Random Thoughts Showing 11,501-11,550 of 17,689

[ECH]

had it pretty bad in the Boston area.Public transport got royally messed up and I was sitting in the snow for a few hours.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I see Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird ) will have a new book out in July.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/boo...


Go Set a Watchman

[Kimber]

Terri wrote: "I see Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird ) will have a new book out in July.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/boo......"

I was blown away. I did a happy dance and jumped up and down on the bed. Harper Lee publishing after 55 years when no one thought she'd ever do it again. I'm almost scared that it's all a Hoax.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02...

[Gretchen]

I would never deny the impact To Kill a Mockingbird had but I never liked it. Part of the reason might be because it was one of those books I was forced to read in the ninth grade. How many ninth graders like anything adults force on them? I've gone back and re-read some of the books I was made to read in high school (Jane Eyre made so much more sense to me in college!) but Mockingbird hasn't made the list. I don't have a huge interest in reading the sequel. Maybe when my girls reach the point where someone is forcing them to read To Kill A Mockingbird, we can all read both books at the same time.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

It's a stupid book to insist that teenagers read. They don't have the life experiences to understand it. I hated it when I had to read it at high school, then about 10 years ago a friend gave me a copy. I picked it up one evening when I had nothing to read, and found I couldn't put it down. It was interesting and enthralling.

The book hadn't changed, but I had.

[Gretchen]

We were given a list of books we should read before college when we entered high school in ninth grade. I wouldn't have the first clue where to find that list now but I think this one is close http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html
I think most of these books are stupid books to give to teenagers. Even in my short adulthood, I have't read a large majority of them.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I'm not a fan of it either. I found it a little exaggerated. Milking human emotions for everything it can. Like Lassie, only with humans. :]

[happy]

Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "If the news were worth believing I'd think the entire US was under six foot of snow and facing the worst apocalyptic blizzards!"

Nope, here in Binghamton we had 9 inches. Boston was..."

We haven't had a decent storm since Christmas - It was 59F today (about 20F above normal) and is supposed to hit 61 tomorrow - We really need a good snow storm

[Lisa]

I don't think I will rush out to buy it either. Once again forced to read it at school. Worse, was being made to read Cather in the Rye TWICE during school. Truly, if I'd been on that cliff, I'd've pushed Holden bloody Caulfield off myself.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I can't remember if they made us read Catcher. I don't remember owning it or talking about it in a class. Maybe that was one I escaped from.
I did not, however, escape To Kill a Mockingbird. What a book to force us Aussie kids to read. :/ Plenty of enjoyable Australian Classics we could have read instead.

[happy]

Lisa wrote: "I don't think I will rush out to buy it either. Once again forced to read it at school. Worse, was being made to read Cather in the Rye TWICE during school. Truly, if I'd been on that cliff, I'd've..."

Due to school changes I had to read Catcher 4 times in Jr High/High School once in each grade. UGH

[Lisa]

Oh Happy!! I hope they paid for therapy!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Ew. I betcha that made happy sad.

[Darcy]

We never had to read either The Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird

I wasn't even remotely interested in The Catcher in the Rye even after reading The Iowa Baseball Confederacy (the book Field of Dreams is based on) and J.D. Salinger is the author the protagonist hunts down (a fictional author was played by James Earl Jones in the film).

I've never had a desire to read a lot of the books that seem to be American classics. I read a couple Mark Twain novels, and Of Mice and Men between classes at uni because they were short. But they didn't really inspire me to run out and read more.
I simply don't connect with them.

[Darcy]

Those featured polls that GR puts up really ought to have a n/a option. Like this one about clicking on the ads. The presumption is everyone clicks on the adverts. They should have two more options

* I never click on the ads
* I've installed an ad-blocker because the number of ads on this site do my head in

;)

[Jane]

Darcy wrote: "We never had to read either The Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird

I wasn't even remotely interested in The Catcher in the Rye even after reading [book..."

Neither did we. [book:Treasure Island|295] we read in 9th grade, I felt kids our age had outgrown it plus Silas Marner in 10th and Great Expectations in 11th that I don't feel kids that age would appreciate. No, I have not reread the Dickens since but the Eliot was pretty good when I read it later in life.

[Darcy]

Now Charles Dickens I've read most of. However, my situation is probably unique in that it's through him and my grade 9 High school English teacher-cum-guidance counsellor that I learned English.

I read one Dickens a year for four years and then read the sleep inducing The Scarlet Letter, Wuthering Heights, and The Stone Angel in my 5th year when everyone felt my English skills were enough to branch out (in those days there were 5 years of high school in my region).
That same year I also took a business English course, and the teacher loaned me her copy of a book that had been released a couple weeks before so that I could experience the language in a new way Beloved.

It just occurred to me that Beloved was my first English language Historical Fiction other than A Tale of Two Cities. It's all Miss Capitano's fault hahaha

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Darcy wrote: "Those featured polls that GR puts up really ought to have a n/a option. Like this one about clicking on the ads. The presumption is everyone clicks on the adverts. They should have two more options..."

