Greatest global online bookclub in town

I felt the same way (hard-hearted and thought her book a big pity party) when I read the one which I THINK Barbara Kingsolver wrote about her latest pregnancy where she took the current baby and her writing materials and went to a cabin (?) on their property to write. Left the rest of the kids, meal preparation, housework, etc with husband to have to do.

Kingsolver doesn’t sound right but it’s been so long that I’m not sure. At any rate, I can’t imagine a woman taking her latest baby and vamoosing like that. And I can’t imagine a husband letting it happen.

Talk about a pity party – I don’t believe I finished that book. But, does anyone remember the name and if it was indeed Kingsolver?

It is good to hear from you Phyllis. I felt exactly the same way about the Year of Magical Thinking and was beginning to think that I was hard hearted.

I ffeel

I feel utterly stupid. My brother and I had dinner the other night and he asked how my online book group was– and I told him a little of the story of AOL shutting us down, years ago, and how we began to use group e mails to stay in touch, but we hadn’t done much of that lately. After I got home, I suddenly thought of this great website. How could I have forgotten. I may have been busy but not that busy. So here I am to say hello. I am trying to read a lot but have yet to find a really good book this summer. My in town group read The Accidental for yesterday’s meeting– and not one of us liked it. Most didn’t even finish it. Responding to your discussion: I was disappointed in The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion did suffer a sudden loss, although her husband had had a previous heart attack.. but she had the terrible illness and death of her daughter. I have been a true fan of hers for years but I found this whiny and a pity party and pretty self indulgent. Anyhow– here I am, wordy as ever and send all best. Phyllis

I stopped at the library on the way to the DMV to renew my drivers license. (thats sort of a reward for going to the DMV. Anyway I picked up Thirteen Moons and a couple of cds to listen to. They are usually mysteries but one is an Alice Munroe. I agree about authors who run their formula to death. Many seem to do that or just repeat the same things in their books. I found that with the latest Cat Who book I read. I also listened to a McMurty cd, Telegraph Days. It took place in the old west and followed a young lady who ended up with Buffalo Bill’s show. It was mildly interesting. I find the tapes don’t have to be as engrossing as reading books as I am usually doing something else while listening and sometimes napping.

I finished Five Quarters Of the Orange by Joanne Harris

This book takes place on the banks of the Loire during the German occupation during WW11. Framboise Simon returns to the area after many years away. The locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous Mirabelle Dartigen, the woman they still hold responsible for the terrible tragedy that took place during the occupation. Framboise hopes for a new beginning but finds that the past and present are inextricably intertwined. She finds this out by reading the scrapbook of recipes her Mother left her. The Mother wrote a sort of diary, written in code, among the recipes. The author recalls the past through this scrapbook. An added bonus is the recipes. they will make your mouth water even if you don’t cook.

I found this a turn pager and would recommend it. The author also wrote Chocolat and Blackberry Wine which I haven’t read but probably will—-some day. I did see the Chocolat movie.

Jerry, I’m glad to hear that you like this book. I will check with our local library. I think I remember seeing it there.

I really liked “Cold Mountain” but didn’t care for the movie. But I thought that the book was one of the best I have read.

It is such a shame when a writer writes a really good book but then all others by that author seem not to be able to compare with the first book. I feel that way about Larry McMurtry. “Lonesome Dove” is one of my all time favorites; but I think the rest of his books are just ‘okay.’

Judith

What a relief, Judith! It’s hard to fault a doctor for being cautious but it sure would be nice if there could be an immediate appt to followup and not have to go through the waiting.

What a wonderful trip, Jo–no wonder you had to rest up. One of my cats is so fastidious that I recently had to add another litter box. My vet told me the rule of thumb is one litter box per cat plus one more.

Candace

Dear Jude,

Read on girl! I’m so glad your eyes are ok. You’re probably the champion reader in this group. As Jo suggested; have a glass of zin.

