Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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Dawn, my thoughts exactly. Uhtred honored a pledge made even when it was uncomfortable or counter to his own goals. He was loyal to his friends come what may. He never forgot where he came from. These attributes make him a good man,if not a hero!
How are all our A&Mers going? All your loved ones okay? Hoping no-one has had business closures or a job loss.For me, living on a farm, isolation is much like my normal life. My husband is an essential service so he's been working as per usual. Except, he did just take a couple weeks off work and as this time of year is super busy for farmers, we've been flat out wh8le he was at home.
He's back at work this week, so things are back to normal for me.
Ok here in Michigan! I don’t know anyone that’s contracted the virus (and would like to keep it that way)! Business is booming (I work for a pool company) so the three of us girls in the office have been taking turns, working different days in the week. So I was allowed to still qualify for unemployment with my depleted hours and had zero problems getting payment (some unfortunate souls are still waiting over a month later). We go back to work full time next week because our governor lifted the restrictions for outside type businesses. I’ve been lucky!
I’m just bummed the libraries are closed. But all this staying at home has really lowered my credit card bills haha.
Our Gov is talking about lifting a few restrictions too. But mostly it's only elective surgery and... something else I can't recall.Online shopping has gone ballistic! Lol. Our country's postal service is saying it's busier than Xmas 2019. Which was the biggest ever until covid. I've tried to keep online shopping under control, but I just HAD to buy some more books last week. 😊
The economy here in California is decimated with this lockdown. I think it’s foolish and hysterical. Chicken Little, Chicken Little the sky is falling! I remember when Polio was epidemic. They didn’t close everything down then. The part I find most disgusting is the mayor of Riverside is encouraging citizens to report on their neighbors if they see them violating the lockdown. Snitches! Nazis were encouraged to do the same things to their neighbors and family members. And the Communists. And here we are being encouraged to do the same things! Grrrr....
I heard the mayor of New York encouraged the New Yorkers to snitch on their neighbors, too, and they filled his email with obscenities! Ha-ha 😆👍. I think that’s great! Americans aren’t known as rebels for nothing!
Oh, you are feisty, Marilyn! haha. I'm all for the lockdowns over here. Can't speak to other countries, only my own.
We're doing OK and I'm actually kind of enjoying being home all the time. I don't quite have the stamina for my "normal" life and as an introvert, staying home has been good for recharging the batteries. Unfortunately it's also recharging the waistline... eekHere in Australia, school is starting up again next week but they've left it up to the parents to decide whether the kids go or not. Mine will be staying home for now. I just hope that in relaxing a few restrictions we don't have a second wave.
I think the lockdown has been essential over here, we live in rabbit hutches compared to the rest of yous I would suggest :) and with our close proximity the spread/contagion would have been more felt. projections before the lock down were putting the death toll at 250,000 plus the crumbling of the NHS as it was overwhelmed which was the main worry at the start....... one hospital started using an alternate (sleep apnea machine) to the ventilators which looks to be a more improved treatment pathway for the illness so without that time/preparedness we might be right up against it now....Most have supported the government's actions (well, bar the press who are on a witchhunt Grrrrrr) & the few idiots who jus take the pish & flout/bend the social distancing laws.
We're all ok although one of my ma's friends succumbed to the illness last weekend, even though there only a few houses apart they hadn't seen each other face to face since the middle of March when all this started to raise it's head.... :(
Thank you, Mark! That story made me smile.
May wrote: "Thank you, Mark! That story made me smile."Exactly what we want.
Marilyn wrote: "I heard the mayor of New York encouraged the New Yorkers to snitch on their neighbors, too, and they filled his email with obscenities! Ha-ha 😆👍. I think that’s great! Americans aren’t known as reb..."That’s disgusting.
I see all this “we’re in this together” slogan crap all over and I just laugh. No, we’re not....because everyone is too worried about what everyone else is doing or not doing.
One of my apartment’s maintenance men lives in the same building as me and I watched him have a fit in the parking lot the other day because he spied someone visiting that doesn’t live here. Funny thing is....he was out in the parking lot because HE was going somewhere! And we can leave for groceries, medicine, whatnot, but I didn’t see him coming home with any bags...
