You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doin' - 2017.1 edition
Lisa wrote: "Anne (Booklady) wrote: "@LisaThank you. And how are you doing?"
I'm not too bad. I have just received an appointment for my next MRI scan, which is in November, and once I have had that done, I..."
I hope you get some answers Lisa :-/
@Anne - I hope you get well soon.@Lisa - ditto what Margo said.
It was my partner's birthday yesterday. It is mine on Monday. I'm contemplating booking a spa package so I have something to occupy my mind. My parents are coming up tomorrow and we're going out for a meal for both our birthdays which should be nice. We're going to a place we've been before that did really good food. I'm looking forward to it although it will feel a bit weird without my nan being there. I'm guessing the first year there is always that - first birthday without, first Christmas without, first mother's day without etc. I'm struggling a bit. I took a mental health day yesterday. I did attempt to go to work. Made it to the bus stop even although I got wet in the torrential rain we had. Then whilst waiting for the bus, a lorry came by and went through a puddle drenching me even more. I didn't react too well to that. I though "f%&* it" and went home. So I reckon the spa day is exactly what I need.
Happy birthday to you and your partner Sarah. I hope you can enjoy it despite your nan not being there. Spa day sounds perfect, especially after the day you had yesterday!I'm trying to figure out where to go for a holiday in January. I want to escape the Dutch cold but don't necessarily need to go somewhere very warm, although it would be nice to have temperatures between 20-27C. We can only go for 7-9 days, and it seems everything that's close by (max 5-6 hours flying) is wet, and I don't want to fly for 8-12 hours for a trip that's only a week. So far we've considered Dubai and Abu Dhabi (I would like to see those places someday, but not sure if I want to go on an actual holiday. I think I'd miss the cultural aspect, especially in Dubai), Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (but apparently Jerusalem is cold and rainy in January so not sure if this is the best time), Oman (but that means a fly+drive holiday and I just read that the roads and driving is quite dangerous there), and Azores (wet). If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them! We've been to the Canaries last year (Tenerife) but were not overly impressed, so don't really want to go there again, even though it is relatively warm, dry, and close by.
We should really adjust our schedules slowly so that we move from holidays in January to holidays in March..
I hope you and your partner have a nice birthday week Sarah. The spa day sounds like something that would benefit you right now. I am sorry all of this is being so hard on you. Remember this is a process. Do not be hard on you. One day at a time.
Peggy, I don't have anywhere to suggest, but moving holidays from January to March is a smart decision.
KimeyDiann wrote: "Glad you are weathering the storm okay, Margo. I thought about you as soon as I saw the headlines that the Hurricane was heading towards Ireland. The unusual skies you are all describing remind m..."
I'm glad you got to experience the chili festival. Years ago a group of friends and I participated in a few chili cook-offs. They were so much fun. We never won anything, but the decorating was as fun as cooking the chili. The winners went on to more serious contests - the small contests awarded points to be able to move forward. There's a chili festival here in Charleston, but the weather's always too hot for me to think of tasting chili, let alone even going outside :)
Food festivals are so much fun - whether competing or visiting. Last weekend (I think) was the garlic festival near my dad. I went one year and it was fun, I love garlic :) I've also been to several wine and beer festivals. Got some tasty bottle of wine and beer to tae home.
Sarah wrote: "It was my partner's birthday yesterday. It is mine on Monday. I'm contemplating booking a spa package so I have something to occupy my mind. My parents are coming up tomorrow and we're going out fo..."Happy birthday to you both from us!
The first thing, whatever it is, birthday's, Christmas, etc, is always the hardest. It's okay to be weird about it, or not feel quite right.
And good call on the mental health day. I would have needed one after that too, even without the other stuff going on.
Lisa wrote: "The 2017 Man Booker Prize winner was announced last night. It went to 'Lincoln in the Bardo' by George Saunders. It seems a lot of people were surprised by the result and I have read a number of ne..."I haven't read it but it's been on my tbr. I thought it sounded really interesting. I'm next in line for the mp3 copy.
