Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
We're alike in that, Linda. Half the flowers that I like are pretty weedy. The galardia, bee balm & hostas all grow like weeds & they're among my favorites. Set it & forget it! Delicate or finicky plants don't cut it with us. Come to think of it, everything around our place better thrive on its own & stand up to abuse or it just doesn't make it.
I go back to Brooklyn often to visit my 97 year-old mother who's been living in the same rent-controlled apartment for 70 years-- $140/mo.---Tne landlord could easily get almost 10 times that amount---I think he's the one putting banana peels on her doorstep!
Lived off of Kings Highway---the area now is largely Russian (which is ironic since I spent my formative years wondering if "The Russians are Coming!!")
--There is still one old great Deli called Adelman's on Kings H'way and East 19th street---to die for!!
Linda wrote: "Would be fun to take a ride to Manhattan, Bronx and/or Brooklyn just to visit the Italian Bakeries and Jewish Delis and bring home loads of goodies!"Hmmm, our son sometimes works in NYC. I should ask him to shop around. :)
He often brings goodies (like all kinds of fresh fruit) from the specialty stores in the city. Everything he brings is of very high quality. While at our house, he even cuts up the fruit and makes an exotic fruit salad. I'm always amazed because I never set an example for this type of kitchen work; I was not that kind of role model.
Linda wrote: "Brueggers was at the Red Lobster Mall. Since been replaced with the Verizon store.Panera's bagels are good. Not the same as Lox of Bagels which I prefer. However, Panera's has some good breads. Several of their salads are good, too. "
Linda - Thanks for the update on Brueggers. Sorry to hear it's gone. I LOVE Panera's! Their soup in a bread bowl is fun to eat.
Jim wrote: "We have trumpet vine all over & it's a weed, but a pretty one. You see it growing wild along fences all around. I planted one last year on a corner of the fence & it barely hung on. Then this ye..."Are Morning Glories considered trumpet vines? I remember growing them as a kid. They climbed up strings out on our porch.
I don't think they're the same, Joy, but I don't know. What I call Trumpet Vine is a woody, thick stemmed, perennial vine whereas the Morning Glory that also grows wild is very thin & an annual.
Linda, It would be great if we could teleport to the City and grab out goodies. Like go to Balducci's. I used to live a block away, I practically did all my shopping there.
I'm not good on long distance drives, so I never go home anymore.
Jim wrote: "I don't think they're the same, Joy, but I don't know. What I call Trumpet Vine is a woody, thick stemmed, perennial vine whereas the Morning Glory that also grows wild is very thin & an annual."I see. Thanks, Jim.
While I was googling around, I came across the following webpage:
http://www99.epinions.com/review/Trum...
It has a "review" by "cmaw63" which tells about her experience with trumpet vines.
I wonder if you're going to have a similar experience.
She says: "I will leave the Trumpet Vines where they are and deal with them so I can enjoy the birds, bees and butterflies that are drawn to them."
But she also says: "If I was smart I would pull, tug and shovel those vines out of my yard today."
I'd love to know how those hardy plants would fare in our terrible clay soil where few plants thrive.
Joy, this is not the first warning I've had about their rapaciousness & the woman is quite correct. I have tried to take care of this by planting them in areas where there are no other broad leaved plants, only grass. That means I can blast it with 2-4-D, which only kills broadleaved plants, if needed.
Jim wrote: "Joy, this is not the first warning I've had about their rapaciousness & the woman is quite correct. I have tried to take care of this by planting them in areas where there are no other broad leave..."Good idea, Jim.
Arnie wrote: " I go back to Brooklyn often to visit my 97 year-old mother who's been living in the same rent-controlled apartment for 70 years-- $140/mo.---Tne landlord could easily get almost 10 times that..."
Hi Arnie - I didn't see your post until now for some reason. It's amazing that your mother is 97 and also amazing that she's paying such a low rent. She's lucky that the apartment is rent-controlled.
