Greatest global online bookclub in town

Well, the library doesn’t have it; I’ll check with the Video Warehouse just down the street.  I shall be somewhat perturbed if I can’t find it.

Seems to be all I do these days - catch up!

What a wonderful day you had with your daughters, g’son and niece.  I’ll can well imagine you’re tired but you can now put up your feet and take a well deserved sit!

No, Candace, not snowed in.  In fact, we’ve had very little snow and I would guess that what we HAVE had would barely cover the grass.  I’m not at all thrilled about any winter that we really do get; it is likely to be a real mess!  And I think summer will be anyhow - hotter’n a two dollar pistol!  Yuck.

I remember hearing “brassed off” when I was watching The East Enders on PBS some years back.  That was a good series.  I’m going to check and see if our library has it - and I must go pick up the book I requested.

Good grief!

Everybody stay warm - doesn’t seem like anyone is having really warm weather.

Take care, y’all.

Jo

 

 

 

My library has that movie so I can get it.  It costs $1.00 a day and is a bargain.  It was filmed in 1990 I believe—so it says. It also has the book, Sweet Land so I will most likely get that one also but have to read another one for the library book club first.  that one is a Tony Morrison so I have a feeling won’t be easy.

Jerry, this sounds like a movie I would like. Is it an old one or one of the newer little-known ones? I will soon have a TV with DVD and VCR features so I may start getting some DVDs.

Candace

Last night I watched a wonderful movie titled “Brassed Off”, which means, in Northern England dialect, teed off or tired of. It’s about a small mining town where the mine is about to be shut down, putting a thousand men out of work. If the mine (”pit”) shuts down so will the brass band, which is comprised of miners. The leader of this band, Danny, (Pete Postlethwaite) has his whole life wrapped up in this band and they are really good. As the movie gets started a girl blows into town who has been away getting educated. She happens to be a trumpet (flugle horn) virtuoso and, in spite of her gender, is allowed to join the band. It’ll raise the nape hair to hear her solo on that horn. The people in the town are very poor and cannot continue to afford the band and the costs of travelling to other places for marching band competitions but Danny, the leader, an ex-miner and who is afflicted with black lung, wants with all his heart to take the top contest and to play at Albert Hall in London. I’ll not go any further with this except to say I liked it so much I ordered it on DVD from Amazon. The actors are all Brits, of course, and the two stars beside Postlethwaite are Ewan Mcgregor and Tara Fitzgerald.

Huggz all,

Jerry

I’d be interested to hear how Minnesotans like this movie. It apparently is one of those small films that in many cases are not big budget but very well done. According to the review it takes place in the 20’s. From what I read it could easily translate generally into most any part of the midwest in that time.

Jo, are you snowed in now?

Candace

I think something sent inadvertently for me, too, Darlyne–I was trying to say I envy your being where you could take a train trip and see the sights in DC in a day–what a great place to get together with family from all around.

Candace

I sent that last post before writing it.  Chalk it up to being a year older I guess.

I spent a lovely and very interesting day in Washington DC yesterday.  Our blog master arranged a trip there with a reunion with my other two daughters for a birthday gift. 
We took the train there, had lunch with my daughters and grandson who is an intern in the senate.  We took in a hearing on the surge thing which was very interesting, toured the Vietnam memorial and a few other places, and then spent time in the Native American museum.  Another perk of the day, my niece from California had business there so she was able to have dinner with us along with my grandson.  We took the train home and got in at 1:30 AM.  That was quite a day and I am tired but the day was well worth it.

Another dusting of snow this morning - just enough to make some things slippery.  I had thought to drive to MD today to do a business transaction but changed my mind and g’daughter and I did it by mail.  Then we went to the Verizon store in Harrisburg and I signed up for a Verizon cellphone.  Tomorrow I’ll go to the Cingular kiosk in the Lebanon mall and cancel my account with them.  I have until Feb 2 but want to get it underway ASAP.  I am fed up to the eyebrows with Cingular.  Son Gene sent me an email saying he had read Consumer’s Digest and they have rated Cingular as the lowest in customer approval.  They can add one more to that!

Right now I’ve got the new phone charging.  I didn’t want any bells and whistles on this one, but unfortunately I got several.  I can take pictures - isn’t that wonderful!!! said with a great deal of tongue-in-cheek - and who knows what else.  And the darn phone was $129 with a $50 rebate.  Who needs all that stuff - wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could still buy just a plain old I-call-you-you-call-me phone and not have to mess with learning all that other stuff or paying for it without using it or paying for it period!

I’m grumpy today - it rather discombobulated me to have to pay that much for the phone PLUS the first month fees, the car charger, tax - suffice to say that I have definitely run over my month’s budget.

So - I guess I’ll go have a small glass of wine and read a while.  Take care everyone and stay warm, dry and de-iced!

