Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
Have fun, Werner. It's great to have a fenced yard for the dogs. Lily ignores the back yard fence but doesn't stray from the horse fields, even though she could. She did so twice & knew we weren't happy, so doesn't any more.We're on the count down to Erin's wedding now. Hopefully she & Josh will get their license today. Yes, they forgot to get it! They have to do it during a long lunch hour since they have to drive into KY from Nashville. Mom gets in today. The boys will be here tomorrow. Deliveries of the tent & all come in the day after. Saturday is the wedding.
Werner and Jim, Good luck and have fun with the family!
I wish you both pleasant memories of your events to come.
Good news that my son after testing finds he has no brain damage from the after the fourth of July car crash. He seems to be in considerable pain but at least that will abate. I am saddened as my once lovely crabapple tree must be cut down today. I will sorely miss it as it sits right outside my bedroom window. Otherwise I am reading, can you believe, "Catcher in the Rye?"
Nina, that IS good news about your son!
Great news, Nina!This is so cool! My grandson Colin is sitting in the high chair my great grandfather Kranz made for my grandmother who was born in 1898. It's pretty awesome that his great-great-great grandfather made something so serviceable & enduring.
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
The baby is adorable and I love the story. It is truly special. I hope this picture is a saver and not just on the phone or computer. It should be framed and hung. I am serious. Your ancestors would be agreeing with me and smiling.
Thanks. It's a rather full, chaotic house at the moment. Brandon, Ashley, & Colin showed up at 4:30am having driven through the night from MD. I picked Mom up yesterday & Josh got James on his way up with his & Erin's 2 dogs & cats. Erin is coming up today.Colin is holding his own sharing the floor with the 6 dogs & 2 cats.
- Pip keeps wanting to lick him in the face, so Colin sticks his hand down Pip's throat to discourage him.
- Pixie thinks Colin is her puppy & got into a fight with Amber over rights to guarding & clean up duties.
- Lily has a hard tail that has hurt our legs more than once, but luckily it swishes just over his head.
- Molly & Jazz aren't particularly interested in him. Jazz made a really awkward spring up & over him the one time he got close.
-Ariana & Orion, Erin's cats, have stayed away from him so far. Some of that is guard duty by the dogs.
The grand monster is cute, although we've had to move the coffee table to behind the couch so he doesn't whack his head on it since I made it with sharp corners & it's white oak. And I can't keep my shoes under the hat rack because he wants to chew on them. And... lots of other stuff. He's very disruptive. Typical crawling baby restrictions. Marg & Ashley took Colin out to see the horses. He liked them, but couldn't get near the goats. I guess I'll have to introduce them today, if I get time.
The tent & all arrive today. Brandon helped me get the final mowing & such done yesterday, so I think we're pretty well set. I mostly get to sit around & enjoy family. I showed Mom the areas that need weeding & she already went after some. I was letting Virgina Creeper go up a phone pole & told her I liked it. It offended her so she tore it all down anyway. Sigh.
;)
Jim wrote: ".... This is so cool! My grandson Colin is sitting in the high chair my great grandfather Kranz made for my grandmother who was born in 1898. It's pretty awesome that his great-great-great grandfather made something so serviceable & enduring. ..."Amazing!
Jim wrote: "Thanks. It's a rather full, chaotic house at the moment. Brandon, Ashley, & Colin showed up at 4:30am having driven through the night from MD. ... The tent & all arrive today..."Jim, Good luck with all the activities! Have fun!
My Best Wishes for a Happy Life together to the wedding couple.nina
It was a GREAT wedding. Last one married off, thankfully. The checking account isn't overdrawn - quite! ;)
The weather was a bit warm, but a bit overcast so not awful & there was a light breeze. Erin & I both decided to cut short our father-daughter dance as "Sweet Child of Mine" by GunsNRoses was a bit too fast & long. We bowed out early to much acclaim, though.
