Greatest global online bookclub in town

We did have a wonderful time! Middle son in law does a super job of turkey carving, plus he and daughter brought the mashed potatoes in a crock pot, plus candied yams. Sister brought pies and salad. She and I made “lefsa” last week, a Norse potato/flour/butter/cream/sugar and a bit of salt that’s rolled out and fried on a lefsa iron. We eat them rolled up with more butter and sugar, but some put turkey, ect in the roll.

Youngest daughter and three kids were here til yesterday am, she wanted to get back to St Paul before all the folks that slowed her up coming Wed night, returned to the cities. It took her 2 hours plus just to get to I 94 heading west to Oslo. She did avoid the traffic, unless they didn’t come back. Our son, wife and 3 teens also came in the aft. Michele’s folks live near by, so we can share them for holidays.

I don’t intend to “post” my thanksgiving, will try to be thankful every day, we have it so good—–and no snow yet, Clive raked up the latest leaves this afternoon, it was 41 degrees here in Northern MN!!!

And Darlyne, I haven’t figured out Facebook yet, I did notice I have 3 “friends”.

JJ

I also had a great turkey day. My friend of fifty years, who is also my landlord, and his son drove up to Zilwaukee for dinner. Zilwaukee is a small town outside of Saginaw about which is said, “where all the dogs are dead and the cats bark at strangers”. There used to be a big electric generating steam plant there, where we all started working over sixty years ago. My friends’ family still live there and regaled us with good talk and all the trimmings. I gained three pounds.

Then on Saturday Ilio’s son invited us to have TGiving dinner again with all the members of the Jackson AA. (Alcoholics Anonymous) at the Baptist church downtown. People of every description; black, white, hispanic and even one little fella who is a dwarf. The dinner was fantastic and I’m never going to eat again. Hope you all fared as well.

Huggz all,
Jerry

I had a nice thanksgiving and  i hope everybody  had a good holiday.                   i spend the day at my son`s house . His daughter and son in law live there at the moment, because both lost their job. His son in law smoked a turkey,  which  i never ate before, but was good.  i made  squashcasserole,   green beancasseole,             cranberry sauce and  pumpkin pie and other family member brought other goodies.  so it was nice to be away for a day from the           retirement home.  the weather was great too, now back in the old routine   you all stay well,  jenny C.

I missed it but I do hope all of you had a very good Thanksgiving with family and friends. SIL Paul’s mother and aunt came from CA and will return on Tuesday. It was so nice having the chance to meet them both, but especially Paul’s mother. They emigrated from Holland back in the 1950s/60s and such an interesting tale they had to tell. They speak Dutch at home, both of them and so still have fairly heavy accents which is hard for me, but can you imagine? Dina, Paul’s mom, and her husband came with six children. My! Suzanne brought them both over to see my apartment (forced me to do a little housework!) and we spent a very nice 2+ hours over tea and lemon-poppy seed cakes. I don’t think I’ll see them tomorrow as they will be getting ready to go to CA.

But that is about the extent of the news from sunny but cool CO. I plan to start knitting some lapghans (that is, lap afghans) for the vets to be delivered by one of the residents and her husband.

Take care ladies and Jerry - hopefully something good will come along to write about.

Jo

The sun is shining, Grandsons and friends are here and it is a noisey fun house, except right now Julie and I are enjoying a quied time as they are all sleeping.

Same to you and all here–so glad we’re still here to share with each other.

Candace

I hope that everyone here and their families have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!

I had a good train trip here and am enjoying my visit with Julie and one grandson so far. There will be about 12 of us here Thursday with grandsons getting here Wednesday with girl friends.

Jacky, I can’t get to my Face Book account here but have received your messages via e-mail, I hope to get back to it when I get home next Monday.

Have any of you heard of this book? I just picked up. A friend recommended it to me. I am looking forward to reading it. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Georgianna

We attended a funeral at St Joseph’s this am. Mac Adamski, who taught all four of our kids 3re grade and my sister who is a lot younger than me.

Then a benefit for a young man with mega medical problems, a Nordling relative, and this evening a 70th birthday party for a friend, Art Nice. This is life in a small town where you’ve lived all your life. it was a good day, but I’m tired. But I did finish Ted Dekker’s Adam.

Family is coming for thanksgiving, but only 4 will be staying for a few days, the rest live near by. Hope you all have a pleasant thanksgiving. Jacky

Have a happy thanksgiving day everyone. I will be leaving on the train tomorrow for Virginia and will spend a week with Julie. I Picked up the book Lucky byAlice Sebold. It is memoir of how her life was nearly transformed after she was brutally raped when 17. I got this to read on the train and have read 66 pages and find it hard to put down. I hope i don’t finish it before I leave. The author wrote The Lovely Bones.