Kristie wrote: "I like the Halloweeny Goodreads logo they have now to go with "horror week". Does anyone else notice when they change their logo?"
I noticed it earlier this week and clicked on it to see what was going on.
Anne - I hope everything gets under control and that the Heart Echo is helpful. In the meantime, the book reading plan sounds like a good plan.
Sarah, happy birthday to your partner and an early happy birthday to you! A spa day sounds wonderful and it seems like you could use the pampering and relaxation.
Peggy wrote: "We can only go for 7-9 days, and it seems everything that's close by (max 5-6 hours flying) is wet, and I don't want to fly for 8-12 hours for a trip that's only a week... "Ignoring the obvious :P
I have friends in Jerusalem that have reported snow in Jan. And fair enough, it's very north.
Morocco, Tunisia, Serengeti National Park, Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Egypt,
Further afield. Barbados, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Goa, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mombasa, Bermuda, Bahamas, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Oh and I have many friends who have loved Dubai. I wasn't sold on the airport, but not the best exhibition of a place. Expensive though.
You've been busy around here. Hope things are better Anne. Hope it gets better Sarah I can't stop listening to the Hip. I thought 5 days straight hip would be too much but just when it begins to be too much you'll hear the one that makes it just keep playing. Grace, too. Courage. Little Bones. New Orleans in sinking. locked in the trunk of the car. There are so many. Bobcaygeon. And some songs are so hard to listen to like Scared. Well I'm back off again to this tragically hip marathon. I love the fans calling in requesting and sharing their stories why the song is important to them. This whole thing is so touching I might have to move to Canada. I have family up there somewhere Quebec most likely
This Saturday is Bridge Day, with BASE jumping off the New River Bridge. I think it's over 850 feet high. It's sad (but funny) to see the poor jumpers that miss the bank and end up in the shallows of the river. It's become a real big deal for the state, and gets really crowded. Therefore I think I'll watch it being streamed :)Next weekend is the WV Book Festival, and I can't wait. There are two authors I have to see, one of whom is Joe Hill. Depending on the timing, I'm going to try and see a few more.
Hundredth meridean, wheat Kings, blow at high dough, fifty mission cap, nautical disaster. I'm totally listing songs to get someone curious enough to try even one. Such a great lyricist and poet. I think he is the Canadian Bob Dylan
Rusalka wrote: "Peggy wrote: "We can only go for 7-9 days, and it seems everything that's close by (max 5-6 hours flying) is wet, and I don't want to fly for 8-12 hours for a trip that's only a week... "Ignoring..."
Thanks Rus! Some of those are a bit too far for a week-long trip ;-) Morocco is a good suggestion though, and your list reminds me that I also had a quick look into some other African countries like Gambia and Senegal.
Good to hear you know people who loved Dubai. My sister went there when a friend of hers lived there for a year or so, and she said it was nice for once. It interests me because it's so completely different from the world I'm used to. But since it's so many expats I'm afraid that we won't find much nature and culture, which for us is one of the main reasons to travel. On the other hand I think there's enough to see (especially combined with one of the other emirates) to keep us busy for a week.
Hehe my point is too far is a matter of perspective. We went to Thailand for a week. Fly an hour to Sydney (plus airport time), Sydney to Singapore 6 hours, transfer time and then Singapore to Phuket (90mins), then 2 hour drive to Krabi, then 30 min boat trip. 11 hours plus transfers (and that was if everything went well, it didn't) and the same home (although we cut an hour off on the return trip). And we travelled with 25 friends, so this was normal enough for all of us to do it. Just meant the 9 days included 2 days travelling.I know people in the UK who say a day's travel is a 30 min drive. So swings and roundabouts. If it's under 12 hours travel, you can do it for a week if you want to :P
Lexx told me I'm on my high horse. I am not meaning to be, it's just to meet the criteria, unless you do Morocco or Tunisia, you're going to have to move some goal posts.
Rusalka wrote: "Hehe my point is too far is a matter of perspective. We went to Thailand for a week. Fly an hour to Sydney (plus airport time), Sydney to Singapore 6 hours, transfer time and then Singapore to Phuk..."I know you Ozzies have a different perspective on distance and travel times ;-) A former colleague of mine likes 'short stay long flight' holidays. She once went to San Francisco (12 hour flight!) for a weekend!
