Greatest global online bookclub in town

Water for Elephants by Gruen ( I think)
Atonement (can’t remember the author)
The Kite Runner
Middelsex

My neighborhood book club selected Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook. It is a well acclaimed book but I found it to be one of the slowest books I have ever tried to read. We selected it for our January meeting (which is at my house) so I felt obligated to give it a good try. I tried to get to 100 pages but couldn’t make it. The group meets next week for our Christmas party and I need to have a few suggestions of books that might be more interesting for the January meeting. What have you been reading that is interesting? By the way, I am not the only one who has tried to read this book and given up.

Miggs/Kathy

I think I will like these – maybe not as much as the long lasting Resound pair I had but better than the first Siemen pair. There is always a little bit of ‘getting used to’ but hopefully it won’t take long.

Today is MUCH ‘brighter’ outside than yesterday. And it stayed really gloomy all day. While it wasn’t foggy, there was a misty like thing here and there but it was a bit rainy, too. Weird stuff.

I’ve picked up a bug from somewhere – a dry cough is mostly the complaint and wouldn’t you know; I’m to leave for FL Thursday next, 12/20. So I have a dr appt for 10:30 this morning. To make it even more fun, I have a very VERY creaky voice. I wonder where on earth I got this! I was able to get an appt so I should be over this before I go. Hot diggity.

Jo

I also drove in the icy stuff yesterday. Our library book group met and there were only two other brave souls there. I knew the roads were bad but as Jo does, I drive slowly and don’t give the car a chance to skid. We discussed Water For Elephants and everyone agreed that it was a page turner. We had lunch at the library and went on to play bridge at the senior center. There were ten tables so not much keeps most bridge players home. We usually have 18 tables so some stayed home. If I had stayed home I would sit and procastinate about doing a little house cleaning. More fun going out. Our next book is Intuition. I haven’t started it yet. This morning ice has coated the remaining leaves on trees making the branches hang down –and some break. It will melt later though.

I am glad you can hear too Jo. Do you like the new ones or do you have to get used to them?

Thanks, Jo, for reminding me of the thrill of driving in that kind of weather. I was just sitting here shivering, thinking I’d better turn on the heat when I read your post–that stopped my internal complaining. Glad you’re hearing again.

Candace

I did have to go to Camp Hill, about 45 minutes from me especially when one is driving way cautious because it was rainy and cold. No ice on the roads, but tree limbs and weeds etc including any hand railing, car, etc was still icy. I’m not sure what the temp was but at least the ice wasn’t sticking.

I can hear again. Wonderful.

It’s raining today and may I’ll have to go over to Camp Hill to get my hearing aids. I don’t mind driving in the rain – I stay in the slow lane and don’t get antsy. AND I may stop at this wonderful soup and sandwich place for some broccoli-cheese soup in the loaf of sourdough bread. It is SOO good. I can’t think of the name of the place but when I do, I’ll make a note. I highly recommend it.

Jo

Jenny, I really like your blog name.

I realized when I started the Gruen book, that I had read it. I keep a list but hadn’t looked at it since I hadn’t planned to go to the library. I usually can’t pass up the place if I am near there.

It has really warmed up here–52°and cloudy. It isn’t snow so that is fine with me. Brown for Christmas is OK.

I am on my way to a Senior Center Party. They put on a very good lunch, have entertainment (not always great) and door prizes which I never win but there is always hope. We also have to listen to the two mayors give the same talk every year but other than that it is fun.

