flight paths discussion
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Gems for june
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Happy June!I just got back from a run along the riverfront. This afternoon, I'm going to varnish a few cottonwood carvings. All in all, a relaxing day.
Magdelanye, you'll be immersed in fantasy. LOL. I'm a fan.
I'm reading a long book, too: David Copperfield. It's a fun story, with a lot of tension, stress and sadness. Dickens tells a great story.
I'm looking for a shorter, lighter read to throw into the mix as well.
Just got back from a visit to Toronto; my mom and I drove my younger sister to her boyfriend's places because she's that afraid of our dad. Walking the Etobicoke Creek trail was a highlight; so much plant life I almost forgot we were in Toronto.
It’s June! One more month of homeschooling then I’m free for the summer. Haha!Ellie are you doing ok? Are the protests near where you are?
I just finished reading Autopsy of a boring housewife. It was a very funny and clever book.
I just started reading The Man who saw everything. I loved hot milk so I have high hopes for this novel.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Hi everyone,Petra, David Copperfield is one of my favorite novels! I hope you enjoy it.
Megan, we had rioting in our area last night and a number of loud explosions of some kind which were unnerving. But nothing like what happening in the city.
I may be taking the subway into the city for some medical tests. It makes more sense to do that than to drive and it's almost certainly safe (especially since we'll have masks and gloves) but Katie would rather drive.
I'm still mostly reading Chodron, although I spent some time with Hilary Mantel's The Mirror & the Light. I loved the first two volumes of the trilogy but everything is going slowly for me right now so I can't tell if it's this particular book that I'm wading through or just every book.
Perhaps it's my state of mind and I only thought I had replied already. It's a bit eerie when that happens, except when it's damn annoying. I was sure I did/had that!It seems I am not alone. The whole world is in an uproar.
Ellie I guess you consider the tests essential. I hate to think of what it's like there. Maybe I have it backwards but I am avoiding all sites that have anything to do with health or illness. I have a huge back filling crumbling on me but I am holding off for now.
Petra your riverside runs must be so satisfying. Way better than going to the gym. BTW, what are your last 2 books for the library?
I read David Copperfield when I was about 13, before I OD'd on Dickens. I remember likeing it, and a Tale of Two Cities. I should have paused there instead of trying to force myself to read his whole oevre in one summer.
I haven't got to Hilary Mantel yet. From what I hear, the 3rd volume is more difficult to enjoy.
Megan the autopsy of a boring housewife is sure an offputting title. I'm glad you found it funny and clever. I liked hot milk and will be interested to hear what you think of her new book.
Gee, I remember typing that.
I better post this before another internet fail
Take care yet stay aware
Today I finally was able to get up and out into the garden. And I have been able to read some and even just wrote a review. I am really enjoying Little, Big
Oh no—I didn’t get tested for COVID19. This was for something completely different. Something much more ordinary but painful and as yet we don’t know the cause. I think my chances of having the virus are extremely low. I started sheltering in 2 weeks before the quarantine started.Right now actually I’m more nervous about the riots although I completely support the protesters. I can also understand the anger that can cause some to erupt in violence. That being said I’m still nervous about it. But the mornings are quiet and all went well
I’ve returned to little Dorrit and am making some progress. The part I’m at is much more boring to me than the rest so far and I hope it picks up again soon. I’m also re joying The Mirror and the Light. Maybe I’m going to be able to read again. Fingers crossed.
Magdelanye, you may have posted earlier. GR is having problems posting things. I've noticed that for 2 days now and often have to copy/paste my comments a second time because the first won't post. It's annoying and I hope they fix whatever it is soon.Ellie, I hope your test results come back soon. There's nothing worse than not knowing what's going on and feeling unwell.
The protest situation in the States is scary. Maybe things will calm down now that all four officers have been charged.
Re Dickens:
I have yet to read Little Dorrit. There are so many Dickens books that I haven't read yet.
Magdelanye, reading his entire library of books over a summer (or even a year) would be an overload of Dickens.