Dear Candace. Sorry I am so slow getting back to you. As far as I know this is only available - well I started to say through iTunes. I do know there is a way of getting on your iPhone but I haven’t done that yet. I just really enjoy the music. Georgianna

Sorry if I repeated. JJ

I’m going to get this book, Darlyne, it sounds very interesting. I’m reading a Ted Dekker, Adam, very slow, I need something else. Our youngest gave me Jodi Picoult’s latest, well, she gave me one from Target of hers that I had already read, but the sales slip works well and I got the new one, plus it cost less than in St Paul.

I also have by my bed, To End All WArs, by Earnest Gordon, a survivior of the prison camp by the River Kwai, in the Death House.
It was mentioned in a Max Lucado book as an example of huge forgiveness. That’s by my bed too.

Maybe when it snows I’ll read during the day, when I’m not so tired. Jacky

Another one.

Mary E. Mitchell’s new novel, Americans in Space, was just released by St. Martin’s Press.  (This is her second novel after Starting Out Sideways, which was released in 2007.) 

Kirkus Reviews writes that Americans in Space “arrestingly depicts a family consumed by grief,”  suggesting that its readers “[g]et out the tissues, but plan on reading this impressive, stirring novel straight through.”

Library Journal, in a starred review, renders its verdict that “Mitchell pitches life’s hardball themes of death, grief, and redemption with piercing clarity and magically interlaces romance and humor into her family saga. Highly recommended for contemporary fiction readers.”

Booklist says “Mitchell captures the mother-daughter angst to perfection, and Kate’s struggle to get on with her life with a frank and empathetic lens.”

And, in choosing it as an Indie Next selection for this month, the ABA reviewer writes that “Americans in Space will speak to all readers, especially to parents of teens.”

The book is a sleeper, but is available everywhere.  And you can read the first chapter online at www.maryemitchell.com.

I have to start a new list thanks to the good suggestions for reading I am getting here. My old list is almost unreadable as I carelessly scratch out the ones I have read.

I’m reading and enjoying this book by Kathryn Stockett. It’s about colored people who work for white folks in Mississippi. It starts out a little slowly but after a few chapters it’s almost un-put-downable. You might be surprised!
Huggz all,
Jerry

Georgiana, is this available on cable or on one of he national networks somewhere?

Candace

have any of you discovered iTunes/ radio/ Golden oldies/ Martiniinthemorning? I love the music. It is off our era.

Georgianna

heard of a book titled “Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet?” I just heard about it this morning and I plan to look for it. I was told it was available at Costco and Sam’s Club We have begun to have a bit of fall like weather. I saw leaves blowing across the street with a lot of gusto this morning.

I can’t believe ‘the holidays’ are almost upon us. I think all of our kids will be here this year. That will be the first time in many years we have all been here at Christmas.

We had very few trick or treaters but the little ones were sure cute.

Happy fall to all of you. Georgianna

I am past the 150 page of the Dragon book and it is turning into a page turner and I am guessing who Harriet is. Serena is a dark book about a quite evil couple who own a lumber company and a lot of land in Appalachia and people who want to save the land for National parks. They treated their employees like slaves but this was during the depression and there were people waiting for the jobs. The consensus of my book group thought that many were taken advantage of at that time.

Sorry about your cough Jo. It seems to be going around here. I took a friend to the ER with that and other symptoms and the cough lingered on. My sil has the swine flu and his wife has the cough cold thing.A grandson in college has the Swine flu also. He went for the shot the first day they were passing it out and got there after they used the last shot. He got sick the next day so the shot wouldn’t have helped him anyway. I don’t think he is too sick.

I remember the “snow down south” too. I have a feeling the young people wouldn’t be bothered by something like that if they ever wore a slip.

We are having rain and cloudy weather, the remnants of a Nor’easter. We just had wind and rain here but the shore area had it bad.

It is good to have you back Jo.

Jo!! And nice to see your message! And the first 200 pages are about 150 too long, Darlyne, but the second half of the Tatoo girl was sort of interesting. A review on the net said the auther was overly praised, in his opinion. He said he liked Andrew Vachess’s mysterys much better. I’ve been meaning to try one, but haven’t had time. We did our time helping with Senior meals, and Wed helped with the Lion’s club blood drive. I don’t donate, I’ve passed out twice hours hours later, and Clive tried and had low iron, again, even though he’s taking iron pills. Someone said he should take them with folic acid, but I see that is included in the multi vitamin he takes, so I’ll ask his Dr on Mon, at his check up.

Otherwise, we are having Oct temps in Nov, and NO SNOW yet.
So nice after a cold wet fall. And there are no acorns under the oak trees, which is sposed to mean a mild winter. We’ll see.
Jacky

There - all are posted complete or incomplete. Be sure you click on PUBLISH and not on SAVE.

What could be more appropriate for the grandson of a dedicated reader than publishing a book that benefits a school. I know you’re very proud, Darlyne.

Candace