Francis and Francis
I did stay out of bookstores today but did go to CostCo and there I did buy a book. It is the latest of Felix Francis’s called Gamble. It still has Dick Francis’s name on the cover, larger than Felix’s name. That makes me think Dick must have left some unfinished manuscripts when he died or perhaps outlines for stories. I can hardly wait to start reading this one—in larger than font size 11. I always enjoyed Dick’s stories but Felix adds an additional level of interest to the writing with his knowledge that his father apparently did not know, such as chemistry. I think that is what Felix taught in university. It’s almost 8:00 and I haven’t had supper. ♥
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Earth Is Still Spinning
Gooch has been here for a week or so and is returning to Perth right away, at least starting for Perth. It’s a long flight. He tells me his granddaughter MarJo, the twin that survived, is now doing well, over four pounds now. The pictures on the family blog show her as healthy and beautiful. And there’s a great one of Mom and the four children. Dad in Perth must really love that one. I do.
Now I’m reading five books at once but have reached page 85 in only one. It’s late at night when I get around to reading and all the books seem to be in font size 11, a bit small for me. I won’t watch the telly till tonight. I’m going out today but I’ll try my best to stay out of bookstores. I wonder if any progress has been made overnight on the mess in Washington. But I don’t need that news on my day out. ♥
Gooch has been here for a week or so and is returning to Perth right away, at least starting for Perth. It’s a long flight. He tells me his granddaughter MarJo, the twin that survived, is now doing well, over four pounds now. The pictures on the family blog show her as healthy and beautiful. And there’s a great one of Mom and the four children. Dad in Perth must really love that one. I do.
Now I’m reading five books at once but have reached page 85 in only one. It’s late at night when I get around to reading and all the books seem to be in font size 11, a bit small for me. I won’t watch the telly till tonight. I’m going out today but I’ll try my best to stay out of bookstores. I wonder if any progress has been made overnight on the mess in Washington. But I don’t need that news on my day out. ♥
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
THE EARTH IS HOLDING ITS ORBIT
So, Borders is going out of business and Barnes and Noble may do the same. Is that handwriting I see on the wall? Could the day come when books are unavailable for purchase? Even forbidden by government? Everyone should read Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. That number is the temperature at which book paper burns. This story takes place in a society whose firemen—those heroic first responders—do not put out fires, but start them. They burn books.
Several steps to such a censoring of books would be necessary to get us there, but it is a possibility. We have among us an ever-increasing belligerent segment of inhabitants, who, with power, would dictate what we read. Cherish your books. As for Fahrenheit 451, it is a small book and certainly worth your time, if you have not read it, or even if you have. It made an excellent movie, too, with top actors.
♥
So, Borders is going out of business and Barnes and Noble may do the same. Is that handwriting I see on the wall? Could the day come when books are unavailable for purchase? Even forbidden by government? Everyone should read Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. That number is the temperature at which book paper burns. This story takes place in a society whose firemen—those heroic first responders—do not put out fires, but start them. They burn books.
Several steps to such a censoring of books would be necessary to get us there, but it is a possibility. We have among us an ever-increasing belligerent segment of inhabitants, who, with power, would dictate what we read. Cherish your books. As for Fahrenheit 451, it is a small book and certainly worth your time, if you have not read it, or even if you have. It made an excellent movie, too, with top actors.
♥
Monday, July 25, 2011
AS THE EARTH TURNS
How nice two more comments have come in relating to Yours Is the Earth! Marilyn, I am so glad to give you the good news that Vail’s husband did return home. As for the other book you mentioned, what is the exact title and author? I have not heard of it before, I think, but it sounds like something I’d order from Amazon. If it ends with a cliffhanger, it may have a sequel. Have you searched Amazon.com for other titles by the author?
By the way, I would love for you to join the small group who have signed up for my blog. You do not have to give you real name or show a picture. You can be another “head.” But a name is great so that I’ll know whom I’m addressing.
As the earth turns, I am trying to accommodate the thought that more of my family is moving to Australia. One son works there now as a civil engineer, and his son Jacob, and now another son of his, Robby, is planning to go there, with his wife and son, Melissa and Rocco. This blog has told of them before. They were in Libya over a year. People need to go where the jobs are. Jacob’s wife and four children are still in California, waiting till the premature, surviving twin baby girl weighs enough and the doctors okay it, before they will go. This probably means I will not see the baby and the rest of them before they fly to Australia.
