Nina wrote: "One last comment about our crazy weather here in KS. The mowers are now cutting our long green grass that was covered with five inches of snow last week..nina"

LOL - How ironical!

As for the dangers of bad weather while boating, I know what you mean. These days I try to go boating only in good weather. Our "adventure-days" on wild waters are over... I hope! LOL

One last comment about our crazy weather here in KS. The mowers are now cutting our long green grass that was covered with five inches of snow last week..nina

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "I feel the same way about being on a boat/it is truly the escape mode as you are literally not on land so your troubles there are something you can do nothing about..Escape, yes. Some..."

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "I feel the same way about being on a boat/it is truly the escape mode as you are literally not on land so your troubles there are something you can do nothing about..Escape, yes. Some..."That is a good quote. You do leave your "land" worries at home but I remember lots of "cares" about getting back to it when we had stormy weather...nina

Nina wrote: "I just now finished,"Called Out of Darkness"...
... I would suggest it to readers interested in Character and of course, People of any faith"

Nina, thanks for the recommendation to Anne Rice's _Called Out of Darkness A Spiritual Confession_. It's always interesting to ponder the existence of God.

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Nina wrote: "Here is a quote from our Monday morning edition:
"To the world you many be one person, but to one person you many be the world." Sorry but they didn't print the author but isn't it a ..."I just now finished,"Called Out of Darkness," and found it fascintating. It might appeal more to someone who had attended Catholic schools, Yet I only attended them for less than half my education and I don't remember some of the things she referred or else I was never told some of those things. Yet, it was extremely well written;loved the New Orleans setting. And it was interesting how she managed to go back to her faith. She did this with the blessing of her husband and they were married in the church..I didn't feel his death had anything to do with her leaving atheism. Although, she was a difficult person to understand I felt her life provided pondering God's existance. I would suggest it to readers interested in Character and of course, People of any faith..nina

About telephone calls, yes, sometimes they are an intrusion. I'm usually more comfortable with e-mail. E-mail allows me time to think about the message and then I can deal with it when time allows. I hate being interrupted by a telephone... unless it's someone I enjoy hearing from. I will pick up the phone to call someone only if it's absolutely necessary.

Nina wrote: "I feel the same way about being on a boat/it is truly the escape mode as you are literally not on land so your troubles there are something you can do nothing about..Escape, yes. Somehow I felt th..."

I have a framed picture of a lighthouse and underneath it says: "Cares are left at the water's edge." When I saw that quote, I had to buy the picture. Those few words say it all.

I don't even have a cellphone and there's no way I ever want one. And everyone knows if they call once I start TV for the night or wn I read during the afternoon, I'm not picking up the phone. I hardly ever use the landline. Why would I want to be so available? Not me.

That's how I feel when I go out & work in the shop or on the farm. I do have a phone in the shop, but often don't hear it or ignore it. I very rarely carry my cell out in the fields or woods. It doesn't work well & I don't care.

I feel the same way about being on a boat/it is truly the escape mode as you are literally not on land so your troubles there are something you can do nothing about..Escape, yes. Somehow I felt the same way when I rode a horse. It was far away from dishes, supper times, children's homework etc..nina

Jackie wrote: "Ironically, I don't actually do much boating, my neighbor has a boat and always asks us to go, yet we never do. They like to drink and I don't so that's part of the reason. I think I like working..."

Being on the water (safe water) relaxes me. Since I'm a Type A personality, I need all the relaxing I can get. :)

Also, my first date with my husband was a boating date. We've always had the love of boating and the water in common.

And, of course, boats take me out to the islands... my escape from civilization. :)

Ironically, I don't actually do much boating, my neighbor has a boat and always asks us to go, yet we never do. They like to drink and I don't so that's part of the reason. I think I like working on them better. Or maybe I'm sick of them after the week is done, LOL

Jackie wrote: "Joy, Yes, our end of the Lake is full of tourists and a lot of motor activity in the Lake. It makes all the difference. I'd love to see you end of the Lake, it sounds so much nicer and more peac..."

Maybe we can arrange that, Jackie. I always love to show off the islands. When I share them, I renew my pleasure in them. By this time of the year, I'm longing for them. I guess it's the "call of the wild".