A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite, too (so far). It's so different from his other novels (those that I've read so far).
My runs, in general, are better than the gym in many ways. The riverfront is different each time. I love looking at the water, the trees and once even ran by a deer.
My runs through the various neighbourhoods are always interesting. I watch the gardens, say hi to the people, check out new projects, etc. The World changes everyday, it seems, in tiny ways that we sometimes don't notice. It's wonderful watching these changes.
There's so many opportunities to connect while running that are missing in the gym.
The 2 books are:
The Beetle - I will return this one this week. Someone put a hold on it. I'll get it back soon.
A Time for Everything - no one wants this book. LOL. I can keep it. I'm not sure whether another long book is wise right after Dickens but I'm keen on reading this one. I haven't read this author before, so this will be an interesting experience.
Today is our weekly Tai-Chi in the park session. It's looking a bit grey outside. I hope the rain holds off.
Our carving group is meeting in the same park tomorrow afternoon (weather permitting). We're going to try to have a carving session at the picnic tables. Two carvers per table, sitting kitty corner from each other). We'll see how it goes. Should be fun, regardless.
Keep smiling everyone. Remember that we cannot change the World but we can be happy in our little corner of it. There's always something positive happening. Sometimes we've just got to look harder to find it. It's in the little things, often overseen.
Petra, I used to love running! It was much better than the gym. But with two artificial hips, it's not recommended! I'm doing zumba and weights and some fun videos I found on YouTube.My friend just sent me an email also saying very much what you're saying Petra. I'm finding it hard right now but I'm working on it. My life is ok (the tests came back fine only I still don't know what's causing the pain) but otherwise my life is fine.
I think it's lovely that your carving group is going to meet outside. I hope it's fun!
How is everybody? We're all well here--and finally moving into Phase 1 of the end of quarantine! Also, the mayor lifted the curfew last night and things seem to be quieting. There are still many protests--hundreds of people--but no looting or rioting. They were always a small group compared to the many peaceful protesters.I am now reading Tara Brach's Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN. I just love--she's so gentle. I've been using one of her RAIN meditations in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.
I'm also reading Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. I started it a few months ago but, as often happens to me, somehow got distracted. But with all that's going on here (do you have protests where you are? I've heard it's gone global) I thought I'd go back again. I think the biggest problem--although it's not exactly a "problem" is that the author is British and so the history she recounts is, of course, British. But I'm sure as she moves into present day the book will. be, sadly, relevant to what happens in the U.S. as well.
Petra, I hope you're running is going well as well as your carving group. I just love the idea of you all sitting at picnic tables, outdoors in a park carving away. Such a creative solution.
Magdelanye, all of Dickens in one summer? No wonder you overdosed. :-) I started at 9 as well but took 20 years to work my way through most of it. One of the great experiences of my life is when a friend took me to the Broadway production of Nicholas Nickleby. It was two nights long but absolutely wonderful. It was 30 years ago and I still remember it vividly.
Megan, I hope all is going well. I don't know how you find any time at all to read!
Hope to hear from you all soon. And Petra, despite everything, and for not at least, I'm smiling!
Ellie, it's great to hear you sounding so cheerful. I'm so glad that you are continuing to smile. That's more than half the battle, no matter what the battle is. Yes, we've had a few peaceful demonstrations here. The first 2 (one in Vancouver; one in Victoria) had people trying to socially distance and not many wearing masks (maybe about half, I'd say from the newsreels). As you can imagine, social distancing was a bit of a problem.
The second, in Vancouver, was more organized. Most people wore masks.
We'll see in a couple of weeks how much influence the demonstrations have on the Covid cases.
Ellie, we've been in Phase 1 opening for 3 weeks now and the case numbers continue to go down. I hope the same happens in NYC. You've got a good Governor; he seems a logical person, trying to make solid choices. He's seen NY state through this as best he can and has done a good job, from what I can see from here. If he says it's time for Phase 1, trust him (and stay careful).