All these men in my family mentioned here are great readers and I think, fast readers. Nonfiction preferred.
I am reading extremely slowly three books at the same time, one fiction and the other two nonfiction. I expect to talk about them here later.
♥
How nice two more comments have come in relating to Yours Is the Earth! Marilyn, I am so glad to give you the good news that Vail’s husband did return home. As for the other book you mentioned, what is the exact title and author? I have not heard of it before, I think, but it sounds like something I’d order from Amazon. If it ends with a cliffhanger, it may have a sequel. Have you searched Amazon.com for other titles by the author?
By the way, I would love for you to join the small group who have signed up for my blog. You do not have to give you real name or show a picture. You can be another “head.” But a name is great so that I’ll know whom I’m addressing.
As the earth turns, I am trying to accommodate the thought that more of my family is moving to Australia. One son works there now as a civil engineer, and his son Jacob, and now another son of his, Robby, is planning to go there, with his wife and son, Melissa and Rocco. This blog has told of them before. They were in Libya over a year. People need to go where the jobs are. Jacob’s wife and four children are still in California, waiting till the premature, surviving twin baby girl weighs enough and the doctors okay it, before they will go. This probably means I will not see the baby and the rest of them before they fly to Australia.
All these men in my family mentioned here are great readers and I think, fast readers. Nonfiction preferred.
I am reading extremely slowly three books at the same time, one fiction and the other two nonfiction. I expect to talk about them here later.
♥
Sunday, July 24, 2011
NOTHING SURPRISES ME THESE DAYS
Soon I expect to rename this blog. When I lost it not long ago, I Googled the name of mine and found several with the same name. I read a bit of two or three of them, and found such foolishness. I had the feeling they were copycats and were trying to destroy mine, perhaps because of content they didn’t like. And maybe they had nothing worth saying on theirs. I’ll inform my real readers when the time comes.
♥
Soon I expect to rename this blog. When I lost it not long ago, I Googled the name of mine and found several with the same name. I read a bit of two or three of them, and found such foolishness. I had the feeling they were copycats and were trying to destroy mine, perhaps because of content they didn’t like. And maybe they had nothing worth saying on theirs. I’ll inform my real readers when the time comes.
♥
IF THIS KEEPS UP
Another shooting! One does not need to say, “If this keeps up,” what one cannot do. Parents will surely not allow their children to go anywhere if this keeps up. Even to school. School has become a dangerous place. Even an adult will be wary going into a supermarket. It becomes a crime against humanity if our country cannot protect its citizens. But what can one expect? America is no longer “Christian America.” That is the whole problem. I have not heard the whole story of the shootings in Texas, but read a line or two on the computer. Every day it’s some new crime of this sort.
As I walked through the room that holds the television minutes ago, I heard a reporter tell about a brave boy, I think in Norway, who stood up to the killer after seeing his dad fall, saying something like this to the killer: “Leave us alone. I am too young to die.” And the killer walked away. Brave boy. I want to hear this story again. Now.
♥
Another shooting! One does not need to say, “If this keeps up,” what one cannot do. Parents will surely not allow their children to go anywhere if this keeps up. Even to school. School has become a dangerous place. Even an adult will be wary going into a supermarket. It becomes a crime against humanity if our country cannot protect its citizens. But what can one expect? America is no longer “Christian America.” That is the whole problem. I have not heard the whole story of the shootings in Texas, but read a line or two on the computer. Every day it’s some new crime of this sort.
As I walked through the room that holds the television minutes ago, I heard a reporter tell about a brave boy, I think in Norway, who stood up to the killer after seeing his dad fall, saying something like this to the killer: “Leave us alone. I am too young to die.” And the killer walked away. Brave boy. I want to hear this story again. Now.
♥
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Hello, Miss Eliza!
What a coincidence that your comment came in June! While I was recently cleaning out papers, I came across the letters from Margaret Vail. (Some things I do keep.) You asked if Vail had written subsequent books. I believe she did not. She told me about one she had started, but it was in a drawer, seemingly to stay there. It recounted her husband’s return home from the War, but she gave no reason for not continuing the story. Possibly, and even likely, Robert might have not wanted his story told. After all, France and Germany had experienced a number of skirmishes over the centuries, and after his time in a German prison camp, he might not have wanted his American wife revealing anything that could in a future date, give them cause even to notice him. Margaret had been a reporter here in her country, with some major magazine such as Life, I think, and American reporters like to tell all, you know. Margaret Vail wasn’t her real name, I learned. At the moment, I can’t lay my hands on those letters—they are in another stack of papers somewhere—but if I see them again soon, I will see what I can do to enlighten you more.
