Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
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Nina
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Apr 30, 2009 07:56AM
More on Hummingbirds; they especially like four o'clock flowers in the evening. nina
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Jim wrote: "Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) which is native to our area. We have quite a few growing wild in the woods & they line the roads around here. Very pretty."Flowering trees help to make springtime so beautiful. They are truly a re-awakening in so many ways, not only for the trees but for people like us who have had enough of winter.
Nina wrote: ""When we lived on the eighth floor of a condo building I had hibiscus trees on my balcony and was astonished when hummingbirds visited them. nina"Whenever I hear about or see hibiscus flowers I think about our trip to Bermuda where they seem to be growing everywhere. I remember Bermuda for the beautiful colors of all the flowers there. I just now found the following webpage:
http://home.att.net/~alexbratu/abp_be...
It says:
"Bermuda can be called Hibiscus Heaven!"
Also, I remember scenes like the one at the following webpage:
http://home.att.net/~alexbratu/abp_be...
I'm so glad we made that trip. It's one of my favorite memories. Three of our sons were there with us. One son and his wife were on the cruise ship with us. Another son flew over to meet us. Our sailor son sailed his boat up from Florida with his wife. When our cruise ship pulled into St. Georges, we spotted his boat anchored in the bay. We couldn't believe our eyes.
Good pictures. When my husband was in the Navy and the War was winding down he was sent to Bermuda. He always said he take me there but life went on and we never went. Isn't that fun to have that special memory of being there with your family and your son sailing up there...I think you mentioned once about your son sailing in the Bahamas..my cousin, Bob Bigham, sailed there and won all kinds of races even in his seventies..He and his wife also lived there quite a while. The hibiscus reminded me of being in Hawaii where they line the highways..It is the state flower..Probably looks a lot like the ones in Bermuda. Thanks for sharing some wonderful memories. nina
Nina wrote: "... The hibiscus reminded me of being in Hawaii where they line the highways..It is the state flower..Probably looks a lot like the ones in Bermuda. Thanks for sharing some wonderful memories. nina"I've never been to Hawaii. I'm sure I'd love it. Too bad I'm afraid to fly.
I've tried overcoming my fear of flying, but even that was traumatic. Fortunately, I flew when I was younger, but in propeller planes. I've never been on a jet.
Bermuda is the only overseas location I've ever been in.
Today I'm recovering from a slight emergency which happened the day before yesterday. While trying on sunglasses at K-Mart, I accidently poked the white of my eye with the card attached to the sunglasses. The poke was very painful but didn't hurt afterwards. However, because my eye became terribly bloodshot, I went to the eye doctor yesterday.He said no harm had been done, it was just a bruise. However, the upshot is that he examined my eyes (something I've been meaning to have done) and I am now scheduled for cataract surgery in one eye. My husband just got over that recently.
The doctor said that, in my case, it was best to have the surgery done now rather than to put it off. The longer I waited the more risk there would be, in my particular case. So perhaps the accident happened for the best.
My eyes still hurt from all they've gone through in the past few days.
Ouch! Glad the eye wasn't hurt worse, Joy. Hope you feel better soon.Cataracts must be going around. Last year I was told I have the beginnings of one. Yuck! Especially at my tender young age. He said it would probably be 10 years before it was a problem, though.
Jim wrote: "Ouch! Glad the eye wasn't hurt worse, Joy. Hope you feel better soon.Cataracts must be going around. Last year I was told I have the beginnings of one. Yuck! Especially at my tender young ag..."
Thanks for the wishes, Jim. Be sure to keep having your eyes checked. I wish I had known about my particular problem sooner. I've never had too much trouble with my eyes. So I assumed everything was OK. With the eyes, as with all health issues, one never knows...
PS-Be careful when trying on sunglasses. Those attached tags can be dangerous.
Joy, I think I wrote this when your husband had his surgery; I was ever so grateful to have the surgery..I know no surgery needed is the best but if it is to be I was so grateful they can do it and the results are splendid. And it's not as traumatic recovering now as in times past..When my mother had her eye surgery she had to lie in bed twenty four hours with bricks on each side of her head to keep her from turning her head. I really think, Joy you will be so pleased with the results..And I know it is painful when you hurt your eye as you did recently..In fact, it's miserable. Hope you are better soon..I will say an evening prayer that you will be..nina
Nina wrote: "Joy, I think I wrote this when your husband had his surgery; I was ever so grateful to have the surgery..I know no surgery needed is the best but if it is to be I was so grateful they can do it and..."Nina, thank you for your good wishes and your positive attitude. My cataract surgery is scheduled for about a month from now, during June. I'm hoping for the best.
