:14 a.m., dressed for 10 degree temperatures. He uses the leaf blower to blow away the snow.
Another pretty shot.
And another. Thank you Mother Nature for such beauty.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Books: Green Mansions
Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest
By William Henry Hudson
Copyright 1904
About 350 pages
Kindle Edition
My mother once told me that Green Mansions was her favorite book. Upon reading it, I think I may have read it when I was very young, as the storyline had some familiarity (and probably wondered then, as I do now, why my mother loved the book). I ran across the story as a free Kindle download and decided to read it since my mother had thought so much of it.
The story, set in South America in Venezuela in the mid to late 1800s, is about a man named Abel. It is told by an unnamed narrator who befriends Abel in his later years. Abel is open with this person except for one part of his past, of which he will not speak. Finally the two have a little argument and Abel tells this story.
Abel is on the wrong side of the government when agitators take over, so he flees into the jungle. The man has some very prejudiced views about the native inhabitants and definitely believes in the superiority of the white man. Those types of attitudes, including the racism, are all throughout the book, and this made it a little difficult for me to read. However, it is a product of its time.
Eventually Abel, about out of things to trade with the natives, settles with one tribe. He takes a walk through a forest that the natives will not visit because it is haunted by the Daughter of Didi, whom they claim is an evil spirit.
Abel doesn't believe in such things, and he enjoys the forest. However, he soon learns he is not alone there. A young girl who speaks in bird-like language follows him around; he seldom sees her. Eventually they meet and Abel is bitten by a poisonous snake. She takes him to her grandfather's hut in the forest, and Abel lives. He stays with them and soon decides he is in love with the strange girl.
Rimi, the girl, is the last of a people who no longer exist, vegetarians who commune with nature and speak to all the animals. Rimi grew up in a Spanish-speaking community, though, and so could speak that language, too. Abel learned her mother had fled to a new land when the people vanished through whatever befell them (the book was not clear about that). She longed to find her mother's land, though, to see if there were others who lived who might understand her. The old grandfather, a con man of sorts, had found the woman and taken her to the nearest village because she was with child. When the woman died, the old man adopted Rimi, and took her to the mountains to live because the town life made her ill.
Abel and the grandfather finally agree to take Rimi to Riolama, the land were he found Rimi's mother. But once there, they find nothing and Abel tells Rimi that she never will, that the people have vanished. Rimi faints and Abel fears she has died; she comes back around, they kiss, Rimi leaves to head back to their old home.
Abel and the grandfather follow, but due to bad weather and other circumstances do not get back to the hut very quickly. They find the hut has been burned to the ground by the natives and Rimi is missing.
After some time Abel discovers what happened to Rimi, and he suffers terribly because of her tragic death.
That's pretty much the basic story. To be honest, I do not know why this book appealed to my mother, but then, she probably read it as a young teenager in the 1950s and found it very romantic. Attitudes were different then and I imagine some of the discussions about race, etc., in the book were more acceptable.
I don't know that I would have finished this story without the ghost of my mother peering over my shoulder, mostly because of the racism and the superiority attitudes. The language was flowery, descriptive, and passionate. The book was well-written and I can understand why it was successful in its time. According to Wikipedia, Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie adaptation of the book. The movie was a flop.
By William Henry Hudson
Copyright 1904
About 350 pages
Kindle Edition
My mother once told me that Green Mansions was her favorite book. Upon reading it, I think I may have read it when I was very young, as the storyline had some familiarity (and probably wondered then, as I do now, why my mother loved the book). I ran across the story as a free Kindle download and decided to read it since my mother had thought so much of it.
The story, set in South America in Venezuela in the mid to late 1800s, is about a man named Abel. It is told by an unnamed narrator who befriends Abel in his later years. Abel is open with this person except for one part of his past, of which he will not speak. Finally the two have a little argument and Abel tells this story.
Abel is on the wrong side of the government when agitators take over, so he flees into the jungle. The man has some very prejudiced views about the native inhabitants and definitely believes in the superiority of the white man. Those types of attitudes, including the racism, are all throughout the book, and this made it a little difficult for me to read. However, it is a product of its time.