I too have roots in Brooklyn. My mom's folks lived in a house on 92nd Street in the Fort Hamilton section. I enjoyed many a Christmas in that house. I used to go down to the river and walk along Shore Road there when I was a kid.
My dad's folks lived in Brooklyn on Willoughby Avenue near the Myrtle Avenue elevated train and St. John's College. I remember their brownstone houses and the steps that went up to the doors. My old great aunts always had opera playing on the radio in the kitchen. My great uncle, an eye doctor, lived on Jefferson Street near there and had his office there too.
We either took the trains down to Brooklyn from the Yonkers trolley or my dad drove us down in his LaSalle, along the West Side Highway from Yonkers. We'd pass the GW Bridge and the Cunard Ships in the harbor on the Hudson River. He'd drive through Canal Street in NYC and then drive over the Williamsburgh bridge.
I still remember it all like it was yesterday.
Jackie wrote: "Linda, It would be great if we could teleport to the City and grab out goodies. Like go to Balducci's. I used to live a block away, I practically did all my shopping there.
I'm not good on l..."
Teleport - now that's an idea.
We need that sonic train from Albany to Penn Station. Once there its easy to get to the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn by subway.
Today, we went potato picking. Good dry day for picking. A few years ago it started to rain and we were picking in the mud! Just the 2 of us to feed so only picked 1/2 bushel. Nice ride to Hampton NY (just a few miles away from Poultney VT). Leaves are starting to change color.
Linda wrote: "Today, we went potato picking. Good dry day for picking. A few years ago it started to rain and we were picking in the mud! Just the 2 of us to feed so only picked 1/2 bushel. Nice ride to Ham..."
Linda, you two should have been a farmers. LOL The last thing in the world I would think of doing is potato picking! LOL Where did you get the idea to pick potatoes?
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Linda wrote: "Today, we went potato picking. Good dry day for picking. A few years ago it started to rain and we were picking in the mud! Just the 2 of us to feed so only picked 1/2 bushel. Nice ..."
Joy, funny! Years ago in either the Adirondack Journal or the Chronicle there was an ad for Perry's Potato - u pick. Always looking for a new place to take a ride - we went. We find it enjoyable. The best part is the potatoes are fresh, keep well in the cool basement, less expensive than store bought, and taste better - very white and fluffy.
Who thought bending down and picking potatoes from the dirt would be fun!!
Today, we are going to the Herkimer mines to see what crystals we can dig up! Its a cool day. The sun won't be beating down on us while we beat up rocks!
From potato to diamond mining, Linda? You're coming up in the world!;-)
Linda wrote: "Joy, funny! Years ago in either the Adirondack Journal or the Chronicle there was an ad for Perry's Potato - u pick. Always looking for a new place to take a ride - we went..."It must be fun, going for rides and exploring. I've always loved that idea. Good luck at the crystal mines. I googled and found them at: ====>
http://www.herkimerdiamond.com/
My friend Helena just went to the Herkimer mines on Tueday. We're planning a visit to the garnet mines later in the month.
Jackie wrote: "My friend Helena just went to the Herkimer mines on Tueday. We're planning a visit to the garnet mines later in the month."Jackie, I've heard so much about those Garnet Mines. Here's a link: ====>
http://www.garnetminetours.com/
Keep us posted.
I haven't been there yet, but she's given my lots of raw garnet. Beautiful stone, raw or polished.
Jackie wrote: "I haven't been there yet, but she's given my lots of raw garnet. Beautiful stone, raw or polished."I came across an interesting and informative article about the mines and garnets. See it at: ====>
http://my.hamilton.edu/Spectator/0208...
We got rain! Yipee!!! 2.5" over the morning. It really came down hard some times. We lost power about 8am, though. It didn't come on until noon. No Internet, either so I watched a couple of episodes of "The Middle Man". It's a really cheesy, fun old program. I think it was only on for 1 season, unfortunately.
