I finished this book last evening. My Mom had read it first and really enjoyed it.
I did too. Such a good read! Laugh- out- loud funny! I think someone in here recommended this book and I want to thank them. It was very good. It made me want to get a dog and I’m not really a person who likes indoor dogs or cats!
Judith
Friends,
When I returned home a few minutes ago, I had a message on my answering machine from Jo in Pa. It seems that Comcast accidentally cut the cable and the water line to her apartment complex. She is not sure how long she will be without either one (but is hoping they bring in some porta potties if it is very long). She asked me to come in here and email you all about her predicament. She said she would be back online whenever she is able.
Dear Jo, our thoughts are with you and hope you wont be without water or cable long!
Jude
I had a bit of a scare when I got home.
I had shut down my computer Friday before we left and when I got home, I turned it on to check my email. Lo and behold, I couldn’t access the internet to get email OR Internet Explorer. That had happened a couple of other times, so I shut it down again, and unplugged the exterior modem and the router (don’t ask what that does!). Waited a bit and plugged in the modem, turned on the computer, plugged in the router and same thing. The little lights on both the modem and router were working as per normal, but still no internet access.
So, I went to bed. Like Scarlett O’Hara, I decided to ‘think about that tomorrow.”
BUT - same thing this morning. So I called Comcast and the recording said they are working on things and I should call back after noon. I did. Guy told me to do what I had already done. So I did (to make him happy) and there was no change. After I realized he was going to be little or no help, I SOS’d my MD son.
He had me call up the command prompt screen and told me what to type in but when I did, nothing came up; he was looking for something in particular I expect but didn’t tell me what. He then had me go to the Control Panel, which is how the user (you or me) controls some of the stuff having to do with the infernal machine, but he was in a bit of a hurry because daughter Mallory had to get back to the college (maybe two hours round trip). He had me get to Network Connections on the control panel and then open Linksys something; the linksys is what would link the computer to the system for accessing the internet.
We had hung up but I got brave, clicked on that icon again to open it, and then saw that it said that was disabled. I have no idea how it GOT disabled but there it is. So I swallowed hard and click on Enable. THAT was when those two little computer monitors appeared on the taskbar at the bottom. And THEN I knew I was home free. I had realized that icon wasn’t there but without my calling son Gene, I wouldn’t have known what to do about it. I will from now on. He suggessted that I then reboot to make sure those computer monitors still showed up (they did) and I should be OK.
I sent him a heartfelt thank you and asked him if he had any idea why it would have been disabled; I hadn’t done anything to cause that, I didn’t think.
I feel so computer geekish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Madam Secretary†by Madeleine Albright
I started reading this book immediately when I received it as a gift last December. However, a number of library books became available and intervened. Hence, it took me quite a long while to finish, but finally I did. And I must say the book is a very well written memoir. The book was co-written with Bill Woodward and published in 2003, when Albright was no longer in office.
Needless to say, a great deal of the material in the book relates to events that, being of a certian age, I remember quite well. But she starts out with her birth as Marie Jana Korbel in Prague during the time when Czechoslovakia was a democracy led by Tomas Masaryk. Madeleine’s father was active in the Czech foreign service. When Hitler came to power, the family moved to London and eventually they arrived in the U.S. and settled in Great Neck, Long Island and later in Denver, where her father was teaching.
The book goes into great detail about her childhood, adolescence–more than I need to go into in this report. Eventually, Albright was educated at Wellesley. Her first job was at the Denver Post, where she met her future husband, Joe Albright. They married in 1959.Three daughters were born to this marriage, but, after 23 years, it failed and ended in divorce.
In 1978, she was offered a position in the Carter White House, working under Zbigniew Brzezinski. Thus her entry into government service. In 1992, Albright went to work in the Clinton White House as US Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1996 she was named Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration. The book is replete with interesting anecdotes of events national and international during Albright’s tenure as well as in her family life. The book ends with an epilogue that discusses matters that pertain to the George W. Bush administration.
The book is liberally sprinkled with photographs of Albright, her family, and with various political personalities. Also included are some cartoons that were published during her various positions,
Have any of you heard of this author? I’m surprised that I haven’t, since he has a full page of titles of his novels, stories and a few plays. A friend recently lent me the first volume of his “A Dance to the Music of Time” — which was written back in the ’50’s! Where have I been?