I know that some of us here have read “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier and have really enjoyed it. I am at present enrapt his new book, “Thirteen Moons”. It is nothing less than wonderful. I can hardly put it down. I got it at Kohl’s in a large paperback edition. You might want to check it out.

Huggz to all,
Jerry

Thats terrible to have to wait to hear news about your eyes. I can imagine how worried you were. i am glad the news was good. I agree with Jo, sit back and have two glasses of wine.

Oh what a relief…I’m sure you are just exhausted, I know I would be.

Sit back now and heave an enormous sigh of relief. In fact, treat yourself. A glass of wine, a good book, soft music and a great bubble bath. You earned it.

Huggz,
Jo

Dear friends,
About a month ago, I had my eyes checked and got new glasses because it had been over five years since I had had my eyes tested. That was the only reason I went in. Anyway, my doctor dilated my eyes and told me that he saw an “elevation” in the back of the left eye and wanted a retina specialiist in Ft. Smith, Ark (the nearest large city) to check it out. I went down there and the doctor checked my eyes and took pictures that he put on his laptop that I could see too. This doctor told me that he thought I had tumors in the back of my eye. There were three distinct spots in my left eye and this doctor wanted me to see an eye surgeon from Little Rock, Ark. That is where I went today. I have been so scared and nervous. Anyway, this surgeon told me today that they are moles in the back of my eye and they may have been there since birth or may have been caused by a virus at sometime; but he emphasized that they were nothing to worry about and no need to do anything about them.
I REALLY wish the other doctor had told me this. I have been a basket case for the last two weeks waiting for this appointment.
Anyway, I am fine now.
Thank you all for you kind thoughts.
Judith

After all that it is surprising that you didn’t take another week off. You did a lot. Thanks for telling us about it.

The brewery owners have a sense of humor…here’s a link to it, and then further down the page is a link to their website. I laughed out loud at the names of their beers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Belgium_Brewing_Company

Colorado was heavenly. The temps did get above 70 but no humidity and I absolutely loved it. If I can’t have ABQ, I’ll take CO. In a flash!

Son Gene, DIL Sharon and I flew into CO on Monday June 4th. Got there about lunchtime. They dropped me off a Suzanne’s house, which is where I was staying, and they went to check into the hotel. Suzanne and I went to Joanne’s Fabrics where I got her all the stuff she’d need for knitting. And then we went back to her house and she got started. She didn’t have much time to practice, but she was doing very well.

Tuesday, we went to Cheyenne. CB Irwin and his brother Floyd had a wild west show that became the precursor of Cheyenne Frontier Days. CB and Floyd were my great-uncles. My grandmother, wife of William, was World’s Champion Cowgirl and also won the Denver Post cup – which was nearly 4 feet tall, in 1902, ’03 and ’04. And my father’s sister Gladys was only ever beaten in races etc by CB’s daughters. So there is a bit of my family history.

We stopped at Ft. Collins on the way back to Loveland (which by is way is pronounced LOVElund) for supper. Went to a tavern type place with excellent food; the tavern is where the fans and players too (I think) meet after hockey games. Suzanne and husband Paul are big hockey fans.

Next day we went to Estes City,and boy it was high up. I had trouble breathing up that high. I had assumed I might so I took some knitting and while the two couples wandered up and down the town, I sat in the truck with the windows down (ah that mountain air) and knitted. We left just before four as we had to get back to _____________ (don’t remember the name of the city) for a tour of their brewery. And what a tour it was — the guide could tell I was having problems breathing so he got me a chair and then when we went upstairs to see the beer brewing, he and i went in an elevator…he got me a chair there, and then he poured me a smallish glass of beer as I was dry as a bone which he could tell. I must remember to email the company and tell them what a good guide he was.

We started off the day by going to the Swetsville Zoo. The owner of the place took all kinds of metal objects and welded them together to make animals (dinosaurs, birds, imaginary critters), and it was a fascinating place. We didn’t see all there was to see because we were really on our way to Estes Park.Then to Cheyenne and then the brewery.

