Greatest global online bookclub in town

Can someone give me some idea of what this is about–you all give it great reviews but I’ve avoided it because I don’t want to read another heart-rending story about their lives in captivity. I got a book about elephants and their social structure and how man doesn’t understand their suffering and emotional connections. At this point I try to find encouraging reading since there is so much reality that is depressing. Maybe it is not that at all–I got tapes of an Agatha Christie book entitled something like Elephants Always Remember which had nothing at all to do with elephants. I had assumed that when I picked it up.

Candace

I am reading Riding Lessons written by the same author who wrote Water For Elephants. I think this is a beach book but I am enjoying it. It starts out with the narrator who is an Olympic contender equestrian , falls off her horse, breaks her neck and is paralyzed for a year, her 15 year old daughter is kicked out of school for skipping classes and her husband leaves her and she finds out that her father has ALS. I really have to finish this. The elephant book was a lot better but this one is OK

I also had to replace a printer recently. I also got an hp and was surprised at the price. I expected more. I tried scanning something but it came across VERY BIG and I haven’t figured out how to make it normal.

I reallyenjoy hearing about all that you are reading. I think Tallgrass sounds intereting. It truly is a sad time in our history but one I should know more about.

Georgianna

The price really surprised me–I knew generally prices have come down but I didn’t know one could be had for under $100. I’m sure it won’t last as long as 10 years ago but they offered a 2-year replacement policy for $12 and I had a coupon for $10 so getting the additional $15 benefit of the sale made my day.

Candace

My printer gave up the ghost also in the last month and so off to Staples and I have a 3-in-1 printer/copier/scanner for just about the same price, Candace. It is so nice and it’s a tad faster than my old one. I am now an HP house!!!!!!!! Sounds like you move was a good one – nice to have a backup with the other one decides it wants to be retired.

I agree completely with all of your moves Candace. The $65 dollar printer will make you a good backup. The intricacies of these modern printers are hardly known to the people who made ‘em, let alone a mechanic or a nerd. I have to say that the new “all in one” printers do a very good job for a cheap price.

Huggz all,
Jerry

This is not a big deal to the rest of the world but I’m pleased to have solved a irritation this morning. Last week my four-year-old printer suddenly went bonkers–it would print a page and a half and then lock up–I’d have to unplug it and let it reset. Whatever it was didn’t trigger the trouble light. I had been working on a long document I’d need to print so after several days of dealing with the problem I went to OfficeMax. As I expected, they said it would cost more to find the problem than a new one. A very nice older saleslady suggested an HP model she said worked well for students and older users–$80. It includes scan and copy features, both of which would be handy. I unpacked it but decided to give the old one another chance before disconnecting it. It worked–and has continued to work!! I had been undecided about whether to return it. Then yesterday’s paper had an ad for that printer for $65! This morning I went to the store with two suggestions–return it for a refund or keep it and they give me a store credit for $15–which they did. I shop there for specials so I’m happy. Whatever the problem was, I can’t trust it and it could quit again at a bad time and with this backup I can also copy and scan.

Candace

Thanks, Jo, for bringing up Eleanor. I just googled and found a very interesting summary about the man.

Candace

Wilkie was a Republican so no doubt Eleanor would not have cared for him at that time. I have the impression that in time he did something or represented something that was recognized favorably. Now I’m on another track–I’m going to google him myself and see if there is some biographical information there.

Candace

I don’t remember Wilkie very well but I do remember his being a presidential candidate. If remember right, FDR wasn’t too fond of him but did change his mind some time later – did Eleanor have a hand in that? I don’t remember whether she liked him or not, truth to tell.

I could google him and find out but I’m too sleepy. I know it’s not very late but I’m sleepy anyhow.

I’m happy too to see several posts in here again. Actually, I think a better word would be delighted!

Keep it up.

Thanks, Jerry! You’re the first person I’ve mentioned this to who knew what I was talking about. He owned a farm in Rush County, Indiana, adjacent to Fayette County where I grew up. Having a presidential candidate in the area created a lot of interest and controversy. When he ran against FDR he spruced up the place by painting the fence posts around his property white. That was viewed by some as pretentious and wasteful. When he painted his mailbox black with white lettering, there was speculation that was unpatriotic, maybe even illegal–in my kid mind that tied in with One World. Why I didn’t think of going to Amazon to start with I have no idea–but a copy is on the way now! It should be interesting reading from today’s perspective.