I moved here from Huntsville in June, loved the summer weather but not too crazy about snow and ice which we have had lots of the last few days.  I’m moving into a retirement community, probably similar to yours, the 29th of December.  I’m looking forward to that because I won’t have to go outdoors to get my mail, take my garbage out, etc.  It is independent living but has many activities and amenities.  They furnish transportation to shopping, medical appointments and outside entertainment, also have three meals a day in a lovely dining room.  Of course I miss Huntsville and all my friends there, but thank goodness for e-mail and free long distance service.  Glad to see y ou back in here.

 yes,  i am  jenny from  birmingham, al.  jan you used to live in  huntsville, right?  where are you living now?  its a while since  i was in here, its nice to meet the old friends again.  i hope you are feeling fine.  love to all of you

And do you still have color on the trees in Birmingham in December?  It has been a strange autumn and winter in the south.  My friends in Huntsville  talk about going around in short sleeves.  I must get “An Inconvenient Truth” out and watch it.  I taped it and absolutely agree with everything I have heard about it, but have never seen the whole thing through.  It is scary, I’d say.

 i live in Birmingham,  al and we have beautiful weather.  its in the 80.  but we also have no rain, its very dry here and that is not good.  so every state has another problem.  the trees look very pretty now and from my windods in the retirementhome  i have a pretty view.   would be nice to have a little snow for  christmas like we used to have when i lived in        n. y .  state.   that was 30 years ago.

I don’t envy you moving – I hope it’s better this time.

As for the messages — not cyber space, emails. We’re temporarily enthused about all the music memories we have. A lot of fond memories rest there.

Chilly and rainy here, too. tiresome.

All weekend it has been cold and icy, three inches of snow of last night and today.  Now I remember why I was anxious to leave Minnesota, lo those many years ago.  My car looked like a white igloo it was so covered and I took my kitchen broom out to clear it off so I could drive down the block to get my mail.  After all that, not even a piece of junk mail!!!  My daughter came over yesterday and worked for three hours., packing and stacking boxes.  I am so ready to be out of here.  It is supposed to be like this all week (5 degrees tonight and more ice and snow expected).  Well, sorry to be so cranky.  I just had to vent.  Glad to see your post, Darlyne.  Funny – there will be five or six posts in a row, then nothing for several days.  Do you suppose they are stored up in cyberspace somewhere?

A Mother turns to knitting to deal with the loss of a child. It turns out that the knitting teacher and owner of a yarn store has a knitting circle of people who all have a problem. It turns out to be a grief session and each of the knitters has a story that comes out . It is a depressing and I thought rather sappy story but the knitting part kept me interested. Their problems are all resolved toward the end as one could have predicted. The knitting part is interesting and you knitters might enjoy the book.

Now I will start Flying changes by Sara Gruen who wrote Water for Elephants. I hope this is better.

The prices run from $xxx for a belton or one of those, or at least that was the cost the last time I checked. But unless it really does help tremendously, I think it’s best to go for a little bit more cash outlay and a better hearing aid. The Resounds I had for 13 years and this new pair (which are the least expensive – I hesitate to say cheapest!) run between $1300-$1500 each. You don’t want an aid that will give you a ‘rushing air’ sound the whole time you have it/them on. That’s like trying to hear thru a windstorm. And be sure you get a good audiologist, not just someone who sells hearing aids. The audiologist will give you a hearing test usually free of charge because he DOES want to also sell you the hearing aids for which he’s the agent. Mine expects money when I get the aids. Problem is he doesn’t take credit cards so he gets cash on barrel.

Anyhow – got to get ready to go to granddaughter’s so have a good day all; stay warm (or cool as the case may be).

Jo

I had no idea hearing aids were so expensive! I’d better start saving. I’ve begun to have some trouble understanding some voice fluctuations. I’ve tried to blame the speakers but have a suspicion it may be me. I notice I do tend to depend on my left ear more than the right.

Candace

Mine are Siemens but if you are close to a Resound dealer, go to him first. My ReSounds lasted 13 years and finally just plain wore out! I loved ‘em.

Hard to help a deaf ear, I know. So far the aid is good for my really bad right ear and that, of course, was the one the cat got.

So – I want to know why insurance companies will pay for Viagra but NOT hearing aids. OR glasses. Well, I can think of a rather rutty answer but will leave it unsaid. It still irritates me, however.