It may amuse you to know a special group of ten books, favorites of mine (including Yours Is the Earth), is right beside my desk. Seven of the volumes are either novels set in France or nonfiction about France. I have neither visited France nor studied its language. If you or any other readers of this blog are especially interested in reading about World War II, let me recommend an excellent nonfiction title that made fascinating reading for me and was one source of information that inspired my writing a short story now in contest. That book is Wine and War by Don and Petie Kladstrup. Although I lived through that war, a short time in military uniform near the close of the conflict, this book taught me much about the war that other historical accounts did not touch upon. And to boot, I thought continually about Margaret Vail as I read. If you liked her story, you will enjoy this one.
♥
What a coincidence that your comment came in June! While I was recently cleaning out papers, I came across the letters from Margaret Vail. (Some things I do keep.) You asked if Vail had written subsequent books. I believe she did not. She told me about one she had started, but it was in a drawer, seemingly to stay there. It recounted her husband’s return home from the War, but she gave no reason for not continuing the story. Possibly, and even likely, Robert might have not wanted his story told. After all, France and Germany had experienced a number of skirmishes over the centuries, and after his time in a German prison camp, he might not have wanted his American wife revealing anything that could in a future date, give them cause even to notice him. Margaret had been a reporter here in her country, with some major magazine such as Life, I think, and American reporters like to tell all, you know. Margaret Vail wasn’t her real name, I learned. At the moment, I can’t lay my hands on those letters—they are in another stack of papers somewhere—but if I see them again soon, I will see what I can do to enlighten you more.
It may amuse you to know a special group of ten books, favorites of mine (including Yours Is the Earth), is right beside my desk. Seven of the volumes are either novels set in France or nonfiction about France. I have neither visited France nor studied its language. If you or any other readers of this blog are especially interested in reading about World War II, let me recommend an excellent nonfiction title that made fascinating reading for me and was one source of information that inspired my writing a short story now in contest. That book is Wine and War by Don and Petie Kladstrup. Although I lived through that war, a short time in military uniform near the close of the conflict, this book taught me much about the war that other historical accounts did not touch upon. And to boot, I thought continually about Margaret Vail as I read. If you liked her story, you will enjoy this one.
♥
Friday, July 22, 2011
Something Worthwhile (?)
A few weeks ago, I promised to share with my readers a paper I wrote for a statewide contest (containing a bit of autobiography). I almost copied it here just now, but I remembered in time the judge might tire of those submissions she’s judging, go blog crawling, and discover it and learn my identity. Therefore, I shall delay its presentation here until the article returns in late September.
In the meantime, my computer technician worked on this machine today and it is now ready to absorb more writing. He even discovered something new to work on, something he had never run across before. It would be on my computer, of course, this unearthing of something for a man who knows everything about computers. (At age three, he begged his mother for a computer.)
It is nearly midnight and I had a hectic day today, so I will sign out now. This wasn’t that worthwhile, was it?
♥
A few weeks ago, I promised to share with my readers a paper I wrote for a statewide contest (containing a bit of autobiography). I almost copied it here just now, but I remembered in time the judge might tire of those submissions she’s judging, go blog crawling, and discover it and learn my identity. Therefore, I shall delay its presentation here until the article returns in late September.
In the meantime, my computer technician worked on this machine today and it is now ready to absorb more writing. He even discovered something new to work on, something he had never run across before. It would be on my computer, of course, this unearthing of something for a man who knows everything about computers. (At age three, he begged his mother for a computer.)
It is nearly midnight and I had a hectic day today, so I will sign out now. This wasn’t that worthwhile, was it?
♥
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Alas and Alack
Another day to fret about yesterday’s blog. Believe me, I have edited it several times and on this kind of copy it is perfect. Then when I transfer it, the errors are still there. I need Jacob or Robby here. I’ve always written my first copy on Microsoft Word, which I can see easily, I’m writimg on deep blue and I love that, a more intense blue that what my blogs show, but I can’t get rid of it and don’t want it all the time. It is not one of the colors you can use all the time easily. Where in the world did I find it in the first place? I can’t stand to write more at this time under such conditions.
