Readers and Reading discussion
GENERAL CONVERSATION
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April Chat
That's one reason that I would never want to be a "snowbird". I'd always be looking for something that was in the other place.
Imagine my surprise when I opened my newspaper today and there was a picture of our prolific reader, Deb in NJ, with her dog Chappy! It was an article about having parties on line, and she had had one for Chappy. I recognized her right away. Don't ever think it isn't a small world!
I really must be an idiot. When I first signed up on Goodreads, I put a few books on my shelf. Now, when I want to add more, I can't figure out how to do it! I keep getting the book search function. What am I missing? This can't be that difficult.
you can use the book search function to add your books. that's the way I did it.
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I haven't even talked to Deb. I didn't see her on Goodreads and can't remember her exact email. Can anyone help?Carolyn, I have also put books on my shelf and now can't figure out how to shuffle them around even tho Alias explained it to me. It says I am reading a book I read last Nov and I just can't get it to go away!
We have an engaging and wonderful new addition to this board:Emily Comstock
She and I are bosom buddy teaching cohorts in NC. She's now in Korea on a Fulbright scholarship but will return to the states soon. Please welcome her. Prolific and passionate reader, Emily floats my boat.
Roe
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WELCOME EMILY!!!!
Welcome Emily - we're friendly and look forward to meeting you.
It's so nice to be gaining new members on this new board - I hope you enjoy it, Emily.
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "So let's get started....Michael???I am here, back from a trip to Kentucky with other stops in West Virginia and Virginia. Some fabulous places--I want to move to one of those empty mountainsides in West Virginia and live happily ever after. If I could pick 100 people to live there with me, LOL. But on to some kind of point..... I am still pretty raw at these formats. I am currently reading Age of Innocence (rereading, to be accurate). Wharton was around 60 when she wrote this one, according to the timeline in this edition, and maybe her wisdom had reached critical mass. There is just something about this one that I still love.
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Were you on vacation?
Hello everyone!As Roe is a member of this board, I know it must be fantastic :) As she said, we taught together in Durham before I landed in Korea. I tend to read mostly poetry and American fiction, but I've been trying to read more of everything lately. Looking forward to following the chatter! - Em
The Amish may have their good points, but they will never be a group I respect due to their puppy mills. They are notorious for them.
Every once in awhile we see Amish at the jersey shore. And that for them is a no no. But it's such a treat. They have never seen the ocean. At least the ones we saw. They had to switch back to their regular clothes when they got back to the their. It was a group of women, a few children and a guy and you could tell the guy must not have been Amish so they got a ride from someone else. They were all putting their clothes and shoes that they had on the beach in a big trash bag that was in the back the the car. donna jo
And hi Emily - how's Korea these days? Full of sound and fury, I expect. My Mom had a friend who lived in Seoul for years and loved it the most.
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JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Michael, we were in Amish country the other day, just north of where we live, on our way to Pottstown.....and my husband commented that he used to think the Amish way of life was odd but now he env..."Yes, we went to Lexington, Ky., to do a lot of horse things. My son has inherited the love of racehorses and racing. Lexington is an attractive small city in its own right, and it is surrounded by all the major thoroughbred breeding farms. We went to the races at Keeneland, also went to the sales there, watched morning workouts, and toured one of the main breeding farms. Lots of fun for horse fans. But I was particularly struck by West Virginia. I had cut through the upper part of the state on another driving trip, but this was the first time I had ever driven through the heart of the state. Even from interstates, as opposed to probably more scenic local roads, it looked spectacular to me. If the internet really changes work conditions, this would be a great place for someone who loves the outdoors and an interesting, varied environment to live, and work wirelessly.
Leslie/cloudla wrote: "The Amish may have their good points, but they will never be a group I respect due to their puppy mills. They are notorious for them. "I don't know anything about that, but I sure like those Amish women. They all look just like Kelly McGillis, right?
Michael. if you google "puppy mills" and "Amish" I guarantee you will be shocked beyond words.
They treat their dogs like chickens in those chicken "plants". They raise these poor puppies to sell at auctions and most go to pet stores that sell puppies.