All the critters behaved pretty well, although there were a few notable exceptions.
- Pip went after Erin's train briefly during the ceremony, but stopped when Erin growled at him.
- Jazz did a huge snap & leap to keep a beetle from attacking Kim, the maid of honor. That distracted Pat, the preacher.
- The rest of the dogs wandered around during the ceremony without incident.
- Lily was perfect all day, except one minor boondoogle. At the start of the reception, she suddenly decided to leap into the middle of Josh's family's table. No one has a clue as to why & she stood there seemingly quite embarrassed. Even odder, Josh's uncle had to lift her down.
-Topaz was a PERFECT gentleman once we got Erin settled. He didn't poop or do the dong slap during the ceremony. Amazing.
Erin couldn't ride side saddle as she was bareback & everything was too slick, so we had to pull her dress out from under her. That took a trip around the barn as he was shying at the flower bouquets for some reason. I finally held one up to him & he just wanted to eat it. No fear at all. I think he was just excited. It did cause another delay in the ceremony, but we got going about 20 minutes late.
It was a lot of fun. I led Erin down to Josh on Topaz & was about to take her off when Marg yelled not to saying everyone needed a photo op. Josh announced a 1 minute hold & added that it was supposed to be a fun time for all to a lot of laughing & cheers. The harpist did some really cool impromptu riffs & Pat, the minister, was chortling. That pretty much set the tone.
I was supposed to bring Topaz back down so Erin could remount & Josh could lead her off, but they announced that after the interesting scene of Erin's first mount, walking was safer. Instead of rice, they walked up the aisle to bubbles being blown.
Anyway, lots of fun was had by all. Everyone had a good time & Josh's parents stayed separated & civil. I really like his mother. She is going to make me bread & butter pickles.
;)
Jim, so glad that all went well at the wedding. Best wishes to the happy couple!
Joy H. wrote: "Jim wrote: "Wedding photoshttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s..."
Great photos! Thanks."Fun to view the pictures. What a wonderful way to start a marriage/just like the old prince and princes stories with the bride arriving on horseback and there is the prince..
Jim wrote: "Have fun, Werner." Joy wrote: "Good luck, and have fun with the family!" Nina wrote: "I wish you both pleasant memories of your events to come." Thanks, guys! (We did have fun, and will remember the trip fondly.) And Nina, so glad to hear the good news about your son!Warmest congratulations to Erin and Josh! I wish them a long and happy life together.
Thanks. It was a fun wedding. All the kids have gone now, so it's just Mom still here. I'll take her to the airport Tuesday morning when I go in to work. It was nice to have everyone, but nice to see them go, too. I'm bushed!:)
I am reading a novel concerning the "Titanic," and it is excellent. Yes, much much has been written but this is almost an eye witness account and it is mesmerizing. I do recommend it, ""The Girl Who Came Home." by Hazel Gaynor. Also, Chicago and Ireland setting.
Dropped Mom at the airport this morning (She only bounced a couple of times.) & went into work where apparently everything held off breaking while I was on vacation. They then proceeded to break so that catching up was impossible, but I did make some progress. Probably not for too long as all the offices are getting their ceiling tiles replaced with the grids & walls painted & carpets replaced. Unfortunately, it sounds as if they're planning to do the ceilings first, then come back & do the rest. Lots of disruption as people & PC's will need to move to temporary quarters & back again. Ugh.It was a GORGEOUS day, though. Only got into the low 70's & supposed to start out around 50 tomorrow morning. This is July?!!! I'll take it. Went for a ride with Marg tonight. The porta pot, tent, trash, & people are all gone, so we're back to normal. Love it!
Lily caught a bull frog during the ride & had a great time playing with it. No, I don't think the frog enjoyed nor survived, but my practically perfect pointer had a blast. At one point she released it so it hopped under Chip's hind hooves before she pounced on it again & ran off with Pip trying to keep up.