Thursday was airport day. The rest of the family came in then from Florida and California. Their 3 kids, actually now young adults, flew in from the LA area, daughter Debbie flew in from FL, and Paul’s brother and his wife came by motorcycle, actually on Tuesday or Wednesday, I’m not sure which – Wednesday I believe. Friday was Suzanne’s actual birthday and we hung around the house, doing ‘little’ things to get ready for the shindig on Saturday. Son Mark and wife Marge arrived from TX Friday as did Debbie’s son JP from FL.

Gene and Sharon took Suzanne out for breakfast and the rest of us hustled around doing crepe paper things, blowing up and tying balloons, stringing lights , buying ice for cooler chests – hurrying to get the backyard decorated before they got back from breakfast. Suzanne said she wanted balloons – and she got BALLOONS. It was fun. Neighbors came. Neighbors on one side loaned Paul a table with attached benches and also a ‘cover’ which went up so easily. That same neighbor was going away for the weekend and so said that Suzanne and Paul’s dogs could be put over into their yard if there was going to be any problems between them and Mark and Marge’s two dogs. S&P’s one dog got a little nervous is M&M’s dogs got to close to Paul, territory y’know, but they never really did have to be separated.

Sunday we all slept late and then went out for breakfast. Went to Johnson’s Corner. Mr. Johnson had built this restaurant on one of the corners but out in the country and folks thought him crazy for building out so far. Lo and behold, here came Interstate 25 and Johnson’s Corner was right there, nice and handy. Been enlarged from what it was at first. And the food was delicious.

Then we went to Sculpture Park. Various artists in the larger Loveland area did some absolutely awesome sculpture work and land was donated for a park for these sculptures. It was awesome and very well done.

Monday was return home day for everyone and Paul was to fly to St. Louis for his job. His brother and wife were going to stay for awhile to help Suzanne get over the houseful to everyone gone. Paul was returning on Friday so she wouldn’t be lonesome too long. It was a good flight home and boy, I was glad to get to my own bed although their futon was quite good. But still – my own bed, etc. The weather has made me wish I was still in CO, however.

The cats survived very well. I had taken them back to the vet for the next set of shots and asked why I was having such a time getting them litter-box trained. Mom is just barely out of kittenhood herself but still is a good mother. She didn’t realize she had to train them and I wasn’t being too successful. Vet said get another litter box. So I did.

One of my neighbors cat-sat and thanks to the three litter boxes I had, said the furballs were trained. They do leave a pile if they think their boxes are too full, but that is pretty much over with. Thankfully. They were going to make WONDERful slipper liners otherwise.

They are sure pesky little devils. They are into anything and everything…totally unhappy if the haven’t scatter newspapers all over the place, shoved my books from booksfree onto the floor, tipped over the wastebaskets, cleared the seat of my halltree of purse and/or sweater, ruffled the little soft cuddly rug by the side of my bed, unrolled the toilet paper (I took it off the roller and have it setting on the cabinet now), tipped over their kittie hammock, strewed their balls all over the house and in general made a mess of things. They love to get on the computer desk. Mom just lies there and looks out the window; kittens have to jump to the top of the shredder (they apparently found out that only the flat part is good to jump to, the rest of the top sends them down into the shredded paper), then to the window sill. They are fascinated by the mouse moving all over and by whatever the game is doing that I might be playing. Their names are Taz, (and he is a real devil – he’s a hit and run kitten) and Yogi. Yogi also gets into trouble but at least he doesn’t run when he sees you coming.

Both kittens will get on my lap when I sit down for the evening and will go to sleep without any qualms whatever. I have hopes that Taz will settle down a bit since he does in the evenings.