♥
Another day to fret about yesterday’s blog. Believe me, I have edited it several times and on this kind of copy it is perfect. Then when I transfer it, the errors are still there. I need Jacob or Robby here. I’ve always written my first copy on Microsoft Word, which I can see easily, I’m writimg on deep blue and I love that, a more intense blue that what my blogs show, but I can’t get rid of it and don’t want it all the time. It is not one of the colors you can use all the time easily. Where in the world did I find it in the first place? I can’t stand to write more at this time under such conditions.
♥
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Morning’s Blog Found
Hello, once more, and I trust several times soon again. I think I’ve never been busier than currently. Just a “brief” bit about that: I’m clearing out my house of papers back to eighth grade (not my school work but the teacher’s, work I used in my own teaching), much more paper than that; and moving furniture, having bought some new pieces, and getting ready to decorate a “rose room.” A truck will pick up some old furniture for donation to the Idaho Youth Ranch. Some new floors are on schedule as well as a large pantry in my big kitchen. Those finished cabinets (and the man who is making them) should arrive here on August 1. I will lose one row of counter space and the cabinets beneath the counter, but some of those contents have already been donated and some will go into the new pantry. The new kitchen floor design is to be the large-size black and white squares on the diagonal. Heather first said, “Oh, you’re going back to the ’60s.” I said, “No, back to the 1600s.” This design has been the most popular of kitchen floors and front entry-ways for several generations. That counter that now stands between the kitchen work area and the kitchen dining area, will be gone, allowing more room for the table at its longest size.
I’ve purchased a new sofa and a settee that are the right size for a woman to sit on. I’m tired of all the seats in a room being designed to fit big men. My big men, and they are all that, can sit in the big chairs. The flowered sofa with the peonies will go into the rose room. That is located at the front of the house and hasn’t been used for a few years. Its old furniture goes into donation, and I have all the main pieces to turn the space into a lovely sitting room. The carpet is to be replaced by the metal that looks like wood. Doctors’ offices and dentists’ too, have gotten rid of their carpets, for the metal floor (it has a name other than metal, of course) is a healthier environment. I plan to do the same to the floors in the living room and dining room. My study and all the halls already have the healthier stuff. Rugs will be considered at a later time.
In the meantime, other donations include one of my two jewelry chests, all my costume baubles (the real stuff has already gone to relatives, but there wasn’t much of that), clothing, books, and much little stuff just taking up space, never used for years, or perhaps not at all. Now here are two special messages for my granddaughter-in-law Marsha in California and for my former student in German and English, Laura in Colorado.
Marsha, you probably do not have time right now to make bread with the big mixer I gave you. However, if you tried, you must have wondered where a necessary part was. Yesterday, I found the dangerous looking hook on a shelf. I never made bread on the machine, therefore I must have put that part out of sight. Now you and Heather would have found it long ago, for you leave no bit of dirt last that long on your shelves. Well, that whole shelf was filled with things I didn’t use. Frankly, I’d rather write a story than face the dust up high, where I can’t reach and neither can I climb to such. That’s a great excuse for old age; can’t reach the dust.
Laura, I came across a lovely box of German songs (dated 1966) on 13 discs, 33⅓ speed, probably never played. If you don’t have an old record-player, you can take them to a recording studio that should be able to transfer them to some 24th-century device for you. Let me know if you would like to have these.
Well, today is the day a great lot of my family heads for their annual vacation at McCall, the town Rob wrote is the best place on earth and he’s seen much of the world. He’s the grandson who, with his wife and baby Rocco had to flee Libya. Gooch invited me to go but I had to turn that down. The floor-measurers will be here any day, the window-washer, the furniture pick-up men, and I’m still not quite ready the cabinet man who will be here in about two weeks. Nothing will stay in my kitchen unless I will use it. For example, the slow-cooker. I used it for chicken yesterday and I got an idea: I plan to try it once first, of course, but I’m anticipating preparing on Wednesday night the casserole bowl ready for Thursday, placing it in the fridge overnight, setting it to cook in the morning, just before I leave for the day, and arriving home Thursday to welcome the aroma as I walk into the house.
Breakfast is now over, at five minutes till 11:00, so I suppose I should prepare lunch now!