Carving went really well. We had 9 people show up. Some brought their own folding tables and chairs, which kept them isolated to their own bubble. The rest of us sat 2 to a picnic table, socially distance by sitting kitty corner from each other. We set up a folding table in the middle of our circle with the shareable items (battery operated Dremel, hand sanitizer, wipes, etc). All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon.
We're going to try to make it a weekly event, with people coming as their schedule permits. We'll also try a few evening sessions to include those who are still working.
Tai Chi went well, too. It was raining when we got to the park, so we moved to the downtown area that has a covered bandstand and used that for our practice. It's fairly secluded, facing away from the street.
I'm keeping up with my running but it feels harder this past week. That happens sometimes; my legs don't feel like moving, so they move as slow as they can and complain the entire time.
It's been so damp and rainy this past week that running is sketchy. This morning had torrential rains but then the rains stopped and the skies got lighter, so I took the chance and went out for a run. Good luck followed me and I managed to avoid all rain.
Yesterday was a nice weather day, so we spent the afternoon in the garden getting a few things done. I finished doing the edging in the front yard, weeding and putting down mulch under a Monkey Puzzle Tree. Ouch! Ever worked under one of those trees before? They attack viciously. Very sharp. But I won in the end and got the work done. LOL.
Hubby mowed the lawn, then started to take out some railway tie border from a flowerbed that we're getting rid of.
How's everyone doing? How are we all keeping busy? What's new? What's old?
My sisters attended a protest recently, and by all accounts it went better than I thought it would. The worst that happened was someone having a seizure and three people getting heatstroke, and that's all the police intervention there was.
How's your sister fairing, Malcolm? The demonstrations haven't seemed to make the Corona numbers spike around here. I'm a bit more than curious as to why. I'm glad the numbers remain low here, that's for sure. Phew!
It's been raining a lot here lately. I've used the time to finish my knitted afghan.
Here's a link to the picture: https://images.gr-assets.com/photos/1...
I'm donating it to an organization that gives the donated afghans to sick kids to give them comfort. They state that they would like colourful items. I think I nailed that requirement. LOL.
I quite like how it turned out.
wow Petra the link works and that's wild! I love the optical illusion. It certainly is vibrant. Monkey tails are not friendly. Ouch! Heavy rain here too, I'm very hesitant to put my baby seedlings out.And my reservations about getting too carried away with a garden were realistic. We got the call from the landlord that he's selling. I should really get out of here.
Anyone wanting to stop by, soon is best
Got all the books back to our local reading room, all read and notorized.
That might be a real word,I'm using it to indicate that I finally finished my notes on Kingdom of Olives and Ash. I will buy it if i ever encounter it. I am just finished The things we cannot Say which had me bawling at 3'30 in the morning. About to begin Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi who was one of the writers I met in the kingdoms book.
I hope things are calming down all over
Did hear disturbances in Edmonton: Megan may you and your family be healthy and safe
what do i know but i read NY is stabalizing its numbers and there are just a few hot spots left. Well who does know i wonder. That 2 more Naive men were murdered by the police is beyond belief.
Stay well all
enduring grace
My sister seems to be in a better state of mind after having stayed with her boyfriend for a weekend, Petra, and to the best of my knowledge my parents' separation is proceeding as planned.
Separations are difficult for everyone in the family. I'm glad your sister is feeling a bit better about things.
Petra wrote: "How's your sister fairing, Malcolm? The demonstrations haven't seemed to make the Corona numbers spike around here. I'm a bit more than curious as to why. I'm glad the numbers remain low here, tha..."
Petra, it's gorgeous! I don't know how you can bear to part with it. I feel like I would always be happy if I could look at that all the time.
:-)
Malcolm wrote: "My sister seems to be in a better state of mind after having stayed with her boyfriend for a weekend, Petra, and to the best of my knowledge my parents' separation is proceeding as planned."Hang in, Malcolm. These things can be tough but they get easier with time.
I'm happy to hear that your sister is doing better.
Magdelanye,I always love your descriptions of--actually more like your relationships/i> with--books! Your enthusiasm and passion are contagious.
