I’m almost finished reading this book by Kim Edwards and have loved every page. Has anyone read it? About a doctor who delivers his wife’s twins and gives one of them away because she has Downs Syndrome and tells his wife she died. Many ramifications ensue.
Huggz all,
Jerry
She emailed today about Traude and said she had fallen and broken her hand.
So I will send good luck for a speedy recovery to all those who need that kind of a message AND a be careful message to the rest of us.
Jo
Picked up this book at the library, by Michael Korda. I am only at the beginning. It is about two British Shakesperean actors who are very much in passionate love, Each is married to someone else. At one point they come to Hollywood, where they are not as revered as they are in England. The story takes place in the World War 2 era. It starts out in 1939. So far it is interesting. The author is good at entering the thought processes of his characters.
I realized a few days ago that it had been ages since Traude had posted or that anyone had said anything about hearing from her, so I sent her an email and here is her response.
“” Hi Jo, good to hear from you. You caught me at a bad time: I was in a car accident a week ago Thursday, Julk 20, and in the hospital for 6 hours, lying on a hard board on top of a gurney, immobilized in a stiff neck contraption that wasn’t remoed until they determined that there as no neck fracture. Was sent home with a badly sprained wrist in a splint. Contusions and bruises from chest wall trauma are getting better. Pain subsiding. Still difficult typing.
Love to you and all. “”
So I then emailed her back to ask permission to let you all know what was what and she wrote,
“” Jo, of course it isn’t a secret! Just can’t type very much yet. There’s pain from the sprain and a hematoma turning all colors now. “”
If someone will let the AOL book forum folks know - I’ll appreciate it; I’ll also send this around to the email GGOBIT group.
Jo
Just about the same as you Darlyne except I didn’t shop for junk food for g’kids; I mailed a couple of books instead. But also like you, melting was on the menu. So I did the books and scooted right back home to the AC, iced peach tea (or a a very good friend calls it — girl tea!) and a book. Excess heat warnings for tomorrow thru Monday also. Yuck.
BTW did I happen to mention over the winter that all of the folks in the apt complex had a surcharge levied for the gas used over the winter. December thru April payments plus the regular month’s rent of course totalling some $250-$300 for that 4-5 month time span. Well, our rents were just raised - mine went from $725 to $780 and according to the letter, it is hoped that this raise will not necessitate the need for that surcharge. I do sincerely hope that is the case.
Otherwise, all is well here.
Anyone out there care for Victorian mysteries? Susan and Bill Albert have written a series featuring Lord Charles and Lady Catherine Sheridan. She is an American who came to England at the behest of her aunt, who was looking for a secretary. Kate is Irish-American whose parents died and whose aunt and uncle (a policeman) raised her. She is also a novelist under the pseudonym of Beryl Bardwell and a most independent woman. Her husband, Lord Charles, treasures her. The stories take place at the ending of Victoria’s reign and into Edward’s, with the advent of telephones, automobiles and the beginning of the end of the ‘pleasures’ of the British nobility. The first book, if anyone is interested, is Death at Bishop’s Keep.
Jo
We have an excessive heat warning and I didn’t need the weather service to tell me that. I swam this morning and then shopped for junk food because a grandson and friend are coming and I wouldn’t have a thing in the house that they would eat. Everything I have is salt, fat and sugar free–kind of. I almost melted the little that I was outside so the rest of the day will be spent reading and goofing off. I will probably have a glass of wine while eating dinner and listening to PHC tonight What are the rest of you doing?
Me too, Darlyne - lovely to know we don’t have to be blind thanks to cataracts; pills to help our hearts, blood pressure, allergies, etc keep to the straight and narrow. But it would still be great to get older and not HAVE to take pills and potions and patches.
It is because of the pills and patches that we are getting older—–than our fore bearers. I for one am grateful that my eyes and other parts can be fixed.
I am listening to a CD of David Mitchell’s Black Swan Green. the narrator is a 13 year old in dying cold war England. For some reason I am not real enamored with it and would probably stop if I had another book to listen to.
I see our webmaster Jenny has put all the previous months’ posts into monthly files - how lovely to have things sorted that way. Thank you Jenny; you make having this blog so nice, easy and user friendly.
I expect we are all grateful for patches, Jacky!
I have a friend who says getting old is pigeon poop and when I really think about it, I think I agree. Why can’t we get older without having to have all these patches and pills?
*smile*
I am of the opinion that getting graded on sudoku puzzles is fine, to a point. But what about those kids who detest numbers and are just no good at them. Those kids will never manage to get a sudoku puzzle and their grades will not be as good as their ability would otherwise show. I like numbers but I’m not especially fond of sudoku so I would likely get poor grades. I hope someone mentions that to the teachers; sudoku isn’t one of the things that must be learned to get ahead in life, after all.
Jo
I filled out my first suduka yesterday without cheating. I really hate numbers, but would like to get better at this so I can help our 12 year old grandson who will be getting more of these in math this fall. He hates them too, but is graded on them. I think if I fill in more of the numbers for him, it may help, because I have to admit I was almost a little excited as I got to the last blanks and could figure them out. And word math problems were terribly difficult for me in country school.
I also saw my optomotrist yesterday and my second cataract is finally Medicare ready, and my first one needs a lazer touch up. As my little sister says, “This aging is patch, patch, patch.” But I’m thankful for patches!
Jacky Jones
Well, I didn’t fare quite as well - in fact, I flunked miserably. Suffice to say I’m not a movie fan.