Joy wrote: He said no harm had been done, it was just a bruise. However, the upshot is that he examined my eyes (something I've been meaning to have done) and I am now scheduled for cataract surgery in one eye.
I'm glad no damage was done Joy, that had to be scary though.
Last year the doctor told me that I had the beginnings of cataracts as well, my Aunt went about 20 years with hers before surgery though, so I expect I'll be about the same. She had her surgery about 8 years ago, and it was a relative snap then, so I know it has to be even easier now. Will they do both, or one at the time Joy?
Nina, I know what you mean when you say you were grateful, my Aunt is an artist, and the loss of the ability to see color was the worst for her, but it was so gradual, she hardly realized till toward the end of the time that it had happened. Then when the first eye was done, wow! Color! :)
I'm glad no damage was done Joy, that had to be scary though.
Last year the doctor told me that I had the beginnings of cataracts as well, my Aunt went about 20 years with hers before surgery though, so I expect I'll be about the same. She had her surgery about 8 years ago, and it was a relative snap then, so I know it has to be even easier now. Will they do both, or one at the time Joy?
Nina, I know what you mean when you say you were grateful, my Aunt is an artist, and the loss of the ability to see color was the worst for her, but it was so gradual, she hardly realized till toward the end of the time that it had happened. Then when the first eye was done, wow! Color! :)
Pontalba wrote: "... Last year the doctor told me that I had the beginnings of cataracts as well ... Will they do both, or one at the time Joy? ..."They'll do only one eye, Pontalba. The doctor says the other eye doesn't need it yet, although it's getting there.
The procedure has risks, although the odds are against them. I'm trying to think positive.
We've had rain with spotty sun all week. The grass on the lawn has LOVED it. It must have been 6 - 8" tall, easy. You wouldn't have thought it's been just a week since I mowed it.The north field is not doing as well. I don't know if it is the type of grass or if it needs nitrogen or what, but it is not growing as well as it should. We're keeping the horses off for a while to let it recover. Unfortunately, that means we need to feed some hay.
Always something. I really can't afford to put nitrogen on it again this year. Erin needs a summer class & that's $1000! It was about $500 last year to overseed & put nitrogen down on the fields. Probably higher this year. I'm going to watch the grass & see if I can identify it. Some grasses grow later than others. That might be the case, I hope.
If it's going to need a lot of nitrogen, I may just invest in some clover seed instead. I don't like much clover in a field since it dies off during the heat of the summer & gives the horses the slobbers. Nothing dangerous about it, but it's disgusting, especially when they say hello. They're like big, slobbery dog then.
Pontalba wrote: "Joy wrote: He said no harm had been done, it was just a bruise. However, the upshot is that he examined my eyes (something I've been meaning to have done) and I am now scheduled for cataract surger..."I thought it was like going from back and whte film to color. nina
Jim wrote: "We've had rain with spotty sun all week. The grass on the lawn has LOVED it. It must have been 6 - 8" tall, easy. You wouldn't have thought it's been just a week since I mowed it.The north f..."Slobbery but sweet horses..nina
Jim wrote: "We've had rain with spotty sun all week. The grass on the lawn has LOVED it. It must have been 6 - 8" tall, easy. You wouldn't have thought it's been just a week since I mowed it.The north f..."
I've never paid much attention to grass. I've just taken it for granted. Lately I'm paying more attention to it. Like everything else, it costs some money, even more if you can't take care of it yourself.
Interesting, about clover, horses, and the "slobbers". (g)
Nina wrote: "I thought it was like going from back and whte film to color. nina"That's a good comparison, Nina. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference after cataract surgery.
Jim wrote: "Has any one tried the new book format - upperbacks?http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2006... "
This is interesting, Jim! My large-print copy of _A Mercy_ seems to fit that description, but isn't called an "upperback". See it at: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49...
The book is tall and comparatively narrow. The lines are shorter and easier to scan.
I definitely find it easier to read and more comfortable to handle. I hope that the trend continues.
The copyright page says the book is published in accord with the standards of the N.A.V.H. (National Association for the Visually Handicapped). While I don't consider myself visually handicapped at all, I find that I prefer this format.
