Greatest global online bookclub in town

I am indeed catless. I’m considering getting a dog (g’daughter isn’t allergic to dogs as much as she is cats - she and her family even had a dog for quite a while). Still haven’t made up my mind 100%. We’ll see.

If you hang around FL for a bit more, you’ll be able to tell whether or not to stay there; March comes in like a lion, stay a bit and then come home. March comes in like a lamb, either hurry quick or stay through March. You’re farther north than I am so maybe that doesn’t work.

I tried.

Jo, I so hope you get help with your knee pain! I had arthroscopic whatever on my very painful rt knee several years ago, and its been fine since, I did have to use crutches for 6 weeks and not step at all on my right foot, I lost a lot of wt, and really thought a lot about every move, but it worked.

And our youngest daughter took two kittens from our daughter in law, I wrote about it at Thanksgiving, and they do so enjoy those animals, but they are both females, and I remember the cost of “fixing”, I don’t know what they will do when spring comes to the cities, even if they don’t let them out, with children its apt to happen.

We are in a La Quinta Inn in Pensecola and the wi fi card works! I was ready to leave FL, but Clive is dreading the snow in MN, we are stopping with daughters in MO and St Paul, MN, so maybe it will warm up and melt—-I’m dreaming!

Tomorrow is March, and can spring be far behind!!! Jacky

So-oo, are you catless now? Let us know the results of the MRI.

Tinnitus: as I wrote, I’ve had it since I was 13 and it is getting louder, 24/7/365. If I’m really engrossed in something, I don’t usually hear it but I am able to get to sleep even so. Most of the time however, I’m very aware of it. Gets tiresome, too, I’ll tell ya.

Knee: Today is the MRI of the knee and I am so in hopes that they show something out of kilter. This also is getting tiresome.

Kitties: My g’daughter called me one evening and said she knew of someone who wanted both of the black kitties. So they went to their new home the same enigh. And I opened all the doors I had have to have closed since their teenage years arrived! I’m sure they’ll have a happy home; they came right to the couple and were curious as heck. As for Momma, one of my neighbors has been telling me all along that she wanted Whiskers. Her cat is getting very old and she wanted to have another cat to see if the second cat would help perk up the first cat. Haven’t heard about that, but I will. Vanessa took Whiskers (aka Whiz or Miss Puss) home the next night and came over after she got home from work to tell me what was happening. She also has a little dog who, she says, is getting a taste of his own medicine. Miss Puss growls at him if HE gets too close, but SHE goes nose to nose with him and wants no fuss. It’s funny. Says she spent that first night with her dog under the blanket in front and Whiz curled up alongside her lower back. She couldn’t move but, she said, SOMEBODY moved so she could turn over.

So life is at a standstill right now - things are either solved (cats), waiting for news (MRIs) or normal (ringing in ears). G’daughter says she’ll come over one day next week and help me clean. That’ll be very nice.

Take care y’all and stay warm.
Jo

I don’t think tinnitus causes dizzyness, I have it but notice it mostly when I am in bed, It either goes away during the day kor I don’t notice it.

Jo, I hope your knee problem gets resolved. I thought one of my hips was a problem last week. It awakened me during the night and the pain didn’t go away. I took aleve and sat on a heating pad most of the day. by evening the pain was gone and so far hasn’t come back. I hadn’t fallen, twisted anything that I know of so who knows what caused it. I am just glad it is gone and hope it doesn’t come back.

Jo, I sure hope you get some answers on your knees. Mine are finally doing better than I expected, so far. It’s been four months since the lubricant injection in the left one and the right fracture has healed. Darlyne, an odd thing now is that my tinnitus used to be worse during a dizzy spell, if that Meniere’s, but lately the tinnitus occasionally ratchets up with no dizziness.

My latest thing was a routine dental checkup and unwelcome news that a tooth with a crown was no longer able to support the crown so tonight I have a plastic temporary tooth glued in place. I think it was Gilda Radner’s Roseann Roseannadanna who said it’s just one thing after another.

I’m listening to “Along Came a Spider” in the car. I’d heard about the series with Alex Cross as the key protagonist but never read one. I think the author is James Patterson but I wouldn’t swear to that without looking in the car. It’s very good–lots of twists and turns. Every time you think you know where it’s going, there’s another surprise.

Have you found homes for your kitties, Jo?

Candace

The backseat is a good place for warm duds. And I’ve gotta go turn my thermostat up I guess. The heat isn’t getting back here by any means; my apt is 50 ft long and i’m about 40 ft from it. Sigh.

I know about ears ringing, Jacky. Mine have rung for some 64 years but it is tinnitis rather than Meniere’s for which I’m thankful.

I had the ankle MRI yesterday; did I tell you all that I fell and landed on my knees. I have no idea what made me fall as I have no recollection of it in the first place. My knee has been sore and remains sore even after icing and ibuprofen. It hasn’t really been all that long but it should have abated some and hasn’t. The knee MRI comes tomorrow. I can hardly wait; hopefully there’ll be something they can see.