I'm going out on the porch; reading time. I recorded a movie about Georgia O'Keefe and I have half of Angels & Demons to watch. Hopefully I'll get around to that later. This week the Fall TV schedule will be in full swing, I won't have time for movies.
Joy, Jackie, Jim and othersHerkimer was fun. We belted rocks and played in dirt for about 2 hours. Got a few little cystal pieces. Brought home a few pieces of rock to break apart further and see what develops. Its a fun time outdoors. We stopped at a fishing hole on West Canada Creek to eat our sandwiches.
Luckily we have left over chicken parmesean for dinner tonight. No cooking - just reheating.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jackie wrote: "My friend Helena just went to the Herkimer mines on Tueday. We're planning a visit to the garnet mines later in the month."Jackie, I've heard so much about those Garnet Mines. Her..."
Jackie - thanks for reminding me about the Garnet Mines. Its been on our to do list for awhile.
I finished reading "Water for Elephants" and now have to search my closet to see if there are any unread books.Once again, wouldn't have been a book of my selection (its a selection from the library Book Club) but want to broaden my reading scope. Overall its a good book. I don't like the circus. Never did. However, at the Bronx Zoo, when I was about 6 years old, an elephant did amuse me. He drank water - then squirted all his spectators!
Linda wrote: "I finished reading "Water for Elephants" and now have to search my closet to see if there are any unread books.Once again, wouldn't have been a book of my selection (its a selection from the li..."
Linda, about _Water for Elephants_, I thought the plot was excellent. To me, the book wasn't as much about the circus as it was about a mystery taking place in a circus setting. I loved the characters in the story.
Glad you had a good trip.
Jim wrote: "We got rain! Yipee!!! 2.5" over the morning. It really came down hard some times. We lost power about 8am, though. It didn't come on until noon. No Internet, either so I watched a couple of episodes of "The Middle Man..."Jim, Glad you got the rain you wanted.
I checked out Wiki re "Middle Man": ====>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midd...
It says: "The series includes various pop-culture references..." That was probably fun.
Netflix has the complete series: ====>
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Midd...
Jackie wrote: "I'm going out on the porch; reading time. I recorded a movie about Georgia O'Keefe and I have half of Angels & Demons to watch. ...This week the Fall TV schedule will be in full swing, I won't have time for movies."
Jackie, did you or anyone else watch the Emmy Awards last night? I've started a new topic about the show. Below is the link: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
Hi - I'll be away from the computer overnight tonight and most of tomorrow.You may talk amongst yourselves. LOLOL ====>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxMY--...
I can't take seriously most big award shows---it's mostly industry self-promotion and their choice of winners has more to do with industry politics than actual merit.
How can you take seriously a show that blithely has ignored the two funniest shows on TV for the past several years---"Everybody Hates Chris" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
What an insult, by the way, to nominate for best comedy writer 4 from the same show, 30 Rock---I guess there are no other funny writers out there!!
I'm with Arnie on award shows being more about industry politics, which is why I don't watch them, I get really annoyed. I replied at the new topic if you want to read further.
Arnie wrote: " I can't take seriously most big award shows---it's mostly industry self-promotion and their choice of winners has more to do with industry politics than actual merit. How can you take seriou..."
Arnie and Jackie, I don't take them seriously. I just enjoy them as entertainment.
It's just pointless, if you want to say Yay to someone for whatever reason, then do so. Don't try to mask it in an awards show. If it's for the best show, then let it BE the best show.
BTW, I didn't mean YOU as in you, Joy, I meant, them, or the universal you.
Jackie wrote: "BTW, I didn't mean YOU as in you, Joy, I meant, them, or the universal you."No problem, Jackie. I knew it wasn't me because I didn't say "Yay" to any of the movies or performers in those movies. LOL
Too bad the English language doesn't have a word for the "universal you". I've always felt that one is needed. The French language has a good word: "on". "On" stands for the universal "they". Can't think of any example. My French isn't that good. :)
Joy wrote: No problem, Jackie. I knew it wasn't me because I didn't say "Yay" to any of the movies or performers in those movies. LOLI'm laugh like crazy over that: I didn't say Yay to any of the movies, LOL, LOL, LOL...