Yours shows as large print, Joy. These others are supposed to be regular print, just different size. As the blog says, it will wreak havoc on shelving. Standards for book sizes are long established. There are obvious variances, but for the most part, you could build a shelf for paperbacks & normal sized hardbacks without too much wasted space. I hold a book one handed when reading. My thumb & pinky hold the pages apart while the other 3 cup the spine. I'm not sure this new format will be good for that. I guess we'll see.
I'm not sure I really want to read a leisure book any faster. It's not like reading a newspaper where time counts. Enjoyment does.
Jim wrote: "Yours shows as large print, Joy. These others are supposed to be regular print, just different size. As the blog says, it will wreak havoc on shelving. Standards for book sizes are long establis..."Jim, I see what you mean. When we try to improve one thing, we lose something else. Everything is a trade-off.
Joy, I hope your eye is better and not in pain. Hope you can experience the spring with good vision and no more accidents..I do think it was one of the best things for me to have that c. surgery..I was told I wasn't quite ready for it thirteen years ago and that summer my husband had two heart attacks and I was driving back and forth in the dark sometimes to the hospital and of course, that's when my eye got much worse..I had to wait until fall for my surgery as my husband needed me so when I finally was able to take care of it I was literally thrilled..I hope yours is just great too..nina I am now reading with that good eye, "A Year in the World," by Frances Mayes*(Under the Tuscan Sun) author and I am loving it..Especially after struggling through the miseries of the main character in, "Away." It's about a Russian immigrant coming to NY after her family was killed in the Revoution and thinking her little daughter was also killed until a cousin turns up and says the daughter was taken to Siberia..The story is of the mother tring to work her way across the US and eventually to Alaska trying to get to Siberia..nina
Nina wrote: "Joy, I hope your eye is better and not in pain. Hope you can experience the spring with good vision and no more accidents..I do think it was one of the best things for me to have that c. surgery....."Nina, thank you for your good wishes. Thanks too for telling us about _A Year in the World Journeys of A Passionate Traveller_ and _Away_.
So many stories are about mothers and daughters. I just finished reading Toni Morrison's _A Mercy_ which is a sad story about the daughter of a slave who was given away by her mother in the hope that her daughter would have a better life. Morrison's novel, _Beloved_, also deals with a mother-daughter issue.
To see my comments about _A Mercy_, click on the link below: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
I put a shepard's hook out on the edge of the back deck so we could hang a hummingbird feeder from it. I read up a little & found that feeders should be at least 15' apart (some places say twice that) so that the aggressive little beasties don't try to control both. Looks like my distance is at least 50'. Last night we watched one male chase off another from both feeders & they are 30' apart or a bit more. I really hate moving the new one. It's perfectly positioned so we can sit in the living room & watch them. The original isn't movable, it's a bracket on the end of the clothes line, so the new one has to move.
We're seeing a lot more birds this year. I think all the houses, feed & water we've put out are really pulling them in. I got a glimpse of a red & black bird that I thought was a Scarlet Tanenger, but the head was all black. Might have been the light & been an Oriole. We also saw a pair of Rufus Sided Towhees over the weekend, along with an Indigo Bunting & a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher. Wow, all kinds of cool birds.
Jim wrote: "I put a shepard's hook out on the edge of the back deck so we could hang a hummingbird feeder from it. I read up a little & found that feeders should be at least 15' apart (some places say twice t..."I love watching birds. I got a big thrill this week when I looked out my kitchen window and saw a big robin bathing himself in our bird bath. It looked like he was really enjoying himself because he stayed there quite a while, fluttering and fluttering. I just found this cute gif:
I found an interesting article about birds bathing and preening. It's at: ====>
http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/informa...
My sister is an avid birdwatcher. She spends half her vacations looking for birds. She marks them in her book when she spots them with when and where she saw them. One day, she was driving on a mountain road, and a bird flew by that she hadn't seen before. She turned both her face and the wheel around to see the bird. I told her to watch the road so we wouldn't get killed. She spent the next 10 minutes looking for the bird. I thought I was a goner.
Camerandi wrote: "...She turned both her face and the wheel around to see the bird. ... . She spent the next 10 minutes looking for the bird. I thought I was a goner..."LOL! Sad to say, but I almost ran off the road yesterday when I saw the red & black bird. I've done the same even while looking at trees.
Jim,At least you were on level ground and not on a mountain road. If you see something you want to know more about, please get off on the side of the road and look at it all you want. I worry about you guys.