Jo

OH yes - I did read that - I remember the picture of the little girl on the front.  I’ll look for her sequel.  Thanks.

We got snow on the driveway, sidewalks and cars but not enough to hide the grass.  ‘S all right with me!

I remember Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara - they were funny funny funny.  Nice to see the sons and daughters of some of these folks; the ones who are still married after spending time in Hollywood and about whom you never hear gossip.  They are few and far between.

I’m going to check booksfree and see if they have those books Darlyne.

Wonder how the OK/TX folks are doing.

Jo

I finally got out of the house on Friday after being in for about ten days. Not only was i snowbound, but i had a horrible cold, the first in over a year. I’m about over it, but I still sound sort of like I’m talking in a barrel.

My daughter and sil invited me to go to the movies with them yesterday, and we saw A Night at the Museum. It was a rather silly thing, but I thought it was hilarious. Apparently it’s based on a book of the same name. It’s about a man, played by Ben Stiller, who gets a job as night watchman in the NY Museum of Natural History and finds that the exhibits come alive at night. The special effects are really marvelous. I bet it does a lot for museum attendance, especially with children.

If any of you see it, the lady who interviews the hero for a job at the placement agency is Anne Meara, Ben Stiller’s real mother.

Susan

That sounds like an author I would like and will put it on my list.  I remember now about the double space thing.  My problem is I sometimes write my response on word and cut and paste it to take atvantage of the spell check which isn’t here anymore and I desperately need.

This is a book on tape I listened to.  Let’s Not Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

Memoir of her childhood spent in the middle of the Rhodesian Civil War of the 1970’s.

The sequel to this book on tape was given to me and I was advised to get the first book and listen to it before the sequel   I found the first book fascinating, narrated by a child.  I suspect the sequel will be her grown up as the first one ended with her marriage.  I will look forward to listening to the second one.  I was lucky that the library had the first one.

 

 

 

 

 

What worked was hitting enter just once between paragraphs because the system does an automatic double space there.  

We have no snow yet and I’m thrilled at that.  It is cold but no snow.

Have any of you read Fern Michaels’ sisterhood series?  The first book is Weekend Warriors and it is the first story of a woman wronged by the justice system and how these seven women manage to not get mad, but get even instead.  It is an excellent series; Michaels is becoming one of my favorite authors.  Warriors should be read first to find out how and why the group was started but after that, the books can be read in any order altho reading them IN order is best, of course.

Stay warm!

I foegot what I told you that worked but I am glad it did.

We had a little snow this AM but not enough to shake a stick at.  I did sweep of the front steps in case it didn’t melt.  I didn’t want the mail man to fall,  Most of it melted before he came anyway.

Booksfree.com has neither Peacock nor Blue Day; that leads me to the library.  I remain hopeful.

It worked, Darlyne!  

I plan to check out Peacock in booksfree.com, Jerry; it sounds good and I do like historical novels. 

I’ve not even heard of the Nancy Drew mystery games much less played them.  Are they on the internet or on a CD/DVD ?????

The ice storms have been deadly; Judith has written about the ice in OK; the worst hit has been McAlester which is nar Stigler where she lives.  They have had intermittent power failures for close to a week now but on the good days she sees that her mother and she both have groceries and something for cutting ice.  Stores have been out of the salt and she got kitty litter this time.  It has been bad!

We are cold but no snow or ice here.  Western PA has been snowed on however; not us here east of Harrisburg yet.  I’m sure it’ll arrive - and probably with a bang!  Brrr.

Paperbacks DO have smaller print than hardcover books, ’tis true; I’ve got some paperbacks that are quite ancient and boy, the print in those is REALLY small. 

From all reports, everybody be careful if you have to go out.  As for me, since I’ve never had to drive in ice and snow, I rather depend on my g’daughter who has lived in these parts since she was a teenager and she’s now in her 30s.  MUCH more experienced than I and I take advantage of it in bad BAD weather.

re cataracts:  I’ve had no problem whatever since my cataract surgeries; both eyes were done with perhaps a month between.  Best thing ever.  And it’s a breeze of an operation.

No, I’m not under the weather - thankfully - and thanks for asking, Jenny.  I’ve been goofing off and doing a lot of reading thanks to booksfree.com and also the books I have here…which is 3 1/2 bookscases full.  So, what with that and the computer, I’ve managed to keep more or less out of trouble.  We’ve had such weird weather here in this area - much warmer than normal but some 20 degrees.  The last three or four days have been back in the normal range - ie., 30s daytime and 20s at night with some nights in the teens.  I’m not looking forward to the ice and snow however; i just make sure I have a full fridge and pantry!

I had DirecTV once and liked it even though at that time, they didn’t have any of the local stations for news, etc.  It takes a bit of getting used to. 