THAT is an excellent idea, Joy. We really do need one, I mean, we use the universal you a lot. I say we make one up right now and I'll bet in 5 years everyone will be using it. How about 'vou'? I wanted to say 'uou' but I have no idea how to pronounce it, LOL
Jackie wrote: "...I say we make one up right now and I'll bet in 5 years everyone will be using it. ..."Let me think about this. Hmmm. :)
OK, let me know what you come up with.
It's that so much in this country has to be seen as a competitiopn. I agreed with George C. Scott the year he refused the Oscar for "Patton" because he thought the whole award show mindset was demeaning to actors and artists.
What's the criteria for saying actor A gave a better performance than Actor B??
Too often it comes down to the quotient of histrionics they're able to generate.
Arnie wrote: " It's that so much in this country has to be seen as a competitiopn. I agreed with George C. Scott the year he refused the Oscar for "Patton" because he thought the whole award show mindset was d..."
Actors were so marginalized for so long - just a heartbeat away from being considered vagrants, and for many years "actress" was virtually a synonym for "whore" - that I guess I can understand in the big historical picture why at some level it's so important to them to be honored and recognized for what they do, even if it's only by their own! But you're right, Arnie, so much of the time comparisons between one performance and another are pointless, apples to oranges. Comic performances almost never win, and they're much harder to bring off and take a lot more skill than the big sturm-and-drang dramatic ones. I actually have a category of my own now when I see movies, which I call the "Give-Me-My-Oscar-RIGHT-NOW!" Performance - see Renee Zellweger in COLD MOUNTAIN or Daniel Day Lewis in THERE WILL BE BLOOD - and sadly the Academy is almost inevitably seduced by them.
"Patton" was a GREAT flick & George C. Scott a wonderful actor. I loved him in "Dr. Strangelove" one of my all time favorite movies. He was one of the best parts, although the VERY BEST goes to Slim Pickens for riding the bomb.I think it was an Academy Award that Scott turned down & he was the first to do so. I normally pay no attention to such things, but Brando did the same thing a couple/few years later for "The Godfather". For some unknown reason, that bit of trivia surfaced.
(I do not have a pack rat mind - 'morass' describes it better. All sorts of odd things bubble up from time to time. Best not look at most too closely.)
Yes Jim, I remember the Brando refusal also---he sent up a woman who was purportedly a native-American (but i think I heard later she really wasn't)---anyway, to his credit, Brando wanted to focus attention to the plight of Native-Americans, circa 1973.
Good point, Margaret about the status of actors back in the day. However, I feel that for at least 80 years now they've gotten more than their due, not to mention salaries that could probably pay off most third world nations' debt.
Spot on about comedy.
But as Woody Allen once lamented:'When you do comedy you're always sitting at the children's table!'
Now they're practically gods with the way American's go in for the celebrity worhip.
Today I did my volunteer work at the local library (make sure the books are shelved correctly and the bindings and labels are in good order). Noticed the book "Adirondack Fire Towers - Their History Nad Lore - The Southern Districts" by Martin Podskoch. Several years ago on one of our road adventures, my husband and I stumbled upon a Fire Tower (meaning we didn't know it was there) at Pokeomoonshine, Keeseville NY. The 2nd fire tower we visited was along the Seaway Trail.
About the history of when the fire towers were built, causes of the fires and number of acres burnt, and the closing of the fire towers. Includes a chapter on "Aerial Surveillance Replaces Fire Towers - 1971-1986".
Jackie wrote: "Which library?"Caldwell Library.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Weeds can be very pretty! I wouldn't mind the vine growing wild by my parking area which already has lots of unidentifiable weeds (at least to me).