Greatest global online bookclub in town

I just stumbled on free books from Amazon. I was looking for something else and I can’t retrace all of it but there were a number of books which were described as in the public domain. If you look for Sherlock Holmes, that was one among others. I downloaded that and Paranoia–price $0.00. There was also Pride & Prejudice . There may be other locations, but I wanted to pass this along.

Candace

Indeed, what a world we live in. I haven’t made full use of my iPhone. My daughter-in-law was showing me some “apps” she has on hers and I may explore that. Kindle is wonderful.

Driving to Austin yesterday, I finished listening to John Nance’s Turbulence. The story kept me riveted the entire three-hours, made the drive easy.

Candace

Garvin, we have phone service with AT&T and also our old cell service was with AT&T. I haven’t had a major bill yet. I don’t use it for a lot of things though. I didn’t know about the farm land ‘game.’ Sounds like fun.

Judith, I love those apps you have. I need to go to the APP Store and browse. Seems like I don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done now. I try to list 5 things every day that I am grateful for and I truly believe simple things like feeding the birds and smiling and saying thank you when someone opens the door for you can only make the world a better place.

I listened to a podcast on my iphone today and that is really handy because you don’t have to sit at the computer to listen to it. I also have solitaire on mine.

What a world we do live in.

Georgianna

This is so interesting to read how you iphone gals can download Kindle stuff onto them. But if the iphone screen is as small as I think it is, ixn’t awfully hard to read? And don’t you have to pay a monthly fee to use iphone?
Do some of you belong to Facebook? And if so, do you know about/use the game feature called Farm Home? I’ve just been learning to do that. You have a layout of empty farmland, and you add various crops. You have to “buy” seeds, rakes, hoes, etc (“money” is kept track of simply as game points, not real money.) Then when your various crops mature (in real days) you can “sell” them to replenish your money-points. One of my friends who has been doing it a long time has a huge and beautiful layout, and lots of money-points.
~~~Garvin

Georgiana, isn’t the iphone amazing! I am so enjoying mine. Two apps that I downloaded are ‘gratitude’ where each day I type in five things that I am grateful for. It is an interesting exercise. The other one I like is called “do good”. Each day it sends me a suggestion for some small thing to do. one day was ‘feed the birds” another was ‘smile at a stranger’. things like that. I also downloaded the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. I think it is interesting to re read both those documents. There are so many applications that are free that are interesting. Some days I just browse the store looking at all the things to do.

I am so sorry to hear about your virus and allergy problems. This weather this year seems so extreme; global warming, I guess. Here it has been very, very hot. Temperatures have been 100 and above with the heat index in some places as high as 115. That is definitely the time to stay indoors under the a/c.

Take care, dear friends.

Judith

Georgianna, that sounds like a really wicked virus. Good you’re taking it easy–sometimes those things can weaken you enough to allow some other bug to move in. Sure does feel good when tyou start to feel better after a siege like that.

Judith, an email circulated recently citing changes in the hundred years since 1909. One of the most intriguing things I’ve seen is how they can watch various areas of the brain react to specific words and images. Our grandchildren may view this period as primitive.

Candace

You are amazing folks and I appreciate you more than I can ever tell you. About July 3, I began to feel bad an yet not really. My husband wanted to go to the 4th of July parade and to the fireworks display so we did that. I didn’t seem to be any worse for the wear. Went to church on Sunday but began to fade Sunday afternoon. Called the Dr. on Mon. and got additional allergy medicine and then again on Thursday and got an antibiotic. They did say there is a bug going around everywhere. I feel exactly the way my husband has felt or acted. I have been wiped out. He didn’t want to go to the Dr. but I don’t want to feel bad. Anyway, last night I slept good for the first time in several nights. I am going to move at a slow pace for several days though. We know this sis a really bad allergy season here but it could also be an infection.

I loved hearing your memory stories – or lack thereof. I was also pleased to hear about Bob Greene’s new book and I am really happy to hear about Kindle for iPhone. I got an iPhone a little over a month ago and it is absoluely amazing what can be done. Technology is amazing. It changes so rapidly, too.

Take care and stay cool. Georgianna

Dear Friends, I have joined the ranks of kindle readers! I got an iphone for my birthday in March and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Yesterday I discovered that I can download an application (app) for the Kindle and my iphone becomes a kindle. I downloaded a book this morning and it is just amazing.
I had already downloaded some old classics that I wanted to re-read, “Huckleberry Finn”, “Tom Sawyer”, “Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Time Machine”. It is so neat to be able to hold a book in the palm of your hand and increase the fonts to whatever size you want.
Isn’t technology amazing! I wonder what marvels my great-grandson will be using when he is 69.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Judith

http://braingames1.aarp.org/aspx/member/LaunchGame_partner.aspx?partner=aarp&gameHeight=570&gameWidth=760&gamenum=127&launchOk=true

Glad your cord turned up before your daughter left, Garvin. Apropos of memory, I found an AARP site that is supposed to help. I took the trial test and confirmed I’m in dire need of all the help it can offer. I’ll see if I can copy it and put it in another post. Meantime, have you heard about the six-word memoirs? The first I heard but not in that context, was in connection last Sunday with golf. A spot to play in that tournament was offered to an amateur who could say in six words why he/she should be chosen. The only part I remember of the entry that won were the last three words–”I shoot low”–at least that’s what I remember. These days I have to add a disclaimer for a lot of things when it entails memory. I got the book on Kindle. Several memoirs have been collected and put in a book “Not Quite What I Was Planning” edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith. Some are funny, some poignant. The first quoted is attributed to Ernest Hemingway: For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn. Another by a young girl: Cursed with cancer; blessed with friends. There is a site I haven’t tried: www.sixwordmemoir.com

Candace

I am glad that you found your wire. I once found a watch that I thought was lost so I replaced it. A year later I found it in a suitcase I was going to use again. I will look for Bob Greene’s book. I have enjoyed his other books, also WedeWede’s and her daughters. They are a writing family and a good one.

Well, wouldncha know it?

I got to looking around and found that I had not completely emptied everything after my own trip to Nashville a couple of weeks ago. There, in my bag was the Kindle wire!
Surely am happy that it turned up before Daughter No.3 went to Nashville!

Reported by Garvin

Garvin, hope you find your cord–it is undoubtedly close by, under, behind or even in plain sight. Last Saturday at the local farmer’s market I was delighted to find homegrown peaches. The samples were delicious. I left the market, drove by the post office to mail a letter, got home and put the eggs and broccoli away. Where are the peaches? I had walked off without them! I went back–his booth was way back in the market–thank goodness he remembered me. My mother called that “using your heels instead of your head”–in this case it was “using wheels and heels instead of my head.”

Candace

Oh, you good people are such a joy!
I surely do know that experience of losing something, looking everywhere — buying another — and then immediately the old one turns up!
I find that a cheaper way to handle this problem, is just to forget that you wanted it.And sure enough, the “memory” will go away! (And maybe the old book, or whatever, will come out of hiding.)

Right now I’m wrestling with a truly serious problem. HOW can one lose a long, thin white wire with which to recharge one’s Kindle? My local daughter is going to nashville next week for a couple of days to visit her sister. Said Sister is the daughter who talked me into buying a Kindle in the first place. So maybe I will just send my Kindle over and have No.1 Daughter charge it up for me! Just as soon as I do, my own wire will re-emerge from iys hiding place.
~~~Garvin