Candace

I remember when Willkie ran for president against Roosevelt in 1940. He was quite a controversial, flip/flop guy who changed from democrat to republican in 1939. The man who lived next door to me in Saginaw had a picture of him in his front window. I’ll never forget it and a few minutes ago I saw that very same picture in Wickopedia. Willkie was an officer in Commonwealth/Southern, a huge energy company and forerunner of my company, Consumers Power in Jackson, MI.

By the way, you can get a used copy of “One World” thru Amazon for $4 dollars and some cents.

Huggz all,
Jerry

I did a search online and after a few weeks had a report that a few copies of this book by Wendell Wilkie are available. They range from $35 to $50–haven’t ordered one yet. It would be interesting to read it now and see if my impression from adults back then was accurate. Did he foresee a world economy such as exists today and did he perceive it as good or bad? My curiosity may force me to get one. It would have been written, I think, pre-WWII when I know from reading history there was a strong isolationist sentiment in the country. Wish I could find a history buff who knows about this.

Candace

Darlyne: Sandra Dallas write Tallgrass.

Who wrote it. I think I would like to read it.

First of all, let me tell all of you friends it is good to see posting in here—-it’s been awhile-
I just finished reading Water for Elephants—–OUTSTANDING!!!!! I have now started (about 40 pages)
Tallgrass, and it, too, seems outstanding, or at least VERY
GOOD. It is the story of Japanese from California that were interned in camps during WW2. This one is in a small town in Colorado.
This is a sad part of our American history.
JOY

I did read that book and thought those children lived through one of the worst childhoods imaginable and was amazed that they all turned out so well. It was ironic that the parents didn’t have to live in poverty; the Mother had inheirated land or money, I forget which or maybe both. It is a book well worth reading.

This autobiography by Jeannette Walls is a book I couldn’t put down.  I believe it may have been discussed here quite awhile ago and I wrote it down planning to read it.  It is the selection for next month for the book club I joined (part of my Newcomers’ Group) and I just finished it.  For any of you who haven’t read it, it is about  a couple of very intelligent people with very little good common sense, lots of dreams and no ambition. They have four children they drag around from one part of the country to the next.  Father is an alcoholic and Mother is a free spirit and neither one of them seem to have any parental obligation so far as making sure their children have the basics – food to eat, water to keep themselves clean,  clothes to wear, or  a decent place to sleep.   The children finally leave home at a very young age and are determined to make a decent life for themselves, which they do.  They are all very intelligent also, but considering they had no role models it seems almost too good to be true.  I will probably stay awake all night thinking about them.

College Student Laurel Estabrook is brutally attacked while biking on Vermont’s back roads. Her life is changed. She is no longer outgoing as she was before. She withdraws into her photography and starts to work in a homeless shelter where she meets and helps Bobby Crocket, a man with mental problems but medicated so is manageable. He dies and leaves a box of photos. He had claimed that he had been from a wealthy family and had taken pictures of many famous people. When she went through the box of photos she discovered he was telling the truth. She started looking into his background because she wondered how a man from a good family why had made a good living as a photographer could become homeless. She discovered that he was connected to the families of the Gatsby era and suspected that he was a son of Daisy. The book follows the search and has a very surprising ending. The characters seemed real and I really got into this book and would recommend it. One little clue, there was a picture of a girl on a bike on the same road where Laurel was attacked. She couldn’t be sure it was her. This book is the pick for the library book group I belong to. It is the October book so I am ahead. This author also wrote The Midwife which I read a long time ago and thought very good.

Judith, that sounds lovely. I’m going to make a note to check it out–would be a nicer way to start the day instead of the overnight murders and hijackings that make up local news of the morning.

Candace

Friends, The other day I was channel surfing and found this show on Animal Planet channel. It is called “Sunrise Earth”. It comes on from 6 to 7 and then another show from 7 to 8 Central time each weekday morning. The show is just the sights and sounds of the sun rising at different places around the world. The first one that I watched was the sun rising over Cadillac mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine. It is so unbelievable beautiful and peaceful. I am going to tape a series of the shows and then make my own DVD and cut out all the commercials.

Judith

ROFLOLOL, Darlyne. Hope she’s got her water wings on!

Knowing MN people, I have a strong hunch that Jacky and Clive, or at least Jacky, are watching the storm from as close as they can get to the ocean. There isn’t much surf to look at around Oslo.

I haven’t heard but I am sure they are OK, but probably not having much fun, It sure was a bad time to go there.

Anybody hear from/about Jacky? Seems to be a bad time to go to HI! I hope all is well with them.