She says that his surname rhymes with “Lowell.”
The whole work –I forget how many volumes– is something like the Forsyte saga, goes on for years. In this first volume we meet him as an English schoolboy and follow him to Oxford and the dispersal of his school friends into their different worlds — further schooling or into The City in business.
I can’t decide whether I like it or not. I like that kind of saga, but am not sure whether I like his writing or not. It’s very, very funny as to incidents, characters and situations — but Powell’s writing tends to get too pompous and wordy. For me.
G’daughter Michele and I are off to MD for her mom Sharon’s 50th b’day tonight. Saturday am, Sharon and her women friends (5 or 6)are then all going off to NYC for shopping and overnight and will return Sunday.
Sharon’s Mom opted to stay home and not walk all over the city as the b’day folks will be doing. I did too; that much walking does nasty things to my back…concrete y’know. So M and I will come back Saturday morning. I hope son Gene remembered to make hotel reservations for us! If he didn’t, he will find he has made the top of Mom’s —- List.
Anyhow, it should be quite a party! See y’all Saturday afternoon sometime.
Actually, the name of the town is New Harmony–referred to simply as Harmony.
Candace
How about that, it works from here.
I flew to my daughter ’s in WI yesterday and for once had no problem getting here. I started reading Marley and Me at the airport. I thought that an appropriate book for this dog world. So far I am enjoying the book.
I am happy that I got on this blog. I had to log in again and fortunately remembered my name and password.
How come nobody is posting? Spring fever already?
Posted by Phyllis
I have just finished Wife by Meg Wolitzer. It is an easy read and interesting, and she has an exciting use of words.. her adjectives speak volumes. It is about a very famous author and his wife, and he has just won the Helsinki prize, which is bigger than the Pulitzer and the Nobel… and while they are in Finland for the award ceremony, Wolitzer back flashes to the story of their life.
Someone, Candace I think, mentioned that she read an article about the Cat Who lady in an issue of the Wall Street Journal and I have a young friend who subscribes.
Well, I emailed and asked if that article was still available. It was and I got it yesterday.
I would be happy to send it to anyone who cares to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let me know.
We all try to find harmony in our lives and now we can. Philip Gulley, a Quaker minister, has written a series of books about the Quaker Meeting house in Harmony, Indiana and its beset minister, Sam Gardner.
And it is absolutely hilarious - I find myself laughing outloud at this. The writing is excellent and the characters are very well drawn. There is no story-line per se but the story does move along. There are two people active in the church whom we would all love to strangle; I’m sure you have met people like them in your own church or synagogue or temple. Fortunately for Sam, there are folks who help keep the two from anything too outrageous.
Judith turned me on to Harmony and now I want to pass along the favor. The stories are too good to miss. Thanks Judith.
Just finished this remarkable book. It is a tribute to a white mother from a black son.
His mother is the daughter of a rabbi who escaped Europe with his wife (an arranged marriage) and children. His daughter Rachel (changes her name to Ruth) is a rebel, not without her reasons of child abuse by her father, and an ailing half blind mother who can do nothing about it. She finds solace with black people, and winds up married to a gentle, sweet black man, and has six children with him. He dies, suddenly, and after struggling, Ruth marries another gentle black man and has six more children. The story tells of her struggles, poverty, adoption of the Christian faith, and her rule over the children, which results in all of them becoming professionals. An inspiring book. the author is James McBride.” Truth is stranger than Fiction.”
Posted by Myrna
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd was a page turner for me. I like her writing. She goes into great detail in the relationships of the characters.
Posted by Jan
I tried to post this in the proper place, but it didn’t show up. I’ll try here and hope it automatically gets moved over to March ROM. I read Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter and enjoyed it very much and like, Darlyne, I agree with his views on the frightening things that are happening in our country and to our society. I think President Carter is a national treasure and gets better every year. I am proud that I supported him early in 1976 in the California primaries when everyone was saying “Jimmy Who?”
Sorry if I am getting too political. It won’t happen again.
Read the book, dear friends.
Sorry to be so general– I’m behind and found the descriptions of each book mentioned to be enticing…but I know I’ll never get all of them read. There is such a wide variety of topics many of you commented on–seems like old times hearing from several again.