Wondering if anyone has read, "Beautiful Ruins?" and if so, your critique.
I would be interested if there are any goodreads reviews of "Beautiful Ruins."The heat is returning/in the nineties for a few days only/I hope. Maybe the heat will dissapate before it reaches you, Jim.
Nina, are you interested in Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, or The Beautiful Ruins by Tori Lane? (The latter book is a nonfiction memoir about child sexual abuse and recovery; it doesn't seem to have any text reviews here, but some people have rated it.) To see the reviews of the former, just click on the link in the first sentence of this post, and scroll down.
Werner, I am referring to "Beautiful Ruins," by Jess Walter.
I thought you probably were, Nina, but I wasn't absolutely sure! Anyway, I hope that link is helpful.
No, Nina, I've never read anything by Jess Walter. (Actually, I'd never heard of him until you asked about this particular book!)Rebekah and Tony were able to attend a "medieval festival," which is something like the "Renaissance Fairs" that are sometimes held here in the U.S., recently (at or near Brisbane, if I understand correctly). She sent me several photos from the occasion, which you can view at www.goodreads.com/photo/author/127545... , if you're interested. (It'll at least provide an opportunity to see what she and her hubby look like. :-) )
Thanks for the interesting pics, Werner.
Fun pics, Werner. Erin & Josh are in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) which does Renaissance fairs. I understand they do actual jousting in some in Australia. There was a PBS show on it. Cool stuff.
Glad you liked the pics, Jim! (Yes, I remembered that Erin and Josh are into the SCA.) I'd love to take part in something like that someday, though it's probably not likely. Back in the early 90s, though, when we lived in southwestern Indiana, we did get to go a couple of times to the annual Vincennes Rendezvous, which recreates the early days of the North American fur trade. That's a later period of history, but the demonstrations and other activities have much the same sort of appeal.
I think it's a neat organization for the kids to belong to, Werner. I'm not much of a joiner, but I like helping out. Wish I'd had more time to talk to the SCA members at the wedding. Interesting & talented folks. Do Rebekah and Tony just attend the fairs occasionally or are they part of the group putting it on?
No, Jim, they're not part of the sponsoring group. This is actually the first one they've gone to (but hopefully not the last!).
They might just get hooked. Erin got enthralled by weaving & then by making glass jewelry. Josh really likes the blacksmithing, but has the most fun with the broadsword fighting. There's something for everyone.I've never heard of the Vincennes Rendezvous, although I remember reading about the battle in one of John Jakes' Bicentennial Series novels - the second, I think. Sounds like fun. I still haven't made it to the local Renaissance Fair, though. I keep missing it although it's only 20 minutes away. They don't advertise it well.
Nina wrote: "Oh, they look like movie stars." Thanks, Nina! (They're in costume, anyway. :-) )Jim, the official link for more information on the Vincennes Rendezvous is www.spiritofvincennes.org/rendezvous/ . It's held over Memorial Day weekend, so the website currently features the one that took place a couple of months ago; the next one will be in May 2015.
Thanks, Werner. That was the site I looked at. I'm quick to google or duckduckgo, but I rarely bing.
We have cash in hand & Rascal (The pony that gave Marg her bad concussion a year ago.) is down the road. He can be returned if he doesn't pass the vet, but I doubt that will be a problem. The mother & both daughters came with the trainer. They all passed our scrutiny. As soon as they came into our house, they found the barn I'd made Erinhttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
and said their grandfather had to make them one. Poor guy. (It took me 2 months.) They also loved Speedy & the dogs & the goats & everything else. Seemed right at home. Super. The mother says she's going to friend Marg on FB, too. We're FB friends with Chip's old owners & see them occasionally, usually at the Terrier Trials.
Interesting news about Rascal. Guess he lived up to his name. Hope the new place works for him and you.