Camerandi wrote: "Jim, At least you were on level ground and not on a mountain road. If you see something you want to know more about, please get off on the side of the road and look at it all you want. I worry..."Who would think that birds could be so dangerous. :)
They can even bring down airplanes. ====>
FROM CNN 1/15/09:
"NEW YORK (CNN)- A US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into a chilly Hudson River on Thursday, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to officials and passengers."
FROM: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/new....
We once had an Irish setter who liked chasing the Great Blue Herons who would land on our dock at Lake of the Ozarks but she did look startled when up they flew stretching out those enormous wings.She had the same experience with the wild turkeys..It's almost like she couldn't believe how they took off to escape her escapades..I still miss her. nina
Nina wrote: "We once had an Irish setter who liked chasing the Great Blue Herons who would land on our dock at Lake of the Ozarks but she did look startled when up they flew stretching out those enormous wings...."LOL - I can imagine how puzzled your Irish setter was when the birds flew away. :)
Today I went with the senior citizens to the Albany Tulip Festival in Washington Park. See more about it at the following website: ====>http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-alba...
Washington Park, in Albany, NY, is a beautiful place, especially when the tulip gardens are in full bloom. I enjoyed the events at the outdoor theater as well as the food and craft vendors. It was a true holiday atmosphere with everyone obviously having a good time enjoying the beautiful weather and the festival atmosphere.
The weather was so warm that many people, including myself, enjoyed sitting on the edge of the big fountain around the Moses statue, dangling our bare feet in the cool water. One fellow even jumped in with all his clothes on. What fun!
I enjoyed my root beer float as I overlooked the lake at the park. It was a completely relaxing day. I usually don't enjoy crowds, but today I didn't mind at all because the spirit of good fellowship was all around.
Happy Mother's Day!
Yesterday was relaxing for me. The girls went to a terrier trial & were gone from 7am - 7pm. I weeded gardens, turned a bowl, fixed a chainsaw & generally puttered & relaxed.Today is mowing day. I called Mom this morning to give her my best wishes. We'r both glorying in all the rain we've had. It's been perfect for weeding & transplanting.
Erin brought a friend home from college. Elena is leaving today & we'll miss her. Very interesting to talk to. She's from Tajikahstan. She speaks very good English & has been a delight to have. She really makes me appreciate what we have. You should read the Wikipedia article about that country. It sits between Afghanastan & China.
She grew up in the midst of a civil war. Talking to her about UNICEF aid wasn't shocking, but confirmed why I don't give to international organizations. (Aid in the form of school supplies was sent in. The school officials demanded that each student get them, but made them buy it.) Most aid winds up lining official pockets. The state owns all the land, so you buy in & then lease it. Farmers have to plant 70% of their land in cotton.
Anyway, she's interesting to talk to. Well read & has travelled extensively. She is a translator, as well as a student, at my daughter's college. She still has a few semesters to go, so hopefully we'll see more of her next year.
Jim, I can't even imagine pronouncing the name of the city your daughter's friend came from..Yes, we all gripe here in the US but none of alive grew up in the midst of a Civil War. So sad what children live through or don't as the case may be..I had an infant grandson who was born in the midst of the uprising in NIcaragua and his brother in an equally bad situation in Santa Domingo..They are both lucky to be alive and well..nina
Jim,I bet it was fascinating to be able to talk to the girl from Tajikhanistan. I love to learn about different cultures and ways of living. The news about UNICEF doesn't surprise me a bit, unfortunately. I've suspected that for years. I'm glad that there was enough rain to help your gardening. I hope all goes well for you.
Randi
Joy,I hope that your surgery goes well. I have heard a lot of good reports about c. surgery. I hope you will be able to see a lot better afterward.
Joy and Nina,
Happy Mother's Day!
Randi
Jim said : are you a potter, Jim? I loved to throw when I was in school! Very relaxing (most of the time!)Joy said yes it is! My dad was born and raised in Albany (years ago) and was in the Park everyday. He told many stories about it-the tulips was one!
A bit for you bird watchers: Perhaps you may know of this already but it is alot of fun if you enjoy birds. It is called the Big Backyard Bird Count- it happens in February every year and is run by Cornell U. Lab of Orinthology and Audobon Society. Her is the link; I participated last year and it is neat! http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/
I'm very proud of my daughter for bringing home exchange students for weekends. We've met girls from Vietnam, Taiwan & now Tajikhastan. Very cool & yes, super interesting. Sometimes I get so frustrated with our country, but they bring the world into a new perspective for me.Mary, I turn wooden bowls out of local wood that I get out of my woods or find on the side of the road - scrap wood, trash or firewood, most call it.
http://jimwoodwork.com
is my web site. If you click on the WYSIWYG Wood link, you'll see more about it.