If Mom makes the mistake of lying down with her side exposed, both kittens are there to nurse if she lets them. Sometimes they get a good supply, other times they just get attached and she’s off somewhere. They eat like there’s no tomorrow and the end result means emptying litter boxes, ample proof that they are two happy little furballs. They aren’t hard to see at night either; three black spots (or one big black spot) on the carpet. Beige carpet. Hard to miss black spots on beige.

And so – a vacation and a day in the life of yours truly. Do I lead an exciting life or what!!!!!

Jo

Well, when I said I hoped there was a ton of posts waiting when I got back, you all took me seriously. Only thing is now I’ve got to respond to all of them. Just proves the old saw – be careful what you wish for! LOL and ROFL, too.

Judith, I do hope the news is good news – ie., an easily solved problem. Positive thought will be with you all day.

re National Anthem: I hate when men don’t take off their hats, too.

LOVED the eyelash story. Thanks, Georgianna. ROFL, Myrna – it’s still a big town with a little lake and there are a few more around, too. I did like Loveland.

Oh Candace, what a story. Tsk Tsk.

Richard Thomas – a nice looking young man, a good actor, and a good reader too.

Thanks for looking up the duel book, Jacky. Do you have the author and the title of the book – I can check here for it at the library and maybe booksfree.com will have it.

How did your group feel about Inheritance of Loss, Darlyne? I hope you answered this later on.

I enjoyed Kite Runner, too, Jacky. As for North by Northwest – that was an excellent movie. I remember Grant’s running thru the cornfield. I generally remember movies and books for waaaay too long a time, but mostly I do like to see or read them again.

I make a lot of notes, too. But at least it keeps me from looking like a complete idiot.

Hi Miggs, welcome to GGOBIT – We’ve not discussed Palace Walk but maybe we SHOULD.

I laughed outloud at your comment about ‘cleaning out your mental spam filter,’ Candace. And I’m STILL chuckling. I’m also glad I don’t have steps. I’d make a path up and down first thing.

I bookmarked your IQ site, Candace. Thanks – I love that kind of stuff.

I’m looking forward to “SUNS” Jerry even if I do need a box of Kleenex.

I have been remiss in not reporting sooner, I know. For whatever reason, I was so tired, I was sleeping a lot. Good thing I’ve got cats and not dogs! I’ll post of the trip in the next post.

What’s the series name(s), Jacky? Since I live in an area where the Amish are all over, I would be very interested in knowing a title or two.

I have noticed lots of emails, Georgianna; I can’t imagine why you are thinking no one is posting.

Those floods were terrible — maybe the government, ours and others included — will pay attention to global warming.

I so liked Buck’s The Good Earth. We read that in July 1995.

I did read all the posts even tho’ I didn’t respond to all of them. It was a pleasure to see so many posts while I was gone. Or sleeping!!!!!!!!!!

Judith, how scary! I do hope your news from the doctor today is good. I’ll be thinking of you.

Ever since I read Joan Didion’s book, I’ve been thinking about it, and from the discussion our book club had, I believe that it really speaks to someone who has lost a loved one suddenly. One of the women in the club lost her husband from a massive heart attack, and she thought the book nailed it for her. My young father died just a week after coming home from work with a sort throat (before antibiotics) and I saw a lot of what Didion did in what my mother had done then. The disbelief is simply incredible. On the other hand, my mother died after being unconscious for two weeks, and toward the end, I remember my stepfather saying, “It can’t happen soon enough now for me.” He and I had already accepted the enevitable. It also probably depends on the depth of feeling for and the dependency of the couple on each other.

I am very glad I read it, but I can see where others might not like it.

Susan

I tried to read this book and got to the 50th page and had to give it up. I just couldn’t get interested in it. I understand that it is a one-woman show on Broadway now and getting great reviews.

I did read “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime” and loved it. I have recommended it to several women who have children who are autistic. I told them that it really gives insight into the thought processes of the children.

I haven’t been posting too much because I have been having some scary health concerns with my eyes. I see a doctor today so will post more when I know more.