You're talking my language. I've had that one question sitting there and I refusd to answer it. I answered all the others.
I'm surprised that they think we 'the people' click on their ads so much that they can have a poll question like that.
I have never, ever clicked on an ad.

[Darcy]

Terri wrote: "Darcy wrote: "Those featured polls that GR puts up really ought to have a n/a option. Like this one about clicking on the ads. The presumption is everyone clicks on the adverts. They should have tw..."

Why are you awake? It must be the middle of the night there

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Mark Twain I didn't mind. Think that's it for me and American Classics. Unless you count The Red Pony by Steinbeck. I was horse mad as a kid, so I read and liked that.

[Jane]

Terri wrote: "Darcy wrote: "Those featured polls that GR puts up really ought to have a n/a option. Like this one about clicking on the ads. The presumption is everyone clicks on the adverts. They should have tw..."

Me neither.

[Mark]

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/fe...

I got 50points, book nerd.:D

dont know if we done this one before.

[Bobby]

Have a dear friend (high school sweetheart of my best buddy growing up) who was diagnosed with Dementia at 61 years of age. That was a couple of years ago and her downhill journey has steadily accelerated. Anyway, I picked up this unbelievable book and it's written from the viewpoint of a lady surgeon who is in the latter stages of said disease and trying to hold on to her remnants of her history. If you have been around or know of someone who is caregiving a loved one with this horrible affliction, give this story a moment. Hard to read, but impossible to ignore.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Lovely of you to recommend this to people, Bobby. Hope your rec can help someone out.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Mark wrote: "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/fe...

I got 50points, book nerd.:D

dont know if w..."


I simply gave up at halfway. :)

[Bobby]

Terri wrote: "Lovely of you to recommend this to people, Bobby. Hope your rec can help someone out."

Couple of side notes to this story, Terri. My buddy ran to Canada while I was in Vietnam and when I got home I moved there as well for a couple of years!(a little back asswards, I know). He married his sweetheart and has lived in Canada ever since, 45 years now. We were all high school friends so this whole dementia thing has really left us reeling. I have visited several times in the past 2 years (twice last November)and made trips to various hospitals with them to talk to doctors. There is NO cure, NO medicines, NO future. Just eventually placement in a care facility. As harsh as this sounds, that time will be a relief for the husband as he is a 24/7 caregiver and I'm watching him deteriorate as well. They are coming out here to Phoenix in April. I have to accept this will probably be her last trip with us. Thanks for listening.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Ah God, Bobby. It's so hard. My mum is in early stages of dementia. It's so damn hard to deal with. For everyone.

[Linda]

Terri wrote: "If the news were worth believing I'd think the entire US was under six foot of snow and facing the worst apocalyptic blizzards!"

Nope. 70 degrees in sunny California. Anybody jealous?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi Bobby,
I feel your pain. I have seen what Dementia can do to a person. Dementia is so common. I have had two neighbours go down that road.
One man and one woman. The man, he passed away a couple years back. It was sad to watch his mental slide in those last five or six years.
The woman neighbour, is still functioning. The husband is her full time carer. They have a home on the coast as well as a few acres near us.

I think she is getting really bad. I saw him working down with his horses one day, then I looked across to see her walking down the driveway (which is about 300 metres long, headed for the road. Obviously lost and walking aimlessly.

They don't have a phone so I could not call him. I saw him go up to the house. Just as I was about to walk down to try and cut her off from walking off down the road, I saw the husband come flying down from the house in his car looking for her.
Luckily he saw her and drove to get her.
Then there was a moment where she was confused and wouldn't get into the car.
He had to get out and hold her hand and bring her to the car to help her in.

sad thing to see.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Linda wrote: "Nope. 70 degrees in sunny California. Anybody jealous? "

Not me. It is still Summer over here. Feb is our last month of Summer. :)

[Linda]

Bobby, The situation is sad and beautiful at the same time. I read a picture of profound love. Your friend and his sweetheart wife are fortunate to have a man such as you for a friend.

[Linda]

It is cold in the South,but the sun is shining. We are about thirty days from Spring,despite the cold weather. There are signs of spring. Daylight is slightly longer than night. A crocus or two is pushing up out of the ground. The cocoon of winter is slipping away as the day grows longer. Should we have snow, it would not feel like a winter snow. The floods along the Mississippi River will soon begin,and the flood water will be cold. I prefer the flooding from hurricanes that come in the summer because that water will be warm and people will frolick in it until the weather gets dangerous.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I enjoyed this so much I had to share it. He does look happy..and I can understand why.

[happy]

Linda wrote: "Terri wrote: "If the news were worth believing I'd think the entire US was under six foot of snow and facing the worst apocalyptic blizzards!"

Nope. 70 degrees in sunny California. Anybody jealous?"