Now... if I could get Eddie to repair our boat seats, I wouldn't be so ashamed of our old boat. :) It's only 19 feet but it has a large comfortable cabin with a porta potty. It's hard to find smaller boats like ours with cabins nowadays. So many of them are bow-riders.

To stay on-topic and give it a nod (g), I'll mention the following boat-related book: _Salty Dog Talk The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions_ .

PS-BTW, I started a group for Lake George boaters. See it at: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1424...
So far, no one has discovered it. My alter-ego "Seadancer" isn't a very good PR person. He just likes to sit on his tube and float around. :)

Joy,
Yes, our end of the Lake is full of tourists and a lot of motor activity in the Lake. It makes all the difference. I'd love to see you end of the Lake, it sounds so much nicer and more peaceful that this end.

Susan wrote: "Right now I'm reading Four to Score by Janet Evanovich I'm about half way into it. Really enjoying the Stephanie Plum series."

Thanks for the links, Susan.

_The Grand Finale LP_ by Janet Evanovich is #5 on the Bestseller Lists for Paperback Mass-Market Fiction. Evanovich is a such a popular author!

I wonder what the LP stands for.

BTW, see the Best Seller lists here: ====>
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bests...

Jackie wrote: "Not to burts anyone's bubble but the lake isn't pristine clean. Probably cleaner than other waterways in the US. I work on the Lake and I've seen how nasty the bottoms(of boats) are after being i..."

Jackie, you're at the southern end of the lake. We're at the northern end. There's much less boat traffic at the northern end and it's much more peaceful. I can always see through the water to the bottom of the lake. It looks very clear to me.

The islands at the northern end of the lake have no residences along the nearby shorelines. So they stay the most pristine. That's where we do a lot of our swimming.

Much of the shoreline is owned by the state or the Lake George Land Conservancy. They see to it that the area stays pristine and untouched. That's why we like the islands and the northern end of the lake.

Yes, there's more algae nowadays and that causes the boat bottoms to get coated, but the environmental groups are working very hard to remedy that situation.

Nina wrote: "Lovely pictures and yes, the water looked clear especially in the photo, HEADING HOME>and what were the beautiful red bushes: were they burning bushes? Nice way to get ready for bedtime with such p..."

I'm not sure what kind of bushes they were, Nina.
But that whole day was a beautiful day.

Right now I'm reading Four to Score by Janet Evanovich I'm about half way into it. Really enjoying the Stephanie Plum series.

Not to burts anyone's bubble but the lake isn't pristine clean. Probably cleaner than other waterways in the US. I work on the Lake and I've seen how nasty the bottoms(of boats) are after being in the lake only one week. I can't even bring myself to go in the water anymore. And there's no way I'd drink it. I won't even let Juneau drink out of it, I bring water for him on our walks. My husband lets him drink out of it though. If I didn't work where I do, I probably wouldn't feel the way I do; I wouldn't know it wasn't as clean as I'd like it to be. Sometimes I do think ignorance is bliss, LOL

Lovely pictures and yes, the water looked clear especially in the photo, HEADING HOME>and what were the beautiful red bushes: were they burning bushes? Nice way to get ready for bedtime with such peaceful scenes..Good Night, nina

Nina wrote: "This is about the Jefferson visit to your Lake George..Wasn't that a wonderful way he had with words? Now that is a cliche when we think of the Declaration of Independence..But the description was ..."

Yes, Jefferson did do justice to our lake and its gorgeous features. We have many groups who are trying to preserve the pristine beauty of Lake George. People used to drink the water right out of the lake. That's how clean it was. It's still pretty clean and clear.

The following link will take you to one of my albums which has a photo showing how clear the water is: ====>
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/vi...

Jackie wrote: "Thanks you Joy. I make up my own mind, I'm not easily swayed by popular consensus."

I admire that, Jackie.
Your son is lucky.

Joy,
I loved the first one, Twilight, I can relate to the infatuation and easily forgive it in others, LOL But Bella gets so outrageously selfish in the next novels, it drives me absolutely crazy. In a way, I wish I never continued with the series. All I know is, Edward better wind up happy in the end or I'm going to be livid!
Jacob was the gorgeous Native American boy with the long black hair, his father was in a wheelchair. It's where Bella got her truck from. Does that help?