NEVER buy a dog from a pet store!!!!!
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Leslie/cloudla wrote: "Michael. if you google "puppy mills" and "Amish" I guarantee you will be shocked beyond words.
They treat their dogs like chickens in those chicken "plants". They raise these poor puppies to sell..."
My son and his girlfriend recently adopted two retired greyhounds. One of them, the male, was a racer and the female was rescued from an Amish puppy mill. I had never heard of such a thing before, and now that I do, my heart breaks for those poor puppies. I'm not even a dog person - far from it - but those are two of the sweetest dogs I've ever met.
When I asked them why the Amish got involved in puppy mills, the general consensus is that it's something they can do to make money that doesn't require using electricity.
Connie
JoAnn, you spoke of your husband's evolving sympathy, with a trace of envy, for the simplicity of Amish life. I share his feelings, but I suspect we are romanticizing it from the outside. It is simple, for sure -- but it also must be very difficult. How could we ever step back into ways of doing things that would seem so unnecessarily time-consuming, for example. Obviously, we couldn't. But maybe what is appealing is something at the core -- something so different from our "modern" life, full of possessions, full of the pressure for productivity.... full of constraints, of one sort or another. The Amish have constraints they live with all the time, but not on the spiritual side of living. We who enjoy our modernity often become its slaves.... instead of freeing us from constraint, sometimes our "advances" seem only to enable us to get ourselves tied down that much more. That is the problematic paradox of American life today, IMO.
Donnajo wrote: "Every once in awhile we see Amish at the jersey shore. And that for them is a no no. But it's such a treat. They have never seen the ocean. At least the ones we saw...."Your story reminds me of one of the early reality shows, which matched a group of Amish youths on their rumspringas with a group of supposedly typical American teenagers. One episode showed the Amish being taken to the shore.... it was funny and sweet, although one almost drowned and had to be saved. The Amish kids were so much more decent than the typical teens, it was hard to keep watching! You didn't want to see the Amish seduced into mindless materialism, and you (well, I) prayed that they would not fall for the superiority the "typicals" projected. Fortunately, all but perhaps one came to the same recognition themselves. Good for the Amish kids -- in all other respects, it was a series that did not enhance one's view of "typical" American lives, pardon the generalization.
There are days when I want to pack up everything in my house and just have the necessary furniture in each room with no knickknacks no matter how artistic!I can't convince DH to do this though - he doesn't think the house is cluttered enough :)
I have to say when we see either the Amish or sometimes Mexican after 5:30 when the lifeguards go home and the beach badge girls/guys leave 3:30 people like those and other's who don't want to pay to get on the beach come and accidents happen when they don't know there are rip tides or other things they have to watch for. I know there were a few times last summer then it was real bad they kept a few of the lifeguards riding back and forth with their beach big wheels .Donna Jo
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Yes, it is a paradox and I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this. Core simplicity is interesting to ponder. I always say I am going to simplify but then am perplexed as to how to do so within the parameters of my life and what seems that I NEED to do. Sigh
Donnajo wrote: people like those and other's who don't want to pay ..."You have to pay to go on the beach??? I have never heard of this.
Leslie/cloudla wrote: "Donnajo wrote: people like those and other's who don't want to pay ..."You have to pay to go on the beach??? I have never heard of this.
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You pay for a beach tag at the Jersey shore. It's the only place where I've run into this practice.
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The beach, however, is public....but if people cannot park nearby they are inclined to go elsewhere.
Hi! I'm Randi, and I'm brand new to this group. I just wanted to introduce myself. I like to read, write, and do crafts. I'm working on a novel right now. I have very eclectic taste in books. I like every genre except for trashy or sappy love stories.
