Ginny Tata-Phillips's Blog, page 4
September 30, 2016
From RESKU
Can’t stop waggin cuz
my new home is so cool and
my tail is a blur!
In DoG We Trust
Filed under: Basset Hounds, Books, Dog Rescue, Dogs, haiku, Pets, poetry, RESKU, The Basset Plantation Tagged: basset hound, Books, dog, Dog Rescue, haiku, pet, poetry, reading
September 29, 2016
Sir Charles Phillips
6 years ago, this very day, was my last day with Charles on earth. He lives on with me in my heart, every day. Remembering my heart dog on Throwback Thursday
I loved this dog with all my heart and soul. Those of us who love a dog this much call him ‘heart dog’. This is the story of my heart dog.
Once upon a time, on Christmas Eve, we heard there were some Bassets at the Monterey County SPCA. Looking at Winnie, we thought she might like a companion for Christmas so we went to take a look. We took the two boys out for a walk. One was tri-color and older, a little grumpy with bad teeth. We were young and poor and he looked like a lot of work/expense to me. The second dog was a gorgeous, skinny Lemon Basset. We bonded. Rick said we should think about it over Christmas and come back in a few days. I told him fine, he put his dog back into the run at the shelter, I got into the run with Charles…
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Filed under: Dog Rescue, Dogs, Parenting Dogs, Rainbow Bridge, The Basset Plantation, Throwback Thursday Tagged: basset hound, dogs, pets, Rainbow Bridge, Throw back Thursday
September 28, 2016
September 26, 2016
Book Review HIDDEN FIGURES
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (September 6, 2016)The Book
THE BOOK
The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner.
Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.
Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.
Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley’s all-black “West Computing” group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens.
Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
THE AUTHOR
Margot Lee Shetterly grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where she knew many of the women in Hidden Figures. She is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow and the recipient of a Virginia Foundation for the Humanities grant for her research on women in computing. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Find out more about Margot at her website and connect with her on Twitter.
MY REVIEW
I am mostly a reader of fiction – give me just about any story and I will read it. I must sincerely thank TLC Book Tours for turning me on to the joyous experience of reading great non-fiction. Such a story is Hidden Figures. It is a phenomenal true story, beautifully told by Margot Lee Shetterly.
You may hear ‘computer’ and think ‘laptop’! But the word computer actually means he who computes – or in the case of Hidden Figures – SHE who computes! These computers were not only human but also female and black – wow! There were signs at Langley for the proper place for ‘colored computers’ and while the image that comes to mind prior to reading this book might be purple or paisley, after reading it, ‘colored computers’ conjures the image of a brilliant and brave group of women of color who were also mathematicians!
This story begins when “…the Negro’s ladder to the American dream was missing rungs…” and when the struggle was “…to be twice as good to get half as far”. But you have read the synopsis and you already know what this book is about. I am sorry, on the one hand that this important part of history had not yet been brought to light, on the other hand, I must say that the telling was meant to be told by Ms Shetterly. She is a wonderful writer and a meticulous researcher. If you put one book on your MUST READ THIS FALL – please let it be Hidden Figures. While I am sure the movie will be inspired – please take the time to read this inspirational tale first. I promise you will not be disappointed.
ENJOY THE REST OF THE TOUR!
Tuesday, September 6th: A Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, September 7th: Doing Dewey
Thursday, September 8th: Tina Says…
Friday, September 9th: Sapphire Ng
Monday, September 12th: Read. Write. Repeat.
Tuesday, September 13th: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, September 14th: Back Porchervations
Thursday, September 15th: A Bookish Affair
Friday, September 16th: Reading Reality
Monday, September 19th: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, September 20th: In the Garden of Eva
Thursday, September 22nd: View from the Birdhouse
Friday, September 23rd: From L.A. to LA
Monday, September 26th: Man of La Book
Tuesday, September 27th: Gspotsylvania: Ramblings from a Reading Writer Who Rescues Birds and Beasts
Wednesday, September 28th: Staircase Wit
Friday, September 30th: Cold Read
Check out what NPR has to say!
Filed under: book review, Books, The Basset Plantation, TLC Book Tours Tagged: book review, Books, Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly, NASA, TLC Book Tours, Women's Studies
Fluku
Flu is a killer
Preventative shot is not
Go get yours today!!
In DoG We Trust
Filed under: flu, haiku, Helpful Life Hints, poetry, The Basset Plantation Tagged: flu, flu shot, haiku, helpful life hints, poetry
September 22, 2016
Eloquent Aroma
For Throwback Thursday
Todays eloquence
expressed through the aroma
of homemade pear bread!
In DoG We Trust.
Filed under: baking, haiku, poetry, Spotsylvania, The Basset Plantation, Throwback Thursday Tagged: Baking, haiku, poetry, Spotsylvania, Throwback Thursday
September 21, 2016
September 20, 2016
I Hate Glaucoma
I hate Glaucoma
Sweet Pete is almost all blind
night vision has gone
In DoG We Trust
Filed under: Dogs, haiku, Parenting Dogs, Pets, poetry, The Basset Plantation Tagged: basset hounds, dogs, Glaucoma, haiku, pets, poetry
September 19, 2016
ButtSchach
Tell me dear readers
what image comes first to mind
Dog Butt Rorschach test
In DoG We Trust
Filed under: Basset Hounds, Dogs, haiku, Pets, The Basset Plantation Tagged: basset hounds, dogs, haiku, pets, poetry 
September 16, 2016
Chicken Happy Hour
Throwback Thursday on Freakin Friday! Doing this 2 years ago – still doing this every evening! Drinkin with Chickins!
Never drink alone.
Glass of wine with friends here means
Chicken Happy Hour.
In DoG We Trust
Filed under: chickens, drinking, haiku, Happy Hour, poetry, The Basset Plantation, Vino Tagged: birds, chickens, drinking, haiku, Happy Hour, pets, poetry, vino