And I know I'm kind of asking the impossible for a January holiday that meets all my criteria.
Peggy wrote: "A former colleague of mine likes 'short stay long flight' holidays. She once went to San Francisco (12 hour flight!) for a weekend!"Okay, that's stupid.
Oh and I thought you had been to Morocco. If not, it's been really high on my list for years, and my best friend (who now lives in London) just did 2-3 weeks through there. They drove through deserts, and mountains, as well as the obligatory camel in the Sahara, and the blue tiled pools, with markets and bazaars. I couldn't believe they did all of that and all that different landscapes in that time. I also work with a woman who's married to a Moroccan, and she tells us frequently how underrated Morocco is.
I've only been to Tangiers, on a day trip from the south of Spain. I've heard that it's underrated too. We have a lot of Moroccan immigrants and for example crime and unemployment is higher among them than among the Dutch or even other immigrants, and many people therefore seem to think that all of Morocco must be like that. Same for Poland. Such a shame.
Peggy, I was going to suggest Egypt, but that would mean staying in an all-inclusive hotel and I'm not sure how safe it is to go out and about there at the moment, so you wouldn't get much of a cultural experience. The Red Sea area is beautiful though and super relaxing so if you wanted to just go somewhere and chill out for a week, it would fit the bill.
jaxnsmom wrote: "Next weekend is the WV Book Festival, and I can't wait..."I just learned that there is a book festival in Mississippi. It has apparently been going on for ages, but I just heard of it this week. It takes place in the state capital though, I and I hate going there! The only reason I heard of it now is because a lot of people are very upset at something author Joyce Carol Oates said on twitter and it was mentioned in an article I read.
Apparently Miss Oates retweeted a picture of a banner featuring William Faulkner that is hanging at Mississippi State University. In the tweet she said "So funny! If Mississippians could read, Faulkner would be banned." I get the reasoning behind what she said, but she chose her wording very poorly. The comment was made because a Biloxi, MS school pulled To Kill a Mockingbird from the 8th grade curriculum because some parents complained about its content. That has sparked a big debate about banned books, but she could have weighed in without insulting an entire state.
Regional stereotypes really bother me sometimes. I hate that southerners are looked upon as ignorant and illiterate. Yes, we wear shoes, have air conditioning, indoor plumbing, drive modern cars, and can even read. lol. I find it ironic that Oates' comment referenced Faulkner, who was a Mississippian and is revered in the state. smh. lol.
Sarah, Hoppy birthday to you and your partner. Sorry you aren't doing so well. That sounds like a miserable day yesterday and a spa day may be just the thing. Peggy, I'm in a similar situation. We want to go away for a vacation while we have a chance, as it might be a while before we are able to travel for leisure again. We were hoping to go in December, but we've both been too busy to plan anything lately so it may be January. I really want to go somewhere warm and relaxing, but we will only have about a week too. I look forward to seeing where you choose.
Peggy wrote: "Happy birthday to you and your partner Sarah. I hope you can enjoy it despite your nan not being there. Spa day sounds perfect, especially after the day you had yesterday!I'm trying to figure ou..."
Peggy, have you thought about any of the Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia? Valencia apparently has pretty mild winters, with average daytime temperatures of 17 degrees in January. I think the chance of rain is higher than at other times of the year, but I think that is true of a lot of places tbh.
Happy Birthday, Sarah. I hope you and your partner have a great weekend! A spa day sounds wonderful. I've been thinking about having one of those myself. Yes, the first year without a loved one is the hardest. You'll always miss them, but it does get easier. Allow yourself to grieve over her not being there, but remember she would only want for you to be happy, so focus on remembering the good times when she was with you.