This afternoon I had an interesting encounter at the grocery store. There was a man with a table full of books near the aisle leading toward the produce. When I glanced at the books he introduced himself as the author. He’s a former member of the Texas legislature and wrote “Capitol Offense,” which he described as “faction, the stories that never made the newspapers.” Texas politics has always been the proverbial hotbed of intrigue. He warned me not to start it at bedtime because I wouldn’t be able to put it down. It was the first book signing I’ve seen in Kroger’s.
Candace
Please note that I’ve suggested a book for April.
Keep on suggesting folks.
Jo, I know you like these stories. While waiting for car inspection browsing through a Wall Street Journal found an article about Lillian Braun (know there’s a third name but can’t recall it). Maybe you knew her background, she’s 92, almost finished with her 29th book and plans her 30th. She said she’d always loved cats but her parents wouldn’t let her have one. When she was grown she got “Koko” and “YumYum.” Over time she named their successors Koko2 and so on. Doesn’t have any cats now and did not keep her collection of cat figurines because they made her sad after her live ones were gone.
Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter
I did read this book but did quite a bit of fast forwarding. I was happy to read that even though the author is deeply religious he didn’t let that influence his running of the country. He firmly believed in separation of church and state. I got the idea that he thought religion is influencing the Bush administration too much and I agree.
I think the blurb on the book jacket says it all: Most of our political leaders have attempted to control deficit spending, preserve the separation of church and state, and protect civil liberties and personal privacy. All of these historic commitments are now being challenged. The author tells how this is happening. It is something most of us know
I thought I posted this and I don’t think it worked so I will try again. If it appears twice I am sorry.
I hope everyone had a nice Pi day today.
John Adams by David McCullough
This is a very interesting, detailed book with a great deal of early American hisitory. Included of course, is much material about Abigail, his beloved wife. She had a noteworthy influence on Adams’ decisions and activities.. Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, all figure in the book, and particularly George Washington. At more than 600 pages, the book is a bit lengthy for my taste, but I was engaged throughout; there was a lot to learn in this book. I was especially impressed by the amount of rivalry among the early patriots. But then, why should they be any different from the politicians of today.
This book takes place in Minnesota in the Minneapolis area. Patty Jan marries her HS sweetheart and almost immediately gets pregnant. When the baby is almost due her husband disappears. He gave hints that he wasn’t ready for fatherhood. Patty starts up a beauty shop with the help from her Mother-in law, who is devastated by the actions of her son. Her sister looses her man just before their wedding so the three women all work in the beauty shop and the story goes on, with quirky character customers etc. Both sisters find new loves although one becomes an alcoholic and goes through the usual alcoholic life before being saved.
I enjoyed listening to the tape of this story even though the plot was predictable. The reader had a great Norwegian accent when speaking for the Mother in law. It brought back memories of where I grew up when the mil made lefsa, rumagrout and even that fish soaked in lye lutefisk but to many, including me is inedible. I would recommend reading or listening to this book. It is an easy read or listen.
I guess there is a problem with the Lorna Landvik post that won’t post. Jenny has been trying to solve the problem without success.
I am having trouble posting so I will try again.
I enjoyed this book and am writing what’s on the back of it.
Dusk, a barn lot of an Amish farm in Ohio. Will’s father doesn’t recognize him at first–it’s been eight years–so he holds a match up to Will’s face to see him better. “I thought you were dead.” Levi Mullet says flatly, then blows out the match and walks away. No hug. No party. This is not how it’s supposed to be. Where’s the fatted calf, the celebration?
Living in the deep south, Will has raised a family of his own. But the heart of the prodigal is never far from home. For years he’s worked–the only ethic Will understands–to overcome the unrelenting judgmentalism, the ban, of his father and the Old Order Amish, while a festering resentment takes its toll on his wife and children. Only when the life of Will’s youngest son hangs in teh balance does begin to understand the truth–that love is the proof of God, and forgiveness is the proof of love.
Levi’s Will is the haunting story of a fallen man seeking to reconcile the best of the old world with the lessons of the new, in the process building a bridge across three generations.
W. Dale Cramer, auther of critically acclaimed novels Sutter’s Cross and Bad Ground, lives in Georgia with his wife, Pam, and their two sons.
I wonder what connection Cramer has with the Amish, as he mentions his parents lives as part of the plot.
Jacky