A cop came to my work because someone called on our truck parked outside their neighbors home. ONE technician was there because their swim spa had become a stinky, yellow cesspit and the owner uses it daily for medical reasons. Well, it you leave it like that, eventually the neighbors would call because it’s stinky, wouldn’t they? But they’re soooo ready to NOT mind their own business and rat people out.
This same cop (he did not end up giving us a fine by the way) was telling us about how they’re being FLOODED with calls of people calling on kids riding their bikes. We’re “allowed” to be outside, and those kids are most likely riding with their siblings who they’re stuck inside the houses with anyway!
People need to grow up and chill out. If you’re worried about catching it, stay inside your own house and don’t worry about the kids trying to get some sunshine and fresh air 🙄
Over hear, you are allowed two guests at a time. I don't know if people are getting as anxious as these stories you have, Allie. I imagine some would. I suppose it depends on how some people react to stress and threat. We all react differently. My parents are all chill about covid, and yet they don't quite comprehend that they are the vulnerable. They are the ones we are protecting by staying home. It's frustrating that they don't let that sink in.
Like Laura said, over here, if they ease restrictions, the next wave will come, and we're heading into tge Winter flu season. So, we have an added danger coming.
On the upside. Awesome to see the reduction in pollution! The covid is a win for the planet and every other species but humans!!!
Imagine, they are seeing blue skies over Beijing for the 1st time in decades!!!
and perhaps after all this they'll be less need to work at the office resulting in fewer transport on the road esp the dreaded rush hour which takes up hours off folks days...... time for a green reboot perhaps as I can see many folk re-evaluating there work life balance n priorities.....??
I've been hoping the same. I hope that those with jobs where they can be performance evaluated without having to work in an office, get to work from home. It would be good for family units and the environment and even mental health.
Have to say on my daily walks I "bump" into more folk than I normally would in a week..... done a lotta catching up with some distant friends these past few weeks.... obvs from a distance, normally shouting across the road at each other :)
Terri wrote: "Over hear, you are allowed two guests at a time. I don't know if people are getting as anxious as these stories you have, Allie. I imagine some would. I suppose it depends on how some people react..."
No guests for us. Besides being able to go on walks or to the grocery store, we are totally quarantined. Everyone is just so quick to rat everyone and anyone out while sitting in their windows watching for “violations” outside 🙄 So ready for this to be over (because it’s a pandemic obviously) but so people can start being nice to each other again.
I am happy for the environment though!!!
Still quarantined here in Austria too, though small shops opened after Easter. We have to wear masks in shops and public transport. At least parts of schools will open mid-May, and perhaps libraries too - woohoo! :)Hubby will go back to work in May, and elder daughter is working short time, while younger is (after having had to return from her term in Canada) studying online. Our summer holidays in Italy will in all probability not happen.
I´m also happy for the environment, though we would have to stay this way (no flying, less driving, buying in nearby small shops), if the environment should really recover. I´m pessimistic about that though. :(
Yeah, I'm pessimistic about it too, Michaela. I really, really, really want to believe that when some people see the results of how this planet can start to heal itself. after so short a time, it will change some minds.
It's beautiful to see ocean and sea creatures moving into coastlines and beaches, where tourists are usually gathering en masse and forcing them out.
I imagine this will be the first thing to change when restrictions are lifted around the world. Humans will stream onto beaches and coastlines in even greater numbers to (celebrate their release from social isolation) and these creatures will be even worse off for a while.
On environmental stuff... last year, the husband and I decided to try removing plastics from our daily life. It has actually surprised me how easily I could remove products that came in plastic from my routines.I have long thick hair and used to go through a lot of shampoo and conditioner bottles, now I buy those bars that come in recycled cardboard. Once I made this change, I was shocked to realise how many plastic bottles I have put in the bin. To think, every shampoo or conditioner container I have used since I was a child is still out there in the ground or ocean.
The conditioner bars aren't as good as the plastic container conditioners, but its a small price to pay.
haha. welll.. maybe not like that. Less feral pests, more indigenous species. ;-)
Has anyone been doing the Top 10 albums thing? I know this is all about books - just asking. There's been some very interesting discussions on FB, where I usually spend little time. But...covid 19 and all that...
