Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
I just finished a wonderful novel by Jodi Picoult, "House Rules," that I would recommend highly to this group. It's about an autistic boy accused of murder and his mother's efforts to save him, it's set in Vermont, and it's very different in that Picoult divides the narration between five or six different characters, often providing different points of view of the same event.
Having fun with the kids. They got here about 4:30am & once it was light out, I introduced the grandmonster to the horses. All enjoyed it a lot. Messed up Colin's schedule, though. He was far too excited running around the back yard seeing all the flowers, bushes, horses, dogs, & birds (especially the Purple Martins & hummingbirds that swoop in low) to go to sleep. He finally crashed, but now it's gotten late.
Treasure these moments. Speaking as a grandmother of the youngest grandchild at age 26 now, I know what I am speaking of. Also, I have eighteen grandchildren and they were all dear to my heart. Once they are grown they are still dear but life happens to them and it's a different game as the saying goes.
Darrell wrote: "I just finished a wonderful novel by Jodi Picoult, "House Rules," that I would recommend highly to this group. It's about an autistic boy accused of murder and his mother's efforts to save him, it'..."Thanks for posting, Darrell. Here's the link: House Rules
Jim wrote: "Having fun with the kids. They got here about 4:30am & once it was light out, I introduced the grandmonster to the horses. All enjoyed it a lot. Messed up Colin's schedule, though. He was far too e..."We're busy with the kids too. The baby's schedule is also upset. Vacations will do that. :)
Joy, my last baby grandchild will be twenty six next month. I guess I had my children and their children younger than most. My grandchildren were born close in age to one another but not in proximity/One in KS, one in MO, one in Hamburg Germany, one in Nicaragua, one in Santo Domingico, two in Venezuela, three in Mexico, Three in France, three in CA and one in MA who is the oldest of them all and he is forty. Enough family history and I might have forgoten one or two.
Wow, Nina, your family is all over the map! LOL
Joy, strangely I was an only child and my father was an only child; therefore, I was an only grandchlid and I had one first cousin. I had six children and have 18 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren so you see why I say it was all sort of strange.
Nina, I guess you could say that your family multiplied "geometrically"... and "geographically" too! :)
Yes, that's a good way to put it. With so many descendents it is too bad only two children live nearby/two grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Most live in CA
I taught Colin to use the dog door shortly after they arrived on Thursday. He's a real pro at it now, better than the new dog, Gizmo. Ashley was a bit peeved with me, but now she thinks it's cute & took a series of Colin going into the dog door. It's here:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
The kids have been telling us their Lab, Tec, was too much trouble. We told them to get another dog & he'd be fine. They didn't believe us until they got here & Pip ran Tec into the ground. Tec is much better behaved. Another strike against getting a dog was finding one. We took them to our local shelter. I'm a member, so I adopted Gizmo for them. He's a beagle/lab mix & the same color as Tec. They're just like Lenny & George. They're best buds already & keeping each other amused.
Jim wrote: "I taught Colin to use the dog door shortly after they arrived on Thursday. He's a real pro at it now, better than the new dog, Gizmo. Ashley was a bit peeved with me, but now she thinks it's cute..."Cute pics of Colin using the dog door. :)
Now, Jim, that's inventive. Funny pictures. Now a favor from you and/or Werner. I can't remember which one of you sent me a Bird website but it was great and I unfortunately don't still have it. Could you please send it to me one more time/either or both of you. Still a problem trying to figure out the little chickadee looking bird with the black cap and a red top like a rooster's on it. It is always with the other chickadee without the red top at our Finch feeder. Then this afternoon here came two other chickadee looking birds/slightly larger than the other ones and these had sripped black and white wings and one had the red thatch on it's head. We are still puzzled. I tried taking their picture through the kitchen window and it scared them away. Thanks for your help and any suggestions.
Thanks for the site, Jim. I did find the female downy wodpecker is one of the birds we identified at the finch feeder but still can't find the chickadee with the red crown listed anywhere. Wish it would return so I could hopefully get a picture.
Jim, thanks for the beautiful family pics and the interesting tour of the wildlife center. I see that Colin is already getting accustomed to riding on a horse. :)
Nice pictures. Colin is darling as you already know. And the horse handsome. Goodly pair.
The temperature outside is 96 degrees F and with the heat index/humidity we have a 'feels like' temperature of 106. So, I am definitely not going outside at all.This is pretty normal for late summer in Omaha!
Unfortunately we match your temps in Kansas. But, this past week was lovely with our eighties temps. Hope they return soon. I think the chickadees headed north. Can't aay that I blame them.
We have chilly weather here this morning, in the low sixties. Of course it will warm up later.