Well, I’ve led a rather dull life since I got back from my two trips to FL.  While it’s nice to not have a lot of stuff (!) going on, it does pall after while.  And I guess I’d best go straighten up the kitchen and put some socks on, my feet are icy and I’m shivering; must have gotten cooler outside.

Everybody, stay warm and safe.     Jo

 

My husband and I gave each other the above tv for Christmas.  I don’t watch much, but he does.  We’ve now had the Direct tv people over three times, this am “Jesse” got it going for us again and left, hubby took one of the remotes and faced a blank, black screen.  We hit every button with no change so Clive phoned Jesse, who was 11 miles away toward his next job, he came back and was clicking, clicking on that remote again, got the picture back as he was telling us how, when i said, “Give that remote to my husband and show him what you are doing and I’ll take notes.”  He did and it mostly amounted to telling us what buttons NOT to push.  It now works. 

I’m reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, which I know several of you have read, also got Water for Elephants, and Jodi P.’s The Tenth Circle.  As one of you said, “So many books and not enough time”  Of course, it would help if I could read faster, but I am doing better at skimming over parts that don’t interest me. 

Strangely, we were warmer than Mesa this am.  But warmer usually means snow.   Jacky

I realize I said “cocaine” in my post and I realize it should have been “opium.”

Animals in Translation is indeed fascinating. I have another which just from the initial part seems to incorporate some insights as well “For the Love of Dogs.” The PBS special about how animals relate to each other and to people indicates how much we need to learn about our minds and the environment in all aspects.

Candace

 we have not heard for a while from our friend JO.  I  hope she is niot under the weather  ? She always has something to write about and  i miss her.

There is no logical reason, but with all the weather problems I’ve haven’t been motivated to do the housework, filing, etc., which have nothing to do with weather. Psychologically I’ve taken a couple of “snow days” without the snow. As a result of seeing more TV I heard about another book that sounds very interesting. The author is Michael Oren (sounded like that but didn’t see it in print) and the book is “Power, Faith and Fantasy.” It traces the history of Middle East policies of the U. S. all the way back to George Washington. Who knew? It is not widely understood today that our initial relationship preceded oil. We shipped barrels of rum to the Middle East, picked up cocaine and delivered it to China where we got tea which was brought back to the US. It sounds like a good deal of new information–at least to me.

In mid-Houston, there has been icing on the roads and overpasses overnight but not a hard freeze as is still the case on the outskirts. It is 32 now but is to go up to around 38, back down tonight and back to normal tomorrow. No doubt much of Missouri and Oklahoma wish they could look forward to the same.

Candace

I feel for those of you who are stuck in the snow and ice areas.  Snow storms are bad but imho ice storms are worse.  It is a horrible feeling to be driving and your car spins out of control on a busy highway.  That happened to me once in Chicago and my car stopped perpendicular to another one with one inch to spare.  It was a slow spin and both of us just looked at each other in horror.  I didn’t dream that my car would stop but it did and I backed up and drove on.  The road hadn’t been icy and I was slowing for a stop.

 

I had my eyes examined this AM in preparation to have my other cataract removed in March.  I am looking forward to it.  In the meantime I am enjoying Tony Hillerman’s latest.

 

Born on a Blue Day sounds good and I will look for it.  Animals In Translation is another one co-written by a person with Aspergers syndrome and  the author does a good job of describing that condition. This is not fiction.  Another book is The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night..  This is fiction and narrated by a young boy and also gives you insight into that condition.

Candace, I haven’t actually compared the print on books now compared to years ago, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you were right. I do think paperbacks have smaller print than hardbound books, too.

I hope you don’t have ice on your roads. That’s my biggest problem here. The complex has private roads, and they aren’t plowed. I haven’t had the car out of the garage for a week. Take care if you go out tomorrow.

Susan

Susan, it appears we’re finally going to get the freeze predicted for last night. It has been about 35 most of today. It has been a few degrees warmer down where Bill is. It did freeze and there were icy roads to the north about 25 miles and beyond. Most of the people who volunteer at the eyeglass recycling center live in that area and could not make it in today so we were closed for the first time in years. It has just started raining and the weather report just now showed icicles on a house about 15 miles north and sleet moving in from the west. We’ll see how it goes. You’ve sure had more than your share of winter up there–we can’t complain but we will because we just aren’t built for it here.

Stopped in this afternoon at a new little used book store in my neighborhood. I have always loved used book stores. I did see several authors recently mentioned here–mystery writers, Grimes was one, Haissen, a couple I can’t recall now. I was tempted but didn’t buy–yet. A couple did were larger print than some I have but not “large” by description. I wonder if publishers are using a little smaller type now than in past years–could it be that the problem isn’t altogether my old eyes but the print really is smaller? I need to look at some of my older ones and see if that really could be true.

Candace