Sadly our libraries are still closed. The numbers are down and that's wonderful news. Hopefully, they will continue to stay down after the city reopens. Other cities aren't doing so well but then they're the ones that didn't follow CDC guidelines.
The protests here have been mostly peaceful--just some individuals whose rage erupted (understandably) and of course the usual ones who take advantage to loot. It's the police (everywhere in the U.S.) who have been violent and out of control.
I'm going to try listening to audio books since I'm continuing to have trouble focusing on reading. These days, I'm focused mostly on non-fiction books about race (Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor,How To Be an Antiracist
(by Ibram X. Kendi (who also wrote Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America which was engrossing) and Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. My contribution to eradicating racism (starting with anything in me as someone raised and formed in a racist society).
For fun, I'm reading My Sister, the Serial Killer (Oyinkan Braithwaite which is supposed to be comedic although I'm not yet finding it very funny). Also I'm using Tara Brach's Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN in my meditation practice (along with YouTube guided meditations).
For now, I've put Little Dorrit and Mantel's The Mirror & the Light on pause. I hope to be able to get back to them soon.
I may invest in Audible (it's not cheap). Maybe I'll be able to listen to books if I can't concentrate on reading them. But maybe it's just time to focus on what I can read. Maybe that's what I'm meant to be reading.
I do miss poetry--I read a poem pretty much every day but I can't concentrate on a complete volume. This is where the pandemic seems to have hit me the hardest. Not the greatest burden someone has to carry I know but it's been hard for me.
Thank you, Ellie. I do hope it will bring a smile to a sick child. As for audio books, have you checked your on-line library features? If they have an audio book section, you can download the app on your phone and request audio books through your library card. I've been doing that since the library shut down and it's fantastic. I kind of wish I'd looked at this option years ago.
Our libraries have opened for curbside pick-up. We put in a hold request, the order is filled, someone phones us to arrange a pick-up time and we go pick up the books, someone brings the bag of books to the front door. I tried it out and it's painless and easy.
When books are returned, they are left untouched for 3 days, then processed back into the system.
It's weird to line up for a bag of books, but it's nice to have the libraries open again, even if we can't enter the building.
Our libraries are doing the same Petra and its great however the distance for me is still an obstacle. I did finally get to go to town and do my own exchange and was able to get a couple of books but it was Wednesday and they wouldn't hand over my Friday book. Better safe than sorry I know but who knows when I'll get back there. I still have 4 or 5 books left from my large pile so my concern is not that I'll run out of books but that they will send back a precious hold.What is the situation like for others?
I am nearing the end of Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi. It's the kind of book that you could just move into and continue reading/residing in forever.
Today I've been in a zoom workshop with 2 meal breaks
My computer went crazy at some point I have never seen anything like it. Usually it just stops or the audio gets elongated or patchy and/or the video freezes This was the space bar flashing and jumping and a blue square flashing along the other two sides.
I had to restart and it was very disruptive.
This is the dinner break but I am too wired to eat or read.
Don't know what measures libraries in Ottawa are taking, but I'm told bookstores in Ottawa are open again. I've not bothered to visit any out of fear of becoming an asymptomatic vector, so I'm making do with buying ebooks, and also ordering a Discworld book.
Malcolm, I don't think the bookstores here closed at all. I have been buying books from a local New/Used store since the pandemic started and the doors have been open the entire time. I haven't been to any other bookstores, so don't know if this is the norm or not. Who else is having a rainy, dismal June? I can't believe how little sunshine we've had this month.
I just hope that the temperatures don't soar high without giving us a chance to acclimatize.
How is everyone doing this week? Done anything exciting or new?
Nothing new or exciting here. I've had a good week but it was a bit of a repeat of the week before. Which is good.....but nothing new. LOL.
Kind of cloudy now, but otherwise it's been about as warm as I expect from the month. I've recently reread the First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, and for the first time I felt compelled to create playlists for those books, if that's of any interest to anyone:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I...