Have a safe trip, Clive and Jacky.
Jo

Tomorrow we head north, and the temp here in Daytona was not much warmer than home and very windy, but today the sun is shining and its supposed to get warmer.

Our daughter with the Menieres, I must learn to spell it, is going to have surgery in June. The Dr in the cities has done thousands of them and said she is apt to lose hearing if this continues. He did add that its difficult to predict the future for this problem, sometimes it does just get better, but the ringing is so loud, and hasn’t let up now for quite a while, so she wants to go ahead with it.

When we get home, Clive will have his medical work done, and hopefully we won’t have our Red River acting up this spring. So far there is not a lot of snow south of us, and that’s good as our river runs north into Canada.

We have our winter coats and long johns in the back of the SUV.

Jacky

Hey Book, sign your name when you post please. And thank you.

BTW, have you tried going into the PBS channel online to see if they still have a DVD or VHS of the lighthouse series? They might but it’s worth giving it a try.

Good thing the stairs are on the inside; it could be interesting if they were outside and the weather wasn’t good!

I don’t watch Idol at all; I tried the first year or so but was really turned off at the apparent lack of courtesy on the part of the judges, especially Simon. I felt the contestants were insulted by the rude comments.

I wish Cardin a lot of luck in her show business undertaking. Isn’t it great to be able to see a close relative performing on TV even if it is just minutes. I can’t believe Simon would be so nice!

I would love to have seen Carmen also, Darlyne. I remember Rïse Stevens singing one of the arias from Carmen in one of Bing Crosby’s Father O’Mally films, maybe it was Going My Way.

I got Playing for Pizza for Christmas and really liked it. While I don’t understand all I know about football, I thought it was written well enough that even those who DON’T like football would enjoy the book.

I don’t think I would enjoy the Oates book, Missing Mom. Why do some people write such depressing things, happy endings or not!

All is well here, snow on the ground at my ‘front yard’ which faces north and so we aren’t getting any sun on the yard itself yet. Today no sun at all but puddles of water on the driveway and some lessening of the depth of the snow. I expect we’ll get at least one more snowfall before spring really does appear. I’ve enjoyed the mild winter tho.

Take care all and have good days,
Jo

A couple of years ago I read “Beet Queen”, or half of it, by Louise Erdrich and our book club selected “Love Medicine” for this month’s selection.  I know some of you have really liked her writing, but I don’t care for it.  I think the Indians are depicted in a very coarse way and if Erdrich  weren’t half Chippewa, would probably be criticized for that.  I have been sick with bronchitis so missed the book club meeting.  This is the book I paid a penny for on amazon.com plus $3.99 postage.

I thought I told everyone about Cardin trying out for American Idol.  She made the top 50, but didn’t get selected for the top 24.  She doesn’t seem too disappointed;  I expected that she would be after all the stress and expectations.  The selection process started in August, I believe.  Now it is live.

Having a relative on American Idol is exciting, even a step relatiave or even just knowing one. I am not a TV watcher but might have watched that had I known.

Jan, thats very exciting about your step grandaughter singing in Am Idol!!! I watched it, but it usually takes me a few weeks, or more, to keep them all in mind, so I can’t remember Cardin, but will try to find her on My Space, which I’ve never tried either.

And the Oates story sounds good, Darlyne, the last book of her’s I tried to read was so depressing that I gave up on her, but this one sounds interesting. I got a Maeve Benchly, and Jan Karon from my cousins, so have plenty to read again.

It was a lovely day here in FL. We drove to St Augustine to attend my cousin’s daughter’s church, and she and her husband treated us to a Fl brunch, shrimp, clam chowder and a very good potato salad. Desert was fresh strawberries from Plant City in central Fl. We parked our motor home near the strawberry fields there a few years ago, during a very cold spell, and they used sprinkled water to coat the plants with ice to protect them from freezing, and it worked.

The family in MN tell us its warming a bit, over 30!

We walked to a movie theater near by and saw The Bucket List, and it was enjoyable, mostly us older folks in the audience. Jack N. and Morgan Freeman did a super job, of portraying upper years.

Jacky

Darlyne, you lucky thing! It has been my fondest wish for years to see a live opera at the Met. One of Mozart’s would suit me the best but Carmen is also one of my favorites.
Huggz all,
Jerry

This is about a 31 year old independent women, Nikki Eaton. She has not paid too much attention to her Mother, even after her Father died a while back. She leaves most of the emotional support to her sister who lives closer. She does go home to check on her Mother after her sister calls and says she hasn’t heard from her Mother and she doesn’t answer the phone. The sister is tied up so can’t check herself. When Nikki gets there she goes through the house calling and when she gets no answer she checks the garage to see if her Mother’s car is there. It isn’t and she finds her Mother, dead, brutally murdered. They catch the murderer but he decides to plead not guilty so there will be a trial. It keeps being put off and the story is about how Nikki copes for that year, or tries to cope. During that year she discovers much about her parents. She becomes estranged from her sister and becomes closer to some relatives she has mostly ignored in the past. It does have a happy ending. This wasn’t a page turner but kept me interested enough to finish it.
I also read the Football for Pizza book and did like it even though I really have no interest in football.