Jefferson and Franklin are two of my greatest heroes. What great minds they had, both of them.

This is about the Jefferson visit to your Lake George..Wasn't that a wonderful way he had with words? Now that is a cliche when we think of the Declaration of Independence..But the description was beautiful and I am sure you felt he did justice to describing your lake..Sounds so enchanting. nina

Thanks you Joy. I make up my own mind, I'm not easily swayed by popular consensus. It's a trait I've passed on to my son. He has a mandatory assignment about Lincoln and Obama, when they read his essay they're going to wish they were better teachers. I think he did a fantastic job.

Nina wrote: "Here is a quote from our Monday morning edition:
"To the world you many be one person, but to one person you many be the world." Sorry but they didn't print the author but isn't it a nice quote to start the day? I am starting, "Called Out of Darkness," by Anne Rice today..."

Nina, I love that quote! I've seen it online, attributed to two different people, Bill Wilson and Brandi Snyder. I'm not sure if either of them are the true authors. But the significance of the quote is so touching. It reminds me of something our vet said to us: "No one will ever love you like your dog loves you." LOL

As for the Anne Rice book, _Called Out of Darkness A Spiritual Confession_, I haven't read it, but I liked what Jackie said about it at the following topic:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1177...
See Message 27.
Jackie is such an independent thinker.
I love it!

Jackie wrote: "I'm starting on the 4th book in the Twilight series: Breaking Dawn. I'm getting increasingly annoyed with Bella and I'm starting to really dislike Jacob too. As always, Edward is still my favorite character, he's a better person than either of them."

Jackie, I haven't read any of the _Twilight_ series, but when we saw the movie together, I didn't feel a dislike for any of the characters. I know that some people have been annoyed with Bella for being such a foolish girl for having such an infatuation for Edward. But I must confess, in my younger days, I had such infatuations myself. LOL

As for Jacob, I'm not sure I remember who he was.

Here is a quote from our Monday morning edition:
"To the world you many be one person, but to one person you many be the world." Sorry but they didn't print the author but isn't it a nice quote to start the day? I am starting, "Called Out of Darkness," by Anne Rice today..Let you know later what I think of it. My priest friend suggested I read it; partly because he is one of the ones she dedicated the book to, besides to her father. nina

I'm starting on the 4th book in the Twilight series: Breaking Dawn. I'm getting increasingly annoyed with Bella and I'm starting to really dislike Jacob too. As always, Edward is still my favorite character, he's a better person than either of them.

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "...it was Moonflower Vine. Now I am quite anxious to read it again. Have any of you read it?"

Nina, I haven't read _[b:Moonflower Vine|1767774|Moonflower Vine|Jetta..."I will let you know my opinion of this book after I read it again. nina

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "...it was Moonflower Vine. Now I am quite anxious to read it again. Have any of you read it?"

Nina, I haven't read _Moonflower Vine_ by Jetta Carleton, but I see from the Goodreads page for the book that many of the Goodreads reviews gave it 5 stars. It must be a good read.

A coincidence: A friend of mine in CA wrote recently to tell me she had just uncovered a book she loved but hadn't read in twenty years..She read it again and still loved it..The title, "Moonflower Vine." I think I read it long ago also, but she is mailing it to me so I can read it again. It originally came into print in 1964. The following morning after she mentioned this book I was reading the morning news and there was an article about a book being reissued because it was once so popular and very well written and yes, it was Moonflower Vine. Now I am quite anxious to read it again. Have any of you read it? nina

Donna wrote: "I just finished A Mercy and I loved it. This is my first post so I hope I'm doing this right. Joy, I live in Cohoes, NY and I worked in Glens Falls many years ago."

Hi Donna - Welcome to the group! I'm happy to know you're familiar with Glens Falls.
Yes, your post is fine; you did it right.

Our library group is considering reading _A Mercy_ by Toni Morrison. I tried reading her book, _Beloved_ but couldn't get into it. They say that _Mercy_ is easier to read. I hope so.