Ninety six temp predicted today. We do chores early when there is a slight breeze. Later in the day and evening it just gets hotter.
I love a good breeze on a hot day!
Hi Everyone. I haven't been on Goodreads in about a year, maybe more. Just read some posts about birds. My favorite subject. Yesterday, we had for the first time, a black and white warbler. Actually the first time I've seen this bird and made an entry into my bird recording book!! Seems he was just passing by.........
Going to be hot today. Everyone stay hydrated.
Linda wrote: "... Yesterday, we had for the first time, a black and white warbler. Actually the first time I've seen this bird ..." "Hi Linda - That was quite a sighting! A very distinctive bird! I've never seen one like that. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bl...
I don't think I've ever seen one, either. Cool!
Very cool for me! Had to look him up on the Cornell website and also in my bird books! You never know what you will find outside in nature - that's why I'm always looking when doing dishes - a window over kitchen sink is a MUST!
Linda wrote: "... You never know what you will find outside in nature - that's why I'm always looking when doing dishes - a window over kitchen sink is a MUST!"So true.
I am almost in a tree house when I look out my kitchen window as the branches from the nearly 100 year old pine tree are almost within touching distance and they extend across the entire kitchen outside walls. And so much fun to see the picture of you warbler visitor. We still haven't found the species that appeared a few days last month at the finch feeder/looks just like a chickadee with the black cap and the red rooster like red scruff on top it's head. Not a downy woodpecker. No picture in the Cornell group looks like her/him.
It's possible that the bird isn't a native, Nina. People import pets & then set them loose in the wild all the time. I don't have anything polite to say about that or those that have released so many invasive species on us. Starlings & English Sparrows are two examples.
That's an interesting, Jim. I would not have thought of that solution to my mysterious visitor. Isn't that sad, if true?
It's irresponsible, cruel, & intentionally ignorant. People dump cats, dogs, & all sorts of animals out our way. I'd have more respect for them if they took them out back & shot them. It would be kinder in most cases.
That is why our Wayside Waifs facility is way overcrowded with kittens this summer.
Nina wrote: "I am almost in a tree house when I look out my kitchen window as the branches from the nearly 100 year old pine tree are almost within touching distance and they extend across the entire kitchen ou..."I certainly would like to be looking out at your window!
Today, looking outback I saw a male turkey with a female turkey and 14 babies the size of a football. Fun to watch. Busy cleaning my house today and every so often, probably too often, looked out at the backyard.
That's cool. I agree about the kitchen window. We see a lot of wild turkeys around here, too. Lately it's been deer out grazing near the horses & goats. Over the years, we've also seen fox, coyote, & hawks, too. Our back patio door gives about the same view & we can see out it from the living room. The horse barn & Purple Martin houses are out there, too. Our slice of heaven.
Very nice, Jim. Watching nature is relaxing and a great joy.
Linda wrote: "Today, looking outback I saw a male turkey with a female turkey and 14 babies the size of a football. Fun to watch. Busy cleaning my house today and every so often, probably too often, looked out a..."We often see wild turkeys as we ride through the Adirondacks.
Linda wrote: "... Busy cleaning my house today ..."Did you clean the top of your refrigerator? Ew! That can be a neglected spot for sure! LOL
Jim, just read one more review of the "Watchman," in the NYT today. That reviewer thought the first part was a bit boring compared to "Mockingbird," that he said got right into the meat of the story. However, long review and he really didn't object to the way Atticus was portrayed as it fit the times but he ended his review by saying he wished the way Jean Louise thought of the pros and cons of her boyfriend and Atticus felt about the changes that were coming and how they were dealing with them contrary to how she felt was explored more fully. He then added if this topic had been expanded in the right way it could have produced a prize winning book at this time, just like Mockingbird was back when it was first published. I hope I have made myself clear on this subject.
I still think it's amazing that we had red tailed hawks sitting on our balcony railing on the eighth floor condiminium. We had hummingbirds also at our hibiscus trees there. We felt so part of nature when we lived there as we could see over green spaces for almost ten miles even though it was in the heart of a big city. The sunrises were spectacular.
Werner, my librarian daughter called from ID yesterday and before hanging up she said, "Oh mom I am reading the best book and I think it would make a great movie, "The Little Paris Bookshop." I told her I was reading the same book and I agreed with what she said.
And now I am wondering if they made the movie who would be perfect for the male protagonist. I think a Anthony Hopkins when he was young.
Nina wrote: "Jim, just read one more review of the "Watchman," in the NYT today...."Sounds like he & I were on the same page then.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Werner, hope you had a good vacation! Thanks for checking in.