Greetings, Randi, and welcome here. I smile at your name because i thought of it as perpendicular and i but see it's not. Cute.deborah, who met you also on the Book Nook Cafe board & who treasures the Hitchhiker's Guide "trilogy"
There is only 2 beaches on the jersey shore that are free. The other beaches it depends on the town they set the price. We are $60.00 for the season and this this is the first time I didn't have to pay since my sister & brother in law gave me a badge badge as one of my christmas gifts. They got on sale before the holidays and usually if the price changes they keep the same price as the year before at that time. If you buy a day badge it's maybe $7 during the week or alittle more on the weekends. I haven't bought a day or even a week badge in years. It's usually the season one. Which you aren't supposed to pass around but because it's your name that it's attached too but no one knows if you give it to someone else to use for the day. We might do it just in the family but usually certain neighbors don't ask but in emerg. if they can borrow one if you don't need all of your's. But it's good that happens sometimes because if you need an extra it's good to have someone else to fall back on. My sister lost a badge that way but lucky it was turned in and she was able to get it back. The people were very sorry because they had let relatives use it and they weren't even told it fell off wherever the girl put the badge. My sister went crazy for a few days trying to met up with the lifeguard to handed it in she bought him lunch one day.
Perpendicularandi wrote: "Hi! I'm Randi, and I'm brand new to this group. I just wanted to introduce myself. I like to read, write, and do crafts. I'm working on a novel right now. I have very eclectic taste in books. ..."Hi, Randi!!!!Welcome....
Leslie/cloudla wrote: You have to pay to go on the beach??? I have never heard of this."The Jersey shore is used intensively, Leslie. Towns of 3,000 may have weekend populations of 25,000 or more during the summer. And that is true all up and down the state coastline. These little towns have to staff the lifeguards, the security, do cleaning and maintenance, supply shower houses, and have the police capacity to take care of any trouble day or night. Charging the people for whom they must do those things is probably the fairest approach, I think. There is always a fight over it simmering somewhere, which has been true for the last 50 years; but to pay $5 to $10 for a one- or two-day badge doesn't seem bad to me. In fact, for my own family, I would always choose a beach with a charge over a free beach. Some of the people on free beaches don't show much respect for those around them. There are also state park beaches with relatively low fees for parking.
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In the next town, which is barely a half mile up the road, people also get tags but only one and only if your house is right in the town. These people use the tag for parking in front of their homes. Everyone else must feed a meter. The meter revenue ($1.50 an hour) pays for all those things that Michael mentioned. The town can collect $10,000 a day from the meters in the height of the season.
Thank you for your warm welcomes. I am hoping to get to know all of you soon. This looks like a good group, very friendly and knowledgeable (spelling?) about books.
Welcome Randi. I hope you like it here.Love hearing about the beach policies. We usually go to the FL panhandle beaches, in NW FL on the Gulf of Mexico, between Destin and Panama City. The only lifeguards I've seen are those hired by the big resorts/condos. I've never seen a shower house.
I'm not even sure I have ever seen a bathroom on the public beaches! Most people just find a spot and pull onto the shoulder of the road and walk down to the beach.
One of my best friends has a house in that area (it was once featured on the Home & Garden channel). You can often go out on the beach in front of her house and not see another person. The sand is white and the water a beautiful blue/green, if there isn't any seaweed. It is heaven!
One of the houses on our beach was on H&G too on the extreme beach houses or something like that. He builds houses and he's very high price. He has a beach house and a house in town. But I think he owns the beach house with 2 other partners. When he built his house he built two in front of it. One is owned by some Texas oil women and don't know who the other owner of the other house is. They are probably one of the 3 biggest on the beach. Our town is probably middle price as season badges cost. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive. My sister & brother in law have to buy 4 badges and it's still not enough for when the family is there. That is when if we borrow one or two we do it then or we all don't end up going to the beach. They don't discount or give any to the homeowner some towns do that but not all. We have been going to the first meeting for the beach in the summer usually and you always find out stuff then or complain. The bathrooms there is only 3 one on each end of the walkway and one in the middle and they aren't opened all the time. We were supposed they had a men's room open last weekend for a run they had from Seaside to Asbury. We didn't see a Women's open. As for cops well they had the walking ones that are extra in the summer than are supposed to ride bikes or whatever on the walkway and they only do that until I think 9pm. If that. They told us one thing last year and when we walked on the weekend we would see them down by the arcade and no other place. I guess it depends.
donna jo
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Love hearing about the beach policies. ..."