Nina wrote: "Just watched DVD "Flightplan," and I don't say it is a great movie but it kept me on the edge of the couch until the very end..I recommend it if you are in for a bit of excitement... After all that I am ready to snubble up in between my pillows with Dear Dewey...."

Nina, below is the Netflix summary:
==================================================
Flightplan(2005) PG-13
"A mother's sanity is called into question when her child disappears during a plane flight in this tense thriller. Still reeling from her husband's unexpected death, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) is on a plane heading from Berlin to New York when her daughter vanishes. When the captain (Sean Bean) and the air marshal (Peter Sarsgaard) begin to doubt that the child was ever on board, Kyle realizes she must rely on herself to find her little girl."
=====================================================
Oooo, I could do without a "tense thriller" right now, Nina. But I could do with curling up with a book, like you did. :)

Becky wrote: "I am finishing up A Mercy by Toni Morrison..."

I just finished A Mercy and I loved it. This is my first post so I hope I'm doing this right. Joy, I live in Cohoes, NY and I worked in Glens Falls many years ago.

Margaret wrote: "...I guess I'm not surprised that the novels in the Utopian tradition are less interesting - reminds me of The Sheep's Song in Bernstein's CANDIDE, when the hero and his companions arrive at last in El Dorado:
'Every sky is blue and sunny,
Every face you see is glad,
There's no greed or need for money,
Or a synonym for bad.
Here each man is each man's brother
Here we sleep untroubled sleep
Every day is like the other -
Very nice, if you're a sheep.' :)"

LOL - Margaret, thanks for posting that precious verse from The "Sheep's Song" in Bernstein's operetta, "CANDIDE".

It reminds me of an anecdote I once read about a man who finds himself in a strange land where he's feeling depressed and painfully bored and tired of the world. He meets a postman and asks him "Where am I?". The postman replies: "This is the place for all the people who have everything they want and have accomplished everything they've ever wanted to do."

That's just a paraphrase of the anecdote; I can't remember the actual story. But you get the gist, I'm sure. :)

Below is the Goodreads link to Leonard Bernstein's operetta, "CANDIDE": ====>
Candide

I didn't find much there about the lyrics to "Sheep's Song" so I searched further and finally found out that the lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim, one of my favorite lyricists. No wonder they struck a chord in me!

Evidently the lyrics to the different songs in Bernstein's operetta, Candide, were written by a number of different people.
Below are the notes I found about this and also the link to more info:
===================================================
Sheep Song [Sheep's Song:] (from operetta "Candide") [Sondheim:]
...It is one of the three songs with lyrics written entirely by Sondheim ...
FROM: http://www.sondheimguide.com/Candide/son...
====================================================

You're welcome, Margaret. Thanks for sharing the lines from "The Sheep's Song;" that quote is precious!

Just watched DVD "Flightplan," and I don't say it is a great movie but it kept me on the edge of the couch until the very end..I recommend it if you are in for a bit of excitement..nina After all that I am ready to snubble up in between my pillows with Dear Dewey.

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Today I finished watching the DVD of "Cold Mountain". I enjoyed it very much. It was heart-tugging and sad, but the magnetic chemistry between Jude Law and Nicole Kidman kept me interested. Renée Z..."Cold Mountain was one of the few movies that stood up to the excellence of the book. I so admired the writing, aside from the heart wrenching plot. nina

Werner wrote: "Margaret, you asked me to recommend some SF titles that focus on the sociological side of the genre. I'd start with the five best (IMO) works of the dystopian tradition, which are, in chronologica..."


Thanks so much Werner for this - I obviously asked the right person! I'm intrigued to see William Dean Howells' name in this context. I read A Modern Instance years ago for an American Lit course in college (and I remember being surprised how much I liked it!) but I didn't know he had an interest in Utopian communities. I'll check it out! I guess I'm not surprised that the novels in the Utopian tradition are less interesting - reminds me of The Sheep's Song in Bernstein's CANDIDE, when the hero and his companions arrive at last in El Dorado:

"Every sky is blue and sunny,
Every face you see is glad,
There's no greed or need for money,
Or a synonym for bad.
Here each man is each man's brother
Here we sleep untroubled sleep
Every day is like the other -
Very nice, if you're a sheep."
:)

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I, personally, am not a Nicholas Sparks fan. Everyone I know raves about him, but I could not even get through "The Notebook"...
... Now, I am wondering if any members have read "Enem..."Thanks for the description; still doesn't ring a bell except for the title. I will check it out on Amazon.