Yesterday I attended the Opera, Carmen at the Met in NY. It was great. It was a bus trip that lets you off right there and early enough to have lunch. It was an enjoyable day, but I am tired today. It was worth it.

Since  you watch American Idol, Jacky, you will remember the night they picked the final 24 (a couple of weeks ago).  The last two girls sitting were Johanna and Cardin McKinney.

Cardin only got about 5 minutes of airtime total in the auditions and they edited the whole process so much.  She got a lot of publicity starting early on in blogs, etc. and that may be why they decided to eliminate her.  I was really proud of her that last night when Johanna was chosen and she was so supportive and showed so much class.  Then they walked off together hand in hand.  Simon said “I wish I could change my vote” or some such thing.

If you are wondering why I am going on and on about this, Cardin is my step-grandaughter.  You can see her on Cardin McKinney/my space.  The songs playing are songs she wrote.  I think she already has some offers coming in from production companies.  I’m proud of her even though I didn’t have a thing to do with her talent or her upbringing.

We had a nice time with cousins and found this time share is right on the Atlantic beach. We are 8 floors up, and the little balcony faces north, but we can see the waves as we look to the right.

My wi fi card works here even though its a “weak” signal and rather slow, but we have time.

I hear its still around zero at home in Oslo, but supposed to warm this weekend. It’s warm here, but raining at times.

When we climbed the stairs in the lighthouse, I see I didn’t make it clear the steps wind around the inside with a black railing, but it was scary looking down to the black and white tiled floor. I only glanced down once. I’m watching American Idol again, and always feel sorry for those they eliminate each week.

Hope its warming up for you all too, Jacky

You’re right, Bookworm–I’d love to have one of those!

Candace

Candace, I bet you would arm wrestle me for a sweatshirt I own! It has lighthouses all over it, front, back and sleeves, mostly East coast lighthouses. I watched that PBS special many years ago, and have yearned to have the VHS or DVD of it. I think they did East Coast, West Coast and Inland Lighhouses. What a series!

It’s 20 degrees here right down and 93% humidity, which is explainable by the fact that it’s snowing. Drat.

I agree about errors in newspapers and books; too much technology and not enough human.

I’m so glad to hear Clive isn’t coughing anymore; bet HE’S glad too. That really hurts after a while.

Wonder why the Save is darker - maybe to distinguish it from the other two, neither of which are the same. Oh well, mine is not to reason why.

Reading the Abram’s Daughters series by Beverly Lewis; it’s very good.

Take care everyone - stay warm, or cool for those in FL. I wouldn’t survive there in the summer either, Jacky. And even when I was there in December, some of the days were too darn warm.

Jo

I love lighthouses. PBS had a feature a back some time with the history, some still operating, updated, some preserved as landmarks. When I was a child, we were not around lighthouses but there was a tower some miles away which had a searchlight that served as a warning and guide for airplanes and when the weather was right, we could see it from our yard.

Candace

I talked to my sister this am and her outside thermometer read -23. It did cool down to the 60’s here too, but I didn’t mention it. Tomorrow we are driving to Naples to visit my cousin, DonaRae, Darlyne’s sister and and her husband, Edmund. Its kind of a long ride, mostly because of all the traffic, but we have the time.

Thur we are going to stay with our cousin in St Augustine, and then back to Daytona for our last week of time share. Clive is no longer coughing and feels good.

We did climb the 203 steps to the top of the Ponce… light house, we made it because daughter, Pam, encouraged us with, “It’s only a few more levels!”. The stairs wound round the outer wall and the view was spectacular, but very windy. I have photos of us with our hair streaming straight back, I know why I wear bangs!

Florida is a pretty state, but I wouldn’t fare well in the summer, it was over 80 one day and I wilt.

Our meteorologist son in law says its going to warm up in Oslo by the weekend, above zero!

Jacky My “save” is darker than “publish” too.

There’s no doubt in my mind that there are many more typos in newspapers and books than once was the case. It used to be rare to find one. When I was working on the book last year, the final galley sent to the author contained 32 obvious errors in spelling and critical punctuation. In my opinion there is too much reliance on technology and not enough “hands-on” proofreading.

Candace

Well, I’m not quite that bad, but a poor sentence, typo or really bad English will stop me every time. And I mean literally…I can’t tell you how many typos I’ve spotted. I too wonder where all the editors are; the newspapers are so bad lately.

I figured it was just me and I was getting old and crochety.

I see what you meant Jacky, we share the same cousin. I guess I read it too fast.

Jacky, I don’t think you meant Darlyne unless there is another relative named that. I realize that I am probably not the only one. (I wish it had been me, it sounded like a great day.)

We are expecting rain later but it will be pretty warm for here. I keep busy knitting dog sweaters for my WI daughter’s shop. They are fun to knit. She sold one and I hope she will sell more. I donate them. This afternoon I am going to the movie, No Place for Old Men. I have been putting off seeing it because I hear it is violent but also hear it is a great movie. I like the scenery in Westerns and me seeing that movie will be kinda in honor of my late husband. He really liked westerns.