:) yes my FB wall has been more active in a month than normally a whole year, been good to reconnect with some ol friends Ive not talked to in years & been reminiscing a tad... I did get nominated for the singles/albums challenge but not started it yet.... it would have a LOT of Punk rock in it I think
Has to be influences before 20 remember. There's some stuff I'm a teensy bit ashamed of now...but honesty inspires the most interesting discussions.
Yeah I think ABBA has crept onto many a males wall in shame lols
Andy wrote: "Have to say on my daily walks I "bump" into more folk than I normally would in a week..... done a lotta catching up with some distant friends these past few weeks.... obvs from a distance, normally..."Same here as well, there is a nice woodland hiking trail about a ten minute walk from our place, it's about a 1 1/2 miles long and I've been seeing on the average about ten folks on the trail, I usually hike in the eastwardly direction and they're coming at me going west. Most wear masks, out on the trail I'll use my mask when I see them approaching and continue to wear for a few minutes once they go past me. It's a good trail lot of hills so your going up and down, the last half is mostly downhill, so I do a nice slow jog to the end of the trail, then it's around some rice fields for about another mile then the back road back to town, usually it's about a 3 1/2 mile loop and I can stretch it out to 4 or 5 miles if I like.
Adrian wrote: "Has anyone been doing the Top 10 albums thing? I know this is all about books - just asking. There's been some very interesting discussions on FB, where I usually spend little time. But...covid 19 ..."I've been hoping nobody nominates me to do it. I hate those 'post your top 10...' challenges. There's three I'm seeing going around at the moment. The Top 10 albums, as well as 10 photos of your life as a mum (I'm not one so at least I won't be tagged in this one!), and 10 photos since childhood.
Andy wrote: ":) yes my FB wall has been more active in a month than normally a whole year, been good to reconnect with some ol friends Ive not talked to in years & been reminiscing a tad... I did get nominated ..."Yep. it would be mostly punk for me too, Andy.
@Terri sounds like yer jus asking to be nominated........ :D
haha. Don't you bloody nominate me! I'm already on code red seeing four people doing 10 albums in my feed. I'm dreading getting tagged. lol
Terri wrote: "haha. Don't you bloody nominate me! I'm already on code red seeing four people doing 10 albums in my feed. I'm dreading getting tagged. lol"Hmmmm. *cackles evilly*
Terri wrote: "haha. Don't you bloody nominate me! I'm already on code red seeing four people doing 10 albums in my feed. I'm dreading getting tagged. lol"*whistles innocently*
omg. She got me.... *falls on floor*
10 albums over 10 days it is then. *shakes fist at butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth Margaret*
what we're the others one now....... ; )
Margaret wrote: "Terri wrote: "haha. Don't you bloody nominate me! I'm already on code red seeing four people doing 10 albums in my feed. I'm dreading getting tagged. lol"*whistles innocently*"
"high fives"
If there wasn't a gentleman's (lady's) unspoken code that you didn't nominate people already doing the challenge, well, look out you two. But I shall abide by the unspoken code... you're lucky I am so honourable.
Terri wrote: "If there wasn't a gentleman's (lady's) unspoken code that you didn't nominate people already doing the challenge, well, look out you two. But I shall abide by the unspoken code... you're lucky I am..."Read..... Im really excited i've been nominated, ive jus been hoping someone would...... :D
Andy wrote: "Terri wrote: "Read..... Im really excited i've been nominated, ive jus been hoping someone would...... :D.."You could be right Andy...dignity is safe, now she can have fun! 😉
And then there’s me who has none of you on her Facebook 🙁 although perhaps that’s good since I wouldn’t want to do some 10 picture tag either 😅🤣
I'll send you a friend request on FB, Allie. :-) Anybody I know well from the group here, if you send me a PM, we can find each other on FB too. Just be aware, I have been known to swear. Not all the time, and I try not to, but I'm not always on my best behaviour on FB like I try to be in our group. lol.
Mostly I just post photos of farm life on FB. So, if you want to connect on FB too, send me a PM.
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Berry Pickers (other topics)Fortune's Child (other topics)
Hild (other topics)
Sharpe's Command (other topics)
Edenglassie (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Amanda Peters (other topics)Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Allan Hands (other topics)
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That we like the tenacity and moral code of a character, whether we think he's doing it for the right reasons or not.
I think you can admire a person or make them a hero, without wanting to be them or even really agreeing with them.