Eventually Abel, about out of things to trade with the natives, settles with one tribe. He takes a walk through a forest that the natives will not visit because it is haunted by the Daughter of Didi, whom they claim is an evil spirit.
Abel doesn't believe in such things, and he enjoys the forest. However, he soon learns he is not alone there. A young girl who speaks in bird-like language follows him around; he seldom sees her. Eventually they meet and Abel is bitten by a poisonous snake. She takes him to her grandfather's hut in the forest, and Abel lives. He stays with them and soon decides he is in love with the strange girl.
Rimi, the girl, is the last of a people who no longer exist, vegetarians who commune with nature and speak to all the animals. Rimi grew up in a Spanish-speaking community, though, and so could speak that language, too. Abel learned her mother had fled to a new land when the people vanished through whatever befell them (the book was not clear about that). She longed to find her mother's land, though, to see if there were others who lived who might understand her. The old grandfather, a con man of sorts, had found the woman and taken her to the nearest village because she was with child. When the woman died, the old man adopted Rimi, and took her to the mountains to live because the town life made her ill.
Abel and the grandfather finally agree to take Rimi to Riolama, the land were he found Rimi's mother. But once there, they find nothing and Abel tells Rimi that she never will, that the people have vanished. Rimi faints and Abel fears she has died; she comes back around, they kiss, Rimi leaves to head back to their old home.
Abel and the grandfather follow, but due to bad weather and other circumstances do not get back to the hut very quickly. They find the hut has been burned to the ground by the natives and Rimi is missing.
After some time Abel discovers what happened to Rimi, and he suffers terribly because of her tragic death.
That's pretty much the basic story. To be honest, I do not know why this book appealed to my mother, but then, she probably read it as a young teenager in the 1950s and found it very romantic. Attitudes were different then and I imagine some of the discussions about race, etc., in the book were more acceptable.
I don't know that I would have finished this story without the ghost of my mother peering over my shoulder, mostly because of the racism and the superiority attitudes. The language was flowery, descriptive, and passionate. The book was well-written and I can understand why it was successful in its time. According to Wikipedia, Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie adaptation of the book. The movie was a flop.
Monday, January 20, 2014
A Tale of Two Tablets
Back in October, I started looking at tablets. We are still in the stone age with regards to cellphones - I have a 3G flip phone, as does my husband, and neither of us text or use the thing for pictures or anything like that. All we do is talk on it.
I looked at the Kindles and the MS Surface. I did not look at iPads much, because they were much more expensive. It's too bad I didn't buy stock in Apple years ago, because if I had I'd be rich. Oh well. We can't all own it or it would be worthless.
On Christmas morning, my husband surprised me with both tablets. He gave me the Kindle Fire and the MS Surface. He bought the lower end of both on Black Friday and paid very little for each (he showed me the receipts after I protested). I don't think he realized that I was looking at buying one or the other, not both. But he did get very good deals - they were each about 75 percent off list price. He got both for about the price of one, so I could not say much about the extravagance.
It has been almost a month and I have toyed with both items. The Kindle Fire is very easy to use. All I had to do was log into my Amazon account and there were my books and music I'd purchased. There are many free apps available, including popular games like Candy Crush and Words with Friends. If the thing updated I was not aware of it.
It has taken me a while to adjust to reading on it, even though I also have a first generation Nook and so have used an e-reader before. I have had trouble figuring out how to highlight and make notes, things like that. I should probably read up on it but I generally piddle with things first and look at directions last. I will eventually read the instructions.
The MS Surface is bigger than the Kindle. I like the size of it, as it is easier on my eyes. It has a good feel to it. It has a kick stand in the back so that if you purchase the keypad that is available (sold separately, and expensively, I might add), you can have a mini-laptop. It is lightweight, very portable. It has a space for a mini-SD disk, and since I am not much of a "cloud" person that appeals to me.
It is a hybrid between a tablet and a PC, really. You must have a MS email account to sign in, and I did not like that much. I already have about 10 email accounts and didn't really want another. I also seemed to have to sign in frequently at the beginning, which is a pain because I try to create difficult passwords.
The Surface comes with Office for free, but at first it came with an "Office preview" and I had to go online and figure out that I needed to hunt for a line in Windows setup to download Office. I did that, and was happy to see Word, Excel, etc. there for my use. However, the default save is to the cloud, which is called SkyDrive.