Perpendicularandi wrote: "I am about to read The Thirteenth Tale. I have heard a lot of good things about it. I am anxious to read it."

Ah, the book description for _The Thirteenth Tale A Novel_ by Diane Setterfield mentions "dark family secrets". That always puts the hook in. :)

I see that our member, Cindy, said in her review about the book:
===================================================
"This book was totally engrossing for me. I couldn't wait to finish it but then again didn't want it to end!"
====================================================
Enjoy the book, Randi.

I am about to read The Thirteenth Tale. I have heard a lot of good things about it. I am anxious to read it.

Kathy wrote: "I, personally, am not a Nicholas Sparks fan. Everyone I know raves about him, but I could not even get through "The Notebook"...
... Now, I am wondering if any members have read "Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles"

Kathy, can you tell us what it was about Nicholas Spark's book, _The Notebook_, which you didn't like? I'm curious to see if your criticisms are the same as mine.

As for the book,_Enemy Women A Novel_ by Paulette Jiles. I haven't read it, but I see that the Goodreads description says:
====================================================
"Set in the Missouri Ozarks during the Civil War, Jiles's story focuses on the trying times of 18-year-old heroine Adair Colley."
====================================================

Kathy, thanks for the recommendation.

Kathy wrote: "Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I am currently reading "Possible Side Effects" by Augusten Burroughs. He is one of my favorite authors."

I've never read anything by [a:Augusten Bu..."
I totally agree with you about, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Great novel and great movie. My daughter who read it in high school thought it taught her more about civil rights than any history lesson. And I think Enemy Women sounds familiar..Clue me in again on the theme. thanks, nina

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I am currently reading "Possible Side Effects" by Augusten Burroughs. He is one of my favorite authors."

I've never read anything by [a:Augusten Burroughs|3058|Augusten Burroughs|ht..."


I read "Running With Scissors", and thought it was excellent. Augusten Burroughs has lived a bizarre life, and I love his writing style. Apparently, his brother and his "crazy" mother have also jumped on the literary bandwagon, so I will probably read what they have when I get my hands on them.

I think I will lump all my replies/comments into one post.

First off, I read in some earlier posts that someone gave a negative review of "To Kill a Mockingbird". That book is one of the greatest ever written, and one of the few movies that ever held true to the story.

I, personally, am not a Nicholas Sparks fan. Everyone I know raves about him, but I could not even get through "The Notebook". That's just my opinion, though, so please don't hold it against me.

Now, I am wondering if any members have read "Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles. I really like this book, and it kind of reminds me of "Cold Mountain". The only thing I found difficult about it, is that all the conversations back and forth between characters have no punctuation, ie: quotes, etc. But, if you haven't read it, put it on your list.

I think that's it for now.

Kathy wrote: "I am currently reading "Possible Side Effects" by Augusten Burroughs. He is one of my favorite authors."

I've never read anything by Augusten Burroughs. His GR profile says he is "known for his New York Times bestselling memoir _Running with Scissors- (2002), which spawned a feature film of the same name."

Hmmm that sounds interesting. I've put "Running with Scissors" on my Netflix queue.

As for his book _Possible Side Effects_, the book description says that this book is:
===================================================
"his latest collection of memoir-essays. ... a series of funny, extremely eloquent takes on modern life ... Irreverence done to an amusing turn. - ALA Booklist"
===================================================

You should have some fun with that book, Kathy.

Kathy wrote: "'The Day of the Triffids' ... I never read this book, but saw the movie years ago when I was a youngster. Scared the "you-know-whats" out of me!! "

Kathy, when I receive my Netflix DVD of the movie, I'll find out what scared you. They say it's a horrifying science fiction story, a "classic".

I am currently reading "Possible Side Effects" by Augusten Burroughs. He is one of my favorite authors.