♥
Hello, once more, and I trust several times soon again. I think I’ve never been busier than currently. Just a “brief” bit about that: I’m clearing out my house of papers back to eighth grade (not my school work but the teacher’s, work I used in my own teaching), much more paper than that; and moving furniture, having bought some new pieces, and getting ready to decorate a “rose room.” A truck will pick up some old furniture for donation to the Idaho Youth Ranch. Some new floors are on schedule as well as a large pantry in my big kitchen. Those finished cabinets (and the man who is making them) should arrive here on August 1. I will lose one row of counter space and the cabinets beneath the counter, but some of those contents have already been donated and some will go into the new pantry. The new kitchen floor design is to be the large-size black and white squares on the diagonal. Heather first said, “Oh, you’re going back to the ’60s.” I said, “No, back to the 1600s.” This design has been the most popular of kitchen floors and front entry-ways for several generations. That counter that now stands between the kitchen work area and the kitchen dining area, will be gone, allowing more room for the table at its longest size.
I’ve purchased a new sofa and a settee that are the right size for a woman to sit on. I’m tired of all the seats in a room being designed to fit big men. My big men, and they are all that, can sit in the big chairs. The flowered sofa with the peonies will go into the rose room. That is located at the front of the house and hasn’t been used for a few years. Its old furniture goes into donation, and I have all the main pieces to turn the space into a lovely sitting room. The carpet is to be replaced by the metal that looks like wood. Doctors’ offices and dentists’ too, have gotten rid of their carpets, for the metal floor (it has a name other than metal, of course) is a healthier environment. I plan to do the same to the floors in the living room and dining room. My study and all the halls already have the healthier stuff. Rugs will be considered at a later time.
In the meantime, other donations include one of my two jewelry chests, all my costume baubles (the real stuff has already gone to relatives, but there wasn’t much of that), clothing, books, and much little stuff just taking up space, never used for years, or perhaps not at all. Now here are two special messages for my granddaughter-in-law Marsha in California and for my former student in German and English, Laura in Colorado.
Marsha, you probably do not have time right now to make bread with the big mixer I gave you. However, if you tried, you must have wondered where a necessary part was. Yesterday, I found the dangerous looking hook on a shelf. I never made bread on the machine, therefore I must have put that part out of sight. Now you and Heather would have found it long ago, for you leave no bit of dirt last that long on your shelves. Well, that whole shelf was filled with things I didn’t use. Frankly, I’d rather write a story than face the dust up high, where I can’t reach and neither can I climb to such. That’s a great excuse for old age; can’t reach the dust.
Laura, I came across a lovely box of German songs (dated 1966) on 13 discs, 33⅓ speed, probably never played. If you don’t have an old record-player, you can take them to a recording studio that should be able to transfer them to some 24th-century device for you. Let me know if you would like to have these.
Well, today is the day a great lot of my family heads for their annual vacation at McCall, the town Rob wrote is the best place on earth and he’s seen much of the world. He’s the grandson who, with his wife and baby Rocco had to flee Libya. Gooch invited me to go but I had to turn that down. The floor-measurers will be here any day, the window-washer, the furniture pick-up men, and I’m still not quite ready the cabinet man who will be here in about two weeks. Nothing will stay in my kitchen unless I will use it. For example, the slow-cooker. I used it for chicken yesterday and I got an idea: I plan to try it once first, of course, but I’m anticipating preparing on Wednesday night the casserole bowl ready for Thursday, placing it in the fridge overnight, setting it to cook in the morning, just before I leave for the day, and arriving home Thursday to welcome the aroma as I walk into the house.
Breakfast is now over, at five minutes till 11:00, so I suppose I should prepare lunch now!
♥
Well, I haven't found that blog I wrote earlier. It told about the new furniture and donation of the some of the old, and plans to paint a rose room and furnish it mainly with old stuff redone. Also a new pantry inside the kitchen and a new floor. New floors elsewhere too.
It also said Gooch's large segment of the family left today for their annual week in McCall, the spot Robby wrote in his blog was the best place on earth.
And I had a personal note in it for Marsha in California and one for Laura in Colorado. But I am tired now, from the details of getting this Blog back in working order. Check tomorrow to see if I've recovered the blog. (The point is I can't recall what title I gave it.)
Pretend there's a heart here.
It also said Gooch's large segment of the family left today for their annual week in McCall, the spot Robby wrote in his blog was the best place on earth.
And I had a personal note in it for Marsha in California and one for Laura in Colorado. But I am tired now, from the details of getting this Blog back in working order. Check tomorrow to see if I've recovered the blog. (The point is I can't recall what title I gave it.)
Pretend there's a heart here.
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