Cleo’s Comments (group member since Apr 12, 2016)

Cleo’s comments from the Reading Classics, Chronologically Through the Ages group.

Hi Sharon! I think we follow each other on Instagram. Great to see you here and I look forward to reading with you as well!

Those are BIG books, aren't they? If we only had all hours of the day to read but that isn't reality so we can only do our best, right? With much less time to read, I've had to take a more realistic view of what I'm able to accomplish and just be happy with little time I have to read. If you keep plugging along, you'll get there eventually!

I started this one but stalled as I was trying to compile posts on my blog on each life and it became a little to much at the moment. I do plan to come back to it though, but I need to finish The Republic first.

Woo hoo! Thanks, Kendra! This is great! :-)

To be honest, I doubt I'll have the time to read it but I will try. But I'll definitely look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I have On the Nature of the Universe Is that the same book?

I wish I could have joined you on this read, Kendra. Thanks for sharing! I really like this ode too. What has really struck me lately, is that people tend to focus on others; what they are doing or not doing, and then complain about it. I like how Horace draws the focus to ourselves. The only ones we can change are ourselves and so it's best to focus on our own behaviour and hopefully by showing patience, temperance and hope, we can effect others in a positive way.

Sandy wrote: "Cleo wrote: "At the moment, I'm looking after my blind mother while my horribly difficult father has a knee replacement and I have very little energy left now. "

It sure is nice to see you droppin..."

Oh heavens, I've been so busy I didn't even see your comment until now, Sandy. I'm home but I'm now working about 6-7 days per week. And loooong days! Yesterday I didn't finish until 9 pm. So needless to say I've had very limited reading time still. And the end isn't in sight yet. So I will endure in hopes that fairer reading times are somewhere in my future, hopefully sooner rather than later. I hope you are doing well. I do get a jolt of happiness and nostalgia when I see my book friend's books pop up on my GR feed!

I'm ready to jump in!

Kenia wrote: "LOL! That all just makes me laugh. Your excitement in all of it is infectious. I don't know that I would call it a mess, as I'm sure you have your own system that works for you in place,..."

Under my previous circumstances, my system was working but since I've added some work AND I'm trying to keep my food blog going, the system is REALLY a mess! I used to be able to read many books at once but now I need to switch it up and concentrate on one or two, or three at the very most. No more 8 books at one time. That's just crazy! It makes me feel overwhelmed and I end up reading nothing. However, I have a problem with book distraction so there's always something popping up that I want to read. I have to put on blinders, lol! Looking forward to starting the new system!

Sandy (CA) wrote: "Kenia et al. -- Much to my chagrin, I haven't been as involved here as I would like but life has had other plans for me in recent months. TWEM is a huge commitment, both for the young and healthy w..."

That's too bad to hear about your energy levels, Sandy. I hope you can join us for a few, but I also know these complex books demand alot of mental energy, so I understand. At the moment, I'm looking after my blind mother while my horribly difficult father has a knee replacement and I have very little energy left now. I can't wait to get back home and back to normal (whatever that is!) Take care!

Sorento62 wrote: "Thanks, Cleo. I got a kidney transplant almost 13 years ago. My aunt Susie gave me one of hers, bless her. So I am pretty much bought into the world of modern medicine, with all its benefits and si..."

My friend's son had a number of liver transplants so I have an idea of how complex these transplants can be. Take care of yourself and I'm glad to hear things are looking up!

Kenia, I really love this new idea! I was focusing on the main WEM books because I feel they really will give you a base and then you can slot other books in from there. I'm having struggles reading at all at the moment because I've started working and I'm trying to keep my new food blog going. I should have time to at least be slightly consistent but other intermittent things have come up to take up that time so I haven't been very successful. I would like to start the Birds in February. I've finished Thucydides and am part way through Plato and I've also started both Plutarch and City of God. Don't ask how it became such a mess but I really need something focussed to pull me through and a schedule and buddy readers would be the way to do it. So yay! for your new plan!

That's terrible, Julie, I'm so sorry! There are so many prescription reactions nowadays and it's rather appalling. I hope that you're feeling better soon. Sending healing thoughts your way!

Looks like a great reading year for you, Kendra! I hope 2018 is even better!

Looks great, Kenia! I might join you for The Birds. I'm still slogging through The Republic, Plutarch's Live and City of God so I have my plate overflowing, never mind my cup, lol!

Tracey wrote: "Your blog looks great. I am on a nightshade, gluten and refined sugar free diet which helps a lot with fibromyalgia (which I have) . Do you have any such recipes? ..."

They will come, so just watch for them. I'm a little caught between a rock and a hard place; I'm basically gluten-free (or try to be most of the time) and I try to limit my dairy HOWEVER, my business partner is a lacto-vegetarian who doesn't drink alcohol. So if you can imagine if we combine both of us: no gluten, no dairy, no meat, no eggs, no alcohol. What on earth is left, lol! ;-) So I'm trying to go the lacto-vegetarian route, combining recipes that I might use from time to time from my eating habits while sharing recipes people are more likely to use. It's hard because you don't want to be too narrow, then again you can also get spread out all over with the gluten-free, keto, vegan, vegetarian, paleo crazes. It's been difficult to try to find a path and stick to it. I'm assuming you could probably use the Pomegranate Quinoa Salad, and the Pumpkin Kidney Bean Curry (if you left out the tomato paste). I'm assuming you can still use maple syrup and honey? I have a Pumpkin Blueberry Baked Oatmeal I'm posting tomorrow (there! I gave it away), that could be made with gluten-free oats too. So keep checking in. I'm trying to make the recipes easy and flexible for changing ingredients.

Thanks to both of you! I've used Traumeel before and it works wonderfully for me and my daughter. I do know others that it's done nothing for so I still say we're all different and what works for one, might not work for the other. As an example, my daughter had a tooth pulled when she was 9 and after the freezing wore off was screaming from the pain. I stopped in at a natural food store and they gave me some Traumeel pills, she dissolved one up by where the tooth was pulled and in 10 minutes she said she felt completely fine. That sold me. However, my neighbour who is a natural food and health buff says it does nothing for her.

Tracey wrote: "Just an FYI/ To really heal any joint issues and to ensure you get the best recovery possible I highly recommend a product called Recovery from www.purica.com
I am a pharmacist and herbalist and practice holistically and this product is the best out there. I have used it with people needing back surgery and didn't need it after using this. :) (I have no invested interest in this product other than knowing it works ..."

So funny! I've used their products for animals but I didn't know they had human supplements! I'm very much into health and nutrition, so I appreciate the information. Is there a particular product you recommend? I used Traumeel (a tube left over from before they pulled out of North America, which you probably know about ---- sad ...) on my other wrist that's sprained and it's worked like a dream.

I've just started a vegetarian food blog to share recipes but also to educate a little while doing so and to try to bring people back to where their food comes from. I'm trying not to plug it on the GR boards but you seem like someone who might appreciate it. In any case, if you're interested you can check it out at: JOURNEY TO THE GARDEN And please feel free to give any feedback. I'm looking for all the guidance I can get.

Again, thanks for the recommendation!

Kenia wrote: "Time really is the key word, especially now in the holiday season. I think everyone completely relates. ☺️

I’m so sorry to hear about your accident! That sounds painful. 😖 And to not be able to re..."

Thank you for the "stern look", Kenia, and feel free to use them as you see fit. ;-) I'm not very good at resting, I admit, and not reading starts to make me crazy. I'm starting back slowly. My thumb hurts today but it's probably not used to movement. Going to rest now ..... :-)