Take care everyone.

Judith

I read both of those books. I didn’t care for The Year. I thought the author a whiner and she did have a good reason but I thought she could have done more to help her self. Maybe I am hard hearted. The Curious Incident I thought was great. The author had a great insight into Aspergers Syndrome.

Hi,everyone. I’ve been awfully busy and had out of town company, so I haven’t been here for a while. For the last meeting of our IRL book club, we read Joan Didion’s book. I really didn’t want to read it, but to my surprise, I enjoyed it. My father died when he was only 33, and my mother went through a period of feeling and acting just like Didion did when her husband died suddenly. I felt like I understood my mother more for having read the book.

Someone mentioned The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time. My company was a woman who teaches high school, and I gave her the book to read. She promptly bought her own copy and said she was going to recommend it to fellow teachers. She really was fascinated by it.

Tomorrow I’m meeting with two other members of the book club to choose next year’s ten selections from a bunch of suggestions by our members. We usually have an older book in the mix, and I think this time it will be Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth.

Susan

I believe we’re seeing more extremes of dry and wet periods. There are reasons for increased flooding in Houston because developments have replaced farmland with concrete slabs and streets forcing runoffs to areas never before affected. From what I read, the increased temperature in the oceans by a little as one or two degrees sets a whole series of atmospheric conditions in motion. An inch every 15 minutes as was reported around Gainesville is “off the charts.” Tornados through the middle of the country have always been reported but on all counts, I think we do hear and see more about these extremes than we used to. The area that gets the least coverage is the drought–withering or empty fields and pastures don’t make great TV coverage.

Candace

I feel for those poor people in TX also. Especially for the family who lost two girls and a grandmother. One five year old was found, dead but not the others. Doesn’t it seem that we are having more horrible weather disasters in the last years or we just hearing about them?

The flooding was much more into Tarrant County, and northward up to Gainesville, TX. Thankfully Dallas didn’t get any of that severe flooding.
I feel so sorry for the folks whose mobile homes got washed away, and there are uncountable vehicles which are ruined. I have no idea how the insurance companies will categorize this, especially since most folks wouldn’t have flood insurance. It’s just unreal how we had drought for so long then, along came the floods.

Joanne

Don’t have anything interesting to report–heavy storm Friday stripped the bark off the crepe myrtle trees, which is normally a gradual shedding thing except when helped along with heavy wind and rain. Spent an hour picking up an entire garbage canful. So far no rain today! Not too late, though, feel sorry for any of you in the Dallas area–sounds a lot like our Allison a few years ago. We have had a lot with street flooding but nothing like what has happened up there.

Candace

I just don’t understand why nobody is posting, especially PAjo. my posts seem to be getting on, but nothing is happening here, which I find highly unusual. Come on, folks, post something. I don’t think they would have shut us down?

Maybe this place is broke.

I had to relogin in and my password no longer worked, Jenny helped me back again. thanks, much!

I’ve been gone too, my husband and I were delegates from our church to our synods yearly convention in Moorhead, MN, which is across the river from Fargo, ND, who you are more likely to have heard of, thanks to the movie by the same name.

It was very interesting, we voted in a new area Bishop, it took 5 votes, and a lot of time, we voted for a resolution to try to shorten the process. Two of our in laws are Catholic and I told them it was like a small “smoke from the Vatican” when we finally narrowed it down to one. We had a good time though.

Tomorrow I’m taking our son’s place in a trip to Mpls for a Twins baseball game. He and my husband and middle son in law were going to take 5 grandkids, but due to a lot of rain south of us, he’s has to stay and see if our rampaging Red River bursts out of it banks again. We’ve had to do some quick diking before to save fields of crops.

I did have a couple of plans, but family comes first. I’m reading a series by Beverly Lewis about the Amish, and learning things about the People.

Good to be back, thanks, Jenny, and my password is a word, not numbers. Jacky