Almost as much fun as hearing about all the different wedding traditions in different parts of the country, right?
Yep! We have a very diverse country.So where do you put this badge when you go in the water? Do you have to wear it at all times or can you just have it with you?
Well you are supposed to pin it on your bathing suit. But the pins on ours don't really have a point so it really can make a hole in whatever you pin it too. So mine is attached to my beach bag. If I go off the beach back to the house for something or walk along the ocean or go to the restrooms if I don't feel like the walk back to the house. Then I pin it on my coverup pocket or if it's a shortsleeve I put it on the sleeve so I'm not sticking the pin in. As for after the season. I have a jar of seaglass and small shells I found over the years and the badge goes in there. But there is a needlepoint canvas that can be done with the town name, ocean and some of the beach and toes that can be done and some have made that into a picture type thing that you can work in putting your one a year badges I haven't done it yet but have thought about it. Some even keep them on their bag year after year. I haven't seen that many that do it that way. Badges have to be worn from Memorial day weekend until Labor day. really after memorial day it's really only weekends that the badge people are their they really aren't there usually during the week. They get high school or college kids to do that maybe a few adults. They sit at the opening and check everyone and will sell you a day badge only if you want something else you go to the beach office. Sometimes on the busy weekends they have the rat patrol walking along the beach checking to make sure everyone has a badge. They also check for those people who sneak on liquor or glass bottles. Last year it was two old guys doing that. And I saw a few times they woke people up who were sleeping. Which really surprised us. There is also no smoking except certain parts of the beach but they don't watch that as much. And believe me people still do it unless someone complains.
donna Jo
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maybe they wanted to be sure they were not dead!
I think all beaches in California are free and open to the public under a policy that the ocean belongs to everyone. There are fights about this, i.e., Malibu, which would like to keep their beach for residents onloy, but can't no matter how hard they try. I can't imagine the crowds you guys are talking about - we just go to the beach, sometimes one, sometimes another depending on the day. Parking is something else again.
Bunny wrote: "I think all beaches in California are free and open to the public under a policy that the ocean belongs to everyone. There are fights about this, i.e., Malibu, which would like to keep their beach...""onloy"?????????
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It is hard if not impossible to go to a beach if one has nowhere to park! LOL At least here it is. One would risk one's life crossing the highway.
The policy that the ocean belongs to everyone is true, but if one cannot park and get to said ocean, it belongs to those who CAN access it.
I just meant parking costs even if the beach is free - so they get you one way or another :)
Leslie/cloudla wrote: "We usually go to the FL panhandle beaches, in NW FL on the Gulf of Mexico... The only lifeguards I've seen are those hired by the big resorts/condos. I've never seen a shower house. ... Most people just find a spot and pull onto the shoulder of the road and walk down to the beach..."
Sounds great! New Jersey, and I am a Jersey boy born and bred, has 100 miles of beautiful beaches. But it also has the most densely populated state in the nation wanting to get onto those beaches--plus much of the populations of the greater New York and greater Philadelphia regions. Everyone goes "downa shore," everyone. That is why places like Cape May, a beautiful town, go from its population of 4,000 year round to an estimated summer population of 45,000. Ocean City has a year-round population of 15,000, but a summer population of 140,000. So you can see what the local governments have to deal with.
Some of the solutions are horrible. Insurance liability has always been an expense, but as you can imagine, it has become a far bigger expense over the last 15 years. Many towns limit the space in which you can go into the ocean to roped-in sections in front of each individual lifeguard stand. That puts everyone right on top of each other. Anyone who actually MOVES while in the ocean is almost sure to bump into someone else. If you ride the surf, you can easily turn that bump into quite a bang. The town officials apparently think this is safer, and people (but not me) continue to flock to such beaches. I hate to say these negative things, but that is the case. The weekends right after Labor Day are fabulous, though, as there are no lifeguards, far smaller crowds, lower heat & humidity, yet the ocean temperatures are still peaking.
I cannot accurately post my March reads because I cannot find my book journal. Bummer. I am half-moved to my beach house and I suspect that may be where it is. Along with my black clogs! I am feeling very discombobulated (sp?)!