So long as he gets a good home & we're not paying for him, I'm happy. Marg's budget is a lot tighter now due to county budget cuts & them squeezing blood out of the school bus drivers. It's a complicated mess, but basically they say that any required work she does outside driving her route is done for free, so her hours have been cut by an hour a day, a 20% reduction in pay. No, it's not legal. Yes, they're now short bus drivers, but they hold keeping the bus at home & the current route hostage. Yes, it will cause them even more problems in the future, but that's still to come. In the meantime, Marg has to take care of the animals with less money.
Our deal is that she pays for the animals, I pay for everything else. That means we do not have a zoo, just a well stocked menagerie & I provide us with grocery money.
:)
Here are some GREAT pics. Taken at the perfect time, every one of them has something really cool about them.http://themetapicture.com/these-35-pi...
Rascal passed the vet! Definitely sold.
Cute pictures, Jim! Thanks for sharing that link.
Jim wrote: "Here are some GREAT pics. Taken at the perfect time, every one of them has something really cool about them.http://themetapicture.com/these-35-pi... what I needed, a laugh before bedtime. Thanks for posting, Jim.
Rascal pas..."
OMG! I knew FB had some issues today, but apparently it was it was down for 2 hours. According to the news, enough people called 911 over this that police had to issue a statement that they're not responsible for FB working.:sigh:
Some people need a reality check. Theirs has obviously bounced.
:(
For any of you who have been watching,"Downton Abby," I am reading a fun book, "While We Were Watching Downton Abby," by Wendy Wax. It is in contemperary setting in Atlanta, GA.
With everything else that was going on this year, I still decided to start growing flowers on the last 2 banks I can't mow along the road. They're very steep & dry. While the county will mow them a couple of times a year & I can weedeat them, they're an eye sore & a pain. I used Round Up (actually Gly4) to kill the grass & sprinkled a lot of seeds on them. Some I bought, like Cosmos, Zinnias, & some wild flower mixes. Others I collected from my other gardens; Holly Hock, Cone Flowers, Gaillardia, & Black-eyed Susan. I transplanted others; liriope, lilies, Japanese Iris & some others, one a ferny looking thing that I don't know the name of.
For a first year, the results haven't been too bad. The Zinnias really did well in one area, crowding out everything else. Most of the other plants survived, but aren't thriving yet, of course. Only one area, shaded & further dehydrated by some small trees, didn't grow much of anything. Of course, the weeds & grass have come back with a vengeance, too. While I weeded some, I have to be careful because the grass wants to come up in clumps which will lead to erosion.
Most of the plants that growing now are summer plants. I got catalogs from Dutch Garden & Breck's. I went through them looking for good deals on big groups of bulbs to put in for spring time. Breck's looks to have the best deals. I've got about 400' at 4' wide to plant, so I'll need to get quite a few & it will cost more than I'd like, but I'm going to get several hundred daffodils, tiger lilies, & iris.
To do all that planting, I'm going to need a decent bulb auger for my drill. I found one for $30 in the Dutch Garden catalog. That's pricey, but it has a case around it unlike most I've seen. Here's a link to it:
http://www.dutchgardens.com/detail.as...
I can get longer ones (less bending) cheaper without the case for less, especially if I got to Lowe's & skip the shipping costs. I'm not sure if I should get a 1.75" or the 2.5", though. I will have a few tulip bulbs, but most will be smaller & I don't need this often enough to need more than one bulb auger.
Does anyone have any experience?
I'm on vacation this week, so Barb and I are gearing up for our final trip of the year up to the Fulks Run area (Bluefield College classes, and my regular library schedule, resume on Aug. 20). We plan to leave early in the morning on Wednesday, and return on Sunday, Aug. 10. During that time, I'll be almost entirely offline; but thinking about you folks in the meantime, and looking forward to catching up with the group when I get back!
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Much of the last several days (except Sunday) have been occupied with building fences at Deborah's house, so that her back door now opens into a gated dog pen. Although it's not yet painted, it's finished enough to be in use, and the puppies seem to like it.