Peggy & Rusalka, you are both making me want a vacation to somewhere warmer! Fall like temperatures have crept in on us this week and I'm not liking it. The nights have had temps dropping into the mid 40's F (7 C), and while I know that isn't really all that cold, it is to me! LOL. The days have been quite lovely though, so I'm trying not to complain about it too much. :)
Kristie, I'm curious to hear where you'll be going :)Lisa, thanks for thinking along! We both don't like all-inclusive resorts and can't spend more than 3 hours on a beach or at a pool before we get restless and want to do go do or see something. Southern Europe sounds good too, we've been to Lissabon once in January or February and it was lovely! I'm also fine with temps between 15-20, and I don't mind a bit of rain, just not a whole week of it.
I'll look into Madrid. I've never been there but would like to, and my mom said a few days ago that she would like to go to Valencia on our family trip next year.
Sarah wrote: "It was my partner's birthday yesterday. It is mine on Monday. I'm contemplating booking a spa package so I have something to occupy my mind. My parents are coming up tomorrow and we're going out fo..."Happy birthday, Sarah & also to your partner.
Those "firsts" are tough. Maybe find a way to commemorate your Nan each time. Maybe light a pretty candle in your home by her picture. For my mom's first birthday, my dad & I went spent the weekend in the mountains (which my mother loved) and even had a birthday cake for her. Hugs!
Happy Birthday Sarah!My text-to-speech reader is not working right and I can only deal with short paragraphs right now so i am not attempting to read through all that has happened today.
My Uncle finished his course of radiation and chemo today and has come home looking very much the worse for wear. He's lost weight and his face looks battered and burnt. We expect pain and nausia for a few weeks and then he he should start to feel better. It's been a long haul for him.
Happy Birthday to you and your partner, Sarah. Your mental health day sounded like a good plan to me.
Heh I had ruled out Southern Europe as I thought it was too cold to fit the bill.Cyprus, Malta, Corsica, Sardinia, Croatian coastline, Istanbul, Gibraltar, a Greek island, Majorca or the other Balearic Islands.
Sorry your Uncle is feeling poorly after the chemo and radio, Margo. Lucky he has somewhere and someone to come home to, but still it's hard going.
Thanks for being there for your uncle, Margo, when he's needed a help.
I hope it's an uphill recovery for your uncle now, Margo.
jaxnsmom wrote: "Anne - I hope everything gets under control and that the Heart Echo is helpful. In the meantime, the book reading plan sounds like a good plan."Thanks, Jmom. Having Mitral Valve Prolapse AND Hypoglycemia isn't the best combination, so the Heart Echo will show if the MVP is worsening.
I've been sleeping a lot today (about 4 hours) then reading for about the same. So far so good.
Anyone know what foods contain Iron? I'm allergic to Beef, so that is out! : /
I'm pretty sure spinach and broccoli are high in iron, Anne.
Kristie wrote: "I'm pretty sure spinach and broccoli are high in iron, Anne."Thanks, Kristie! :D I love them both.
https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health...I instantly thought of spinach. Popeye was always eating spinach because it was full of iron and made him strong. The site above might be helpful.
I was able to google a few more options too. A few I saw on lists were: lentils, black beans, pistachios, raisins, dark leafy greens, & liver.
@Kristie and JaniceThank you so much, ladies. I have a lot of what you've mentioned as well as the website. I can't believe that I'm allergic to Beef...oh well. I'm strange, I guess.
I was surprised to see duck was higher in iron than beef.
Janice wrote: "I was surprised to see duck was higher in iron than beef."Me too!
Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Anyone know what foods contain Iron? I'm allergic to Beef, so that is out! : /"The Red Cross has an easy list. My iron level used to be too low to donate, so I would eat a bunch of raisins :) Watermelon and strawberries surprised me.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-ab...
When I was love in iron after childbirth I was advised to drink guiness. And that was in the UK, not ireland ;-p
Glad your uncle has finished his treatments, Margo. Hopefully he will make a good recovery.
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Hopefully both of us will be right as rain soon. I really scared myself Friday, Lisa."
Hopefully we will 🙂 Aww, yes, I can imagine you would have felt scared. You must have felt terrible, particularly as you had several things going on at once. It never rains but it pours. At least you are back home now and can get lots of reading done. Take good care of yourself. Big hugs to you.