A lot of MS apps were preinstalled, like Bing news and finance, Skype, - things that were of little interest to me, really. Going into the MS apps store, it doesn't appear that any of the popular game apps are even available there. I am puzzled by this.
Like most MS pcs, the thing kept downloading and updating. Then it decided to do an entire new Windows version update. So I let it sit and do its updating thing and messed with the Kindle.
As of today, I am using the Kindle more than the Surface. I don't have Facebook on either tablet, but will eventually put it on the Surface, I suppose. I also haven't hooked all of my emails into either device. I want to try to keep the Kindle for reading but the fact that it has the better game apps is, well, irritating. I imagine there is some way to get those apps on the Surface but I haven't bothered to figure it out.
Now that I have spent time with both tablets, I would tell anyone who asked to go purchase the high-end Kindle. I think that's the Kindle Fire HDX with 32 GB or something like that. Either that or the iPad. I can't really speak to the iPad since I don't have one, but I suspect it is probably the better product.
*Nobody paid me anything to talk about any of the products mentioned in this post.*
I looked at the Kindles and the MS Surface. I did not look at iPads much, because they were much more expensive. It's too bad I didn't buy stock in Apple years ago, because if I had I'd be rich. Oh well. We can't all own it or it would be worthless.
On Christmas morning, my husband surprised me with both tablets. He gave me the Kindle Fire and the MS Surface. He bought the lower end of both on Black Friday and paid very little for each (he showed me the receipts after I protested). I don't think he realized that I was looking at buying one or the other, not both. But he did get very good deals - they were each about 75 percent off list price. He got both for about the price of one, so I could not say much about the extravagance.
It has been almost a month and I have toyed with both items. The Kindle Fire is very easy to use. All I had to do was log into my Amazon account and there were my books and music I'd purchased. There are many free apps available, including popular games like Candy Crush and Words with Friends. If the thing updated I was not aware of it.
It has taken me a while to adjust to reading on it, even though I also have a first generation Nook and so have used an e-reader before. I have had trouble figuring out how to highlight and make notes, things like that. I should probably read up on it but I generally piddle with things first and look at directions last. I will eventually read the instructions.
The MS Surface is bigger than the Kindle. I like the size of it, as it is easier on my eyes. It has a good feel to it. It has a kick stand in the back so that if you purchase the keypad that is available (sold separately, and expensively, I might add), you can have a mini-laptop. It is lightweight, very portable. It has a space for a mini-SD disk, and since I am not much of a "cloud" person that appeals to me.
It is a hybrid between a tablet and a PC, really. You must have a MS email account to sign in, and I did not like that much. I already have about 10 email accounts and didn't really want another. I also seemed to have to sign in frequently at the beginning, which is a pain because I try to create difficult passwords.
The Surface comes with Office for free, but at first it came with an "Office preview" and I had to go online and figure out that I needed to hunt for a line in Windows setup to download Office. I did that, and was happy to see Word, Excel, etc. there for my use. However, the default save is to the cloud, which is called SkyDrive.
A lot of MS apps were preinstalled, like Bing news and finance, Skype, - things that were of little interest to me, really. Going into the MS apps store, it doesn't appear that any of the popular game apps are even available there. I am puzzled by this.
Like most MS pcs, the thing kept downloading and updating. Then it decided to do an entire new Windows version update. So I let it sit and do its updating thing and messed with the Kindle.
As of today, I am using the Kindle more than the Surface. I don't have Facebook on either tablet, but will eventually put it on the Surface, I suppose. I also haven't hooked all of my emails into either device. I want to try to keep the Kindle for reading but the fact that it has the better game apps is, well, irritating. I imagine there is some way to get those apps on the Surface but I haven't bothered to figure it out.
Now that I have spent time with both tablets, I would tell anyone who asked to go purchase the high-end Kindle. I think that's the Kindle Fire HDX with 32 GB or something like that. Either that or the iPad. I can't really speak to the iPad since I don't have one, but I suspect it is probably the better product.
*Nobody paid me anything to talk about any of the products mentioned in this post.*
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