Not really - it was 65 yesterday in sunny Utah (broke the record) - 20 degress above normal, we also had a record high low - 44 last night

[happy]

Bobby wrote: "Have a dear friend (high school sweetheart of my best buddy growing up) who was diagnosed with Dementia at 61 years of age. That was a couple of years ago and her downhill journey has steadily acce..."


Sorry to hear that Bobby, my sympathies. My MIL was starting to go down hill when she passed. She still knew who she was and recognized people - Still it was sad to see her so frustrated when she couldn't do things that she always had done. For example she was an accountant by trade and it got to the point where she couldn't even be trusted with the check book, let alone do the taxes.

[Bobby]

Thanks to all with your comments re. my buddy's wife and her dealing with the dreaded dementia. I'm sure this disease has touched many more people than we realize. Only find out when it comes up in discussion.

On a different note, its 81 degrees here in Az. today and we are leaving for Lake Tahoe tonight for what we hope is more skiing but right now it looks like nothing but rain there! Oh well, will still be fun to have some time off from everything with our daughters. Great to have the Super Bowl BEHIND me. That was a loooong week!!

[Meri]

Mark wrote: "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/fe...

I got 50points, book nerd.:D

dont know if w..."


I got 45. I should get a bonus point as I have so many books I actually don't know exactly how many but when I moved out most of the boxes were books. 12 boxes from memory. Various sizes.

[Gretchen]

I loved the Spock meme Terri! After we get fiction and non-fiction sorted then we have to sort by time period, geographical location, there may be some fantasy, maybe some contemporary fiction.......
Right now my bookshelves are a mess. I really needed to get a project done one day. In order to do so, I had to sacrifice my bookshelves to the twinkers. Those little turkeys are taller than I think!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Gretchen wrote: "I loved the Spock meme Terri! After we get fiction and non-fiction sorted then we have to sort by time period, geographical location, there may be some fantasy, maybe some contemporary fiction........"

You're speakin' my language, G!

[Allison]

Bobby wrote: "Have a dear friend (high school sweetheart of my best buddy growing up) who was diagnosed with Dementia at 61 years of age. That was a couple of years ago and her downhill journey has steadily acce..."

So sorry Bobby. My grandmother has full blown dementia. Doesn't know a darn thing, not even how to walk or eat by herself. Yet the rest of her body is as healthy as a horse! My grandfather passed away out of no where... he was so full of life still. But his wife continues to sit in a wheelchair day after day, not knowing who she is. Life's not fair :( I'm sorry it hit so close to home for you buddy. ***hugs***

[Linda]

Good pic, Terri! Spock I recognized! Love the weather reports! I have Avalon by Anya Seton ready to read, but I have watched TCM movies instead. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, THE RIEVERS and WUTHERING HEIGHTS. I love the Robert Browning quote in SITG and Faulkner's book turned Hollywood. I am not a Bronte fan, but to round out my day, I am watching it. I watched some two hour French movie earlier. I could not understand a word of it and yet I watched??

[Jane]

We're under a winter storm warning from today thru Tuesday. Sleeting and ice right now, changing to snow later. Doctor's appointment tomorrow--a new guy--so I'm concerned--both if I can get there safe and about a new person.

[Linda]

We are sunny and low side of mild. Jane, those are two major stressors for you! You will be on my mind. Tomorrow is doctor day for me too. The first time I saw him , you could see my heart pounding. I sat in a chair, and he jumped up onthe examining table sitting Indian style and said, "Tell me all about yourself!" We have been ok with each other since. I hope you get to the doctor and that you hit it off with one another. By now, my doctor, dentist, priest, etc., are all younger than I am which just adds more stress to the situation. Be ok!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Good luck to both you ladies with your Doc appointments.
And good luck getting through the miserable weather, Jane.

[Allison]

Linda wrote: "Good pic, Terri! Spock I recognized! Love the weather reports! I have Avalon by Anya Seton ready to read, but I have watched TCM movies instead. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, THE RIEVER..."

I LOVE that channel. With their annual 31 days of Oscar celebration going on right now, my dvr is filling up.

[Allison]

Good luck tomorrow ladies! The woman I help take care of has a doc appointment tomorrow too. I take her, then hoof it to the library instead of sitting there waiting :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I have a question for all the tv watchers.
Background first...
My hubby (Mr Terri) rang up the radio station on the way home from his work yesterday to enter a competition. They asked him some questions. When hubby told me one of them when he got home we discussed those questions. one of them I thought I would ask here, to see what people's answers are.

Question one: What is your favourite Tv Comedy Series of all time?

Question two: What is your favourite Tv Comedy Series on tv at the moment (as in, airing..not yet cancelled)?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

My answers.

Favourite of all time: Arrested Development

Favourite on tv right now: Broad City

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Question one: The Goodies

Question two: Don't have one. Good comedy has died. :(

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

hahaha....Well that's not in the spirit of things! :D
What about Fargo? I haven't watched it, but I loved the movie and that was Black Comedy.