Georgianna, just yesterday I was reading an article online about the shortage of courses in geriatrics for medical students, despite the growing number of people 80 and beyond. There is recognition that older people can have different reactions to medication as well as the ability to obsorb various nutrients. Thank goodness for the internet where we can find some information ourselves. This morning I accepted the fact that I need another pill box to keep track of a different supplement–I think I took it first thing but I may be remembering yesterday.

Candace

You are all so funny about your memory. I lost abook recently. It is “Mental Aerobics” – you know to help with your memory. I knew I had it and I didn’t remember lending it to anyone. I looked and looked and truthfully this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I finally gave up and ordered it again. It came and then the next day I found the one I was looking for. If I told this story in here before, I apologize…. Thanks for your well-wishes. I do know it is important to take care of myself. I wish someone could help us figure out why he is so tired. He is 75 but that shouldn’t be the only reason. Anyway, thanks again for your good wishes. I love this group. Georgianna

He truly was inspirational. He left a real legacy about how to live and die. You’re not alone in duplicating books. I was amazed when I started sorting my accumulation of books a few years ago to find how often I had duplicate copies acquired at different times. I told myself that demonstrated a consistent pattern of interest and tried to ignore the obvious memory problem.

Candace

I have read about this man and heard about him on TV. I will try to get his book. Now a real dumb thing I did. After reading G. Brooks People of the book people talked about her Pulitzer prize winner, March. I put a hold on that book at the library and when I looked it up on their web site saw that it had one copy available and one hold. I called and asked about it and was told they would look for the copy. It wasn’t on the shelf. After another week I went there and again asked about it and they said it must be lost and they would order another copy. I was finally notified that they had it and I picked it up. When I got it home and started reading it I realized—-I had already read it and probably did mention it on this blog. Sigh! It was a good book though.

Someone sent me a link to the youtube recording of Randy Pausch’s ‘Last Lecture”. I watched it and then checked his book of the same title out of the library. I am enjoying reading it.
Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. His field was computers and virtual reality. At the age of 47 he discovererd that he had pancreatic cancer. This lecture was given when he had been told that he had three to six months left to live. The lecture is about his childhood dreams and how he has realized them. The lecture is very funny and very profound. I am enjoying the book very much.
The book is very small, not much bigger than a paperback, and only has 206 pages. It is illustrated with a lot of pictures from Dr. Pausch’s life.
I heartily recommend this book. It really is not depressing at all. It is very inspiring.

Judith