I just received this link. Apparently created by the same people who put out the intelligence tests. I pulled it up and looked at it–I’ve never been a big movie-goer but thought some of you might like to have a go at it. A couple of old scenes I think I might be able to identify given a little time.
Candace
http://funwithmovies.com/part3
Glad you enjoyed it, Jo. To make it easy, in case you haven’t already done so, I’ll see send the other three.
http://intelligence-test.net/part2/
http://intelligence-test.net/part3/
http://intelligence-test.net/part4/
A friend of mind says it’s a form of accumulated trivia–maybe–but it’s interesting to see what surfaces that hasn’t crossed your mind in decades. At last age and experience are to our advantage. So far I have 14 on the last one. I think I know two of those remaining four but haven’t come up with the exact terminology yet–haven’t given up yet!
Candace
Love it, Candace - thank you! I shall indeed print this one - I did very well on it.
Jo
Along the line of sudoku and crossword puzzles and, jigzone is jigsaw puzzles, isn’t it–I’m hooked on the intelligence tests which give short combinations of letters and numbers and you fill in what they mean. I probably said something about this when the first two came out but in case I didn’t–take a look–the instant gratification becomes addictive. When you type in the right answer it turns green–if it isn’t, it stays red. Warning, you can’t save it online–print it. I have all four in favorites. When you give up you can get the answers. The answers to the fourth should be out in a week or so. I can’t say that they become progressively more difficult–they throw in obvious ones with less commonly known ones to keep you off balance.
http://intelligence-test.net/part1/
For some reason it won’t let me copy it so it will link directly by clicking so you have to copy it.
Candace
Check it out I did and it’s great.
BTW, Jerry, the aarp fun and game site also has a jigsaw puzzle, plus a crossword, a four square - interlocking words going across and down, and a couple or three others ones also. It’s a good site.
Jo
I don’t think I’ve even heard of this site - I shall check it out.
Jo
I haven’t had a problem lately although I think I have in the past. I got it just fine this morning and have for quite a while. i do it every day.
Does anyone know what has happened to Jigzone? For the past week or so I can no longer open a puzzle and if I persist my computer freezes. Has anyone had this problem?
Huggz all,
Jerry
The closest station to where I live is in Anniston, AL about two hour drive from here. About four years ago I took the train to New Orleans and spent a couple of nights. Enjoyed it so much and would like to take another Amtrak trip. We didn’t have any trouble with delays, but when you consider a trip to the airport, delays there and the hassle of inspections, boarding, etc. I think the train is much more desirable - the food was good, too, I thought.
Jan
That sounded like a great trip. I take Amtrak from Trenton to Richmond to visit Julie now and then and I enjoy the train ride..Coming home the train originates in Florida and there are always people who have been on the train all night and they are still sleeping. They look comfortable. I have had delays just a couple of times and one of those times there had been a tornado that caused an electrical outage so the signals didn’t work and another time a truck hit a bridge abutment on a bridge that the train crossed. It had to be checked out. I wasn’t real happy to be on the first train that crossed after that, but arrived OK.
I am enjoying Angry Housewives very much. The librarian looked up the author for me and found out that she was born in Grand Forks, ND and later moved north and she attended th U Of MN. She could have been a decedent of the family I knew.
It’s fun but getting home is better. I’m happy to hear you had a good trip.
My ‘baby’ is turning 50 next June so I expect the whole family will be going to CO for that. It’ll be fun.
How did you like Kite Runner? I thought it was excellent.
I’ve heard problems about Amtrak and being on time (NOT) and such. I guess the ride itself and food is wonderful BUT the timeliness of arrival and departure leaves much to be desired.
At any rate, welcome home.
Jo
We had a nice time near Seattle, and the wedding on the Puget Sound shore was interesting. Fortunetly, the only cool place in the USA, I think. And the train ride from Grand Forks, ND, to Everett, WA, was enjoyable. Through a travel agent mix up, we did NOT have a sleeper on the way, but the seats are roomy and comfortable, and if you’re tired enough, you sleep, even with dozens of fellow roomates. We got on the train at 6;30 am, 2 hours late, so we were truly tired.
Coming home we did get a sleeper space, but if I were not 5 feet tall and relatively light, neither of us would have climbed up into that top bunk. The swaying of the cars, and the sounds of the wheels were soothing too, almost like a cradle. And the food was delishous, once the sargent of the dining car let us in, Gina ran a tight ship, but no one argued with her. And she seated you with whoever, and we met some very lovely folks.
Since we no longer have a motor home, we tried the train, and I’d be willing to repeat it—-but not for a while. The books you’ve reported on sound interesting, I read The Kite Runner on the train, and am looking forward to his book that’s coming out this summer.
This evening, middle daughter and hubby brought lavash with veggies and the DVD ,8 Below, a pleasant homecoming.
And I didn’t hear even one “Uffta”, and there are a lot of Norse decendants north of Seattle too. Maybe its been Americanized out.
Good to be back. Jacky
Trust me, Darlyne, Mitchell concocts NO gentle murderers!
And Judith and I got really tired of all the angst between Emmett and Anna about whether or not she was ever going to allow him any closer than sitting next to her. Once they got their duscussions of the various clues etc, right away things got tight between them and they seemed almost relieved if the phone rang, another murder occurred - something to keep them from talking about anything. BOTH were to blame for their closed-mouthedness! I felt like smacking them both upside the head with a 2×4 or something! It’s like - so get on with it already.