Lost in the books of my wife's filtered tbr pile, time to break out to the bookshop always preferable to online, even if it's just click and collect.
Ice, I wish you the best going through your wife's tbr pile. Books are so emotional, for me at least.Petra, the weather here has been pretty nice--hot but with a breeze, in the morning at any rate when I take my walk.
They have opened 6 libraries--a beginning anyway.
I'm reading Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor as well as Tara Brach's Radical Compassion. I read about 2 pages of Little Dorrit a night. I figure at this rate I should finish in about 100 years!
Ellie wrote: "Ice, I wish you the best going through your wife's tbr pile. Books are so emotional, for me at least.....I figure at this rate I should finish in about 100 years!<>
Yes the tbr mountain. Something to live for, really, and Ice in mind, to inherit or bequeath. It would take a very special person.Ice Bear, I should think reading the books that she wanted to brought you very close. I seem to remember that you took recommendations.
Don't we have a tbr thread? under reading patterns maybe?
I love the aw shucksness of the title Me and white supremacy.
Ellie you read white fragility, how would you compare them?
Having done much of the work when I was part of the womens movement (remember that?) in CR groups, reading Angela Davis and Audre Lourde and then again when I finally accepted the fact that I am white, I am addressing the issue by redoubling my efforts to get everybody on the same page long enough to agree that world peace is the key to changes that need to be made if we are to survive the scenario created by the military industrial complex..
The sun came out today as if it hadn't been hidden by rain the last few days here.Petra I hope you got a good hour at least for your parkside activities and a run. Even Megan I believe that your city is opening up and cautiously New York. Ellie you must be ecstatic to be able to get out more.
I remember falling asleep over Little Dorrit.
And I read 7-15 pages a session in Naomi Klein
as for Elements of the Real in Man sometimes I have to go back and reread the same bit over and over before I feel I can proceed. Right now I am dealing with one sentence.
Petra how are you doing with your two library books?
I started An Orchestra of Minorities today...not gotten very far because I am taking part in another resilience summit. It is more like the fabulous writing of Ben Oki than his last book. I have 2 books left. It is amazing what the libraries are doing to get the books circulating again.
Enduring grace
Ellie, I'm glad to hear that NY state is doing rather well in this pandemic. The libraries starting to open is a good sign.
Enjoy getting out for walks. The weather sounds perfect for it.
Ice, going through your wife's TBR pile must have brought back wonderful memories.
Magdelanye, we managed a Tai-Chi session and a carving group session in the park last week. It started to sprinkle with rain at the end of the carving session. We ended it a bit earlier because of that but only by about a half hour.
I took The Beetle back to the library. Someone was waiting for it. I did keep A Time For Everything. I'm not sure whether I'll get around to reading it, though.
We're enjoying a quiet weekend. What has everyone done this weekend?
Celebrated a Discord server's first anniversary. The attendance was higher than any of us apparently anticipated. Read them a poem, and sang for them too.Also wrote a music review, more specifically of Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno:
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8...
Magdelanye, I'm waiting until tomorrow (July 1) to enter the July thread. Can't wait for another month of wonderful chats with everyone. In the past 2 days, I've finished up all the books I've been reading in June. Yay! I get to start July off fresh.
congratulations Petrai did get a chance to check out your last 2 library books on GR and they both sound intruiging. especially the Beetle. No surprise there, you always choose such interesting books.
I am halfway through An orchestra of Minorities. Its gotten so painful. Then only 2 more books to read of my covid batch.:-)
This June was a hard month for many .
I guess I jumped the gun a bit but i am so glad to think its a new month I just put it out there.
flight paths
Books mentioned in this topic
Elements of the Real in Man (other topics)An Orchestra of Minorities (other topics)
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor (other topics)
Ghana Must Go (other topics)
My Sister, the Serial Killer (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Naomi Klein (other topics)Taiye Selasi (other topics)
Ibram X. Kendi (other topics)
Oyinkan Braithwaite (other topics)
Reni Eddo-Lodge (other topics)
Just hoping