We've never participated in the bird count, but may next year. My wife & I are getting more & more into bird watching. I see the local wildlife center, Salado, is having a wildlife photography course this summer. Cost is $35 for 4 hours with a pro photographer. I'm signing up today!
Last year I got some great photos of the hummingbirds. I made a remote & mounted my camera on a tripod. I took hundreds of pictures & some came out quite well. I may expand this year.
Joy, good luck. By the time you read this, I guess it will be a done deal. Hope all went well & you make a quick recovery!
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Today I went with the senior citizens to the Albany Tulip Festival in Washington Park. See more about it at the following website: ====>http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-alba......"We all could use a day like yours in the park..Especially, I could today as I would rather sit and have a root beer float than bend over for hours planting. I will be sore tonight..I forgot when you are to have eye surgery??? Let me know. nina
Mary, Thanks for the link on bird count. I shall certainly inform my sister of it, in case she doesn't already know.
Hi everybody,I'm back from my Mother's Day visit with our kids downstate. (Got back Monday night.) We had a great time being with the family.
I've caught up with the latest messages here in this thread just now. So happy to see such an interesting conversation going on.
Now I must catch up with the other messages I received while I was away from my computer.
It's fun travelling, but it's exhausting too.
(FYI, my cateract surgery will be June 2.)
Sounds like a very good way to spend Mother's Day. Does your family live in NY City? nina
Nina wrote: "Sounds like a very good way to spend Mother's Day. Does your family live in NY City? nina"Nina, two of our sons live in downstate NY, in towns about an hour or two north of NYC. It's a three hour drive for us to visit them from Glens Falls.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jim wrote: "I put a shepard's hook out on the edge of the back deck so we could hang a hummingbird feeder from it. I read up a little & found that feeders should be at least 15' apart (some places..."I love the birdbath..What a lovely way to start the day but it is night and it's still lovely..I have a small bird bath that looks like it's blue and white tile design but it's really just paper over concrete; but pretty..The mourning doves look very silly trying to bathe in such a small space..nina
Nina wrote: ""I love the birdbath..What a lovely way to start the day but it is night and it's still lovely..I have a small bird bath that looks like it's blue and white tile design but it's really just paper over concrete; but pretty..The mourning doves look very silly trying to bathe in such a small space..nina "Nina, I'd like to see that mourning dove taking its bath. It MUST look funny. :) Reminds me... I really should clean out our birdbath. I hate to see dirty water in a birdbath.
We found that bird baths are one of the best ways to attract birds. Most people don't realize that just food isn't enough for them. They need a ready source of water, especially in the cold winter. Heated bird baths are horribly expensive though. Marg bought 2 large, heated dog water bowls & put a big rock in the center. We had more birds than ever.We've been doing more birding & decided we don't know enough, so I made up a portable web page for showing pictures & the songs of over 100 birds. We don't have high speed Internet at home, so the Cornell site won't even load most of the time. Their site is way better, if you can connect. The link to it, my file & how to get a free bird call CD is on my site at:
http://www.wysiwygwood.com/HelpfulLin...
Scroll 1/2 - 2/3 of the way down for Bird section.
Jim wrote: "We found that bird baths are one of the best ways to attract birds. Most people don't realize that just food isn't enough for them. They need a ready source of water, especially in the cold winte..."We learned the hard way how expensive it is to keep a heated bird bath warm. I like your idea of getting a heated dog water bowl instead (and putting a rock in the center). I didn't even know there was such a thing as a heated dog water bowl.
Thanks for the link to your webpage. I can see the pics, but the sound doesn't work on my FireFox browser. I'll try it later on on my IE.
PS-Jim, I tried it on my IE. No pic/No sound. Since I don't use IE, it's probably not up to date. How would I download the latest version of IE? Would it affect my Firefox browser?
Joy, it doesn't work with Firefox. Typical Microsoft garbage. I used their Powerpoint to make the original. It will work with any version of IE from 4.0 & up. You need to accept 2 different ActiveX controls, though. Try accepting them by clicking at the top of the window, NOT where it says 'to continue, click here'. Also, you can try refreshing the page, but be patient with the sound. They take 10 seconds or more to start sometimes. The heated dog water bowls were about $15 each & have a built-in thermostat, so they only turn on as needed. We didn't notice them on our bill, but we use a lot of electric - all electric everything.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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