I went to get my hearing aids this afternoon – they came in sooner than the audiologist thought. But it was a good thing – I said ouch in putting in my left one and he didn’t like the way the right one faced so he made new molds and sent ‘em back. We’re now back to my original appt which is next Thursday and it’s still six days or so before my trip so we’re in good shape. Any further changes will wait until I get back.

So THERE!

Stay warm folks and take care
Jo

   i too, got new ones.   the are WIDEX  .  I am deaf in one ear, the audiologist said  i would waste my moneytrying to get help in that ear, so  i have only one  hearing aid  and it is in my left ear.  it helps with hearing, but its sure not perfect.  i know, none would be perfect.  it cost me over $ 2000.oo,  i sure wish the insurance would pay it or at least part of it

 .

Jo: What is the brand of your new hearing aids???? I am interested because I HATE mine, and will invest in a new
one when I win the lottery–lol
Joy

Your move sounds good Jan and I hope you’ll be as pleased with it as you hope.

Keep us apprised of Clive’s welfare, please Jacky. We’re all hoping for the best for him.

Snowing still and all day today. We don’t have a lot as the snow wasn’t all that heavy but we did still get a measureable amount even if it is only half an inch!!!!!!!!!!

Yuk.

Tomorrow I got get my hearing aids. Hot diggity dog even if the $2400 DOES scare me. And I’ve not yet heard of an insurance that pays for them. As a friend told me, they pay for Viagra but not for hearing aids?????????? Could it be all the insurance honchos are men???????????

Sounds like Thanksgiving was a lot of fun at your house, although probably tiring too if you did all the cooking.

What was Joye’s maiden name – wondering if she was from Oslo and if I might have known her.  I hope Clive’s appointment goes well tomorrow with good news.  I expect he is close to my age, but I always think of him as Ardus’s little cousin.  He used to come along on our dates sometimes.

I am moving again the end of December.  I am going to a retirement living community and they are letting me break my lease here.  I am looking forward to it, nice place, comfortable, more outings and events than even I would have the stamina to participate in.  Three meals a day, two more than I really need but I will probably gain weight.

After fifty-five years of cooking and having my own kitchen,  it will be hard to get used to the thought that I won’t be doing that anymore.  $100 more per month for a stove so I opted out for that, but what will I do if I want to attend a potluck..  Anyone want my cookbooks?

Jan

Thanksgiving was so nice with all the family around, two daughters stayed with us, There were folks on the sofa’s and even on the floors, and it went by so quickly, and cleaned out the freezer fairly well. Then the funeral was actually uplifting, Joye lived up to her name apparently, and her family shared what a loving, positive person she usually was in their lives.

And our youngest daughter and family took both the kittens to St Paul, and are having a wonderful time watching them play and grow. And thier grey hound is now ignoring them, they muzzled him at first. And no, Jo, the calaco is a female, I’ve heard how rare that fur is in a male.

Tomorrow, Clive has a prostate biopsy, his psa number crept up again, he had a freezing procedure a few years ago, but some cells may have been left. We’ll know next week.

It snowed all day today, on top of the 6 inches we already had, so our world is very white and bright.

My sister and I talked our mother into just one hearing aide years ago, and she was very satisfied with it. But it did get “lost” once in a while, and it also wore out, so she gladly got another one.

I’m just reading Pillers of the Earth and find it very interesting, so will probably try the sequel, but I do read so slowly, and usually at night when I’m tired and the reading time is short.

Jacky

I’m feeling quite the same way, too, Darlyne. I believe I’ll think about it for a while.

BTW, folks, Hickory Farms was the place I was trying to think of. I’ve ordered for the kids this year .. we used to order or get from the store in the mall but it’s been quite a while since I’ve done that.

Ah yes, the good old days.

It is a sequel to Pillars Of the Earth. My library has five copies and I had planned to read it because I loved Pillars but now I am not sure. All the copies are out and there is a waiting list.