Book Nook Cafe discussion

I did indeed miss the worst of NYC weather. While we were there temps really ranged, though, from the near 70s to 20s with harsh wind. Not fun but not awful.

We lived in this part of Virginia when DH was drafted. Indeed, it's where my love of history was sparked. So, visiting the area is truly like meeting an old friend. So much has been well preserved & saved. Sadly, not our old housing unit, which was the pits when we lived there--dirt-floored pantry off the kitchen & all!

I never knew you once lived in Virginia. That must be so cool to go back and visit your old haunts.

It is, in a way. We had so little money that we barely went out back then. What we did do was free. The library was one of my haunts(surprise!), at the time they only had a lovely building downtown. That building is now closed, so i missed even seeing that.

I see it's been over six weeks since i last posted here. Ooops! We've been taking things fairly easy the last month. First we were in Wilmington, NC, a lovely place with the sorta nearby Kure Beach as my fav beach thus far. A week in Charleston, followed by Tybee Island, Georgia continued our journey. It is a smallish place, one not overrun with franchises. It's near Savannah, so the drives to historical sites were lovely. Other highlights included St. Augustine, Tallahassee, and Panama City Beach, Florida.

Now we are in Mobile, Alabama, for a week. It's warm & humid today, so we are staying in to catch up on postcards, phone calls & such. Tomorrow a cool front arrives, down to 60s. We have a few forts to visit, as well as www.nationalafricanamericanarchives.org/ and
www.bienvillebooks.com

Thanks for the update, Deb. Your travels sound lovely.

With wicked cold weather headed to NYC late next week, I am enjoying living vicariously through you. :)

Glad to provide a tad of escape, Alias. We had no idea how large the bay here in Mobile is! We've been from one end to the other, visiting some of the Civil War's final battle sites. Good weather and nice hikes. Some of these breast works are the best preserved we've seen.

Did i mention it's Carnival season? We've never been interested in Mardi Gras activities but are considering attending one of the DOZEN parades to be held while we are here.

It seems you are doing a lot of hiking. You must be in great shape now.

Mardi Gras ! How exciting. I can't wait to hear all about it. Enjoy.

Have fun at Mardi Gras! My brother was there many moons ago while he was in the Navy. He says it's CRAZY!!!

Apparently Mardi Gras here in Mobile is quite unlike New Orleans. We've been told that here they stress the family factor, rather than the lift your shirt for beads stuff. We'll see. Today we went downtown & were impressed by the decorations on the street--trees with strings of beads hanging down, masks and balloons attached to some lighting, etc. And homes here have Mardi Gras wreaths & bedecking, not unlike what you'd see at Christmas. Most unexpected.

Madrano wrote: "Apparently Mardi Gras here in Mobile is quite unlike New Orleans. We've been told that here they stress the family factor, rather than the lift your shirt for beads stuff. ..."

Well, that's refreshing! Who knew? I thought Mardi Gras was just another name for a drunken bacchanalia!

In Mobile it appears to not be the drinking fest. At least this is what the motel clerk told us. I'm not a fan of parades at all but i must admit this was a bit different. People were excited & prepared. One guy brought a rake with him to pull thrown beads accidentally caught in tree limbs. A couple of people filled laundry baskets with beads thrown from the floats. What they do with them all is beyond me, as there are hundreds thrown in any one street block.

Also tossed to watchers were small bags of candy & mini-Moon Pies. Who Knew? Apparently the pies have been a tradition in Mobile since the '50s. The floats were colorful & fanciful. Possibly they were supposed to explain more about the particular society sponsoring each night's parade. I'm still not a fan of parades but it was neat to see entire families gathered for parade traditions--the family next to us had 3 generations attending, as they do every year, they told us.

Sounds like I would rather attend the Mobile festivities. It seem the New Orleans one has become a bunch of drunk college kids. At least that is the way it is portrayed on the news. I've never attended.

I'm satisfied with what we saw. We are now in Selma & we see no hints that it is Carnival or Mardi Gras season. Interesting, imo.

The last hint of the season was on the county courthouse doors which serve as the Monroeville Museum to honor Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Good stop, even though are no personal memorabilia from Lee. There is little for Capote but more than for her.

However, the court room in the courthouse Was the pattern used for the one in the movie version of her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. It is beautiful! Outside it's entry is the remains of the tree trunk where Boo Radley hide tokens for Scout. Ok, he was fictional but they saved a tree & scattered objects around it. There was no explanation, such as if it came from the yard of the man the character was patterned after or from Lee's demolished home.

I'm glad we stopped.

Madrano wrote: However, the court room in the courthouse Was the pattern used for the one in the movie version of her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. It is beautiful! Outside it's entry is the remains of the tree trunk where Boo Radley hide tokens for Scout. Ok, he was fictional but they saved a tree & scattered objects around it. There was no explanation, such as if it came from the yard of the man the character was patterned after or from Lee's demolished home.

I'm glad we stopped.
..."

That sounds wonderful !

Deb how are you deciding on your itinerary?

So many stops are based on Civil & Revolutionary War sites. We have a book about each (purchased on this trip, btw) which relates info about the sites (what's there, who runs it, if it's important, etc.). We mostly try to reach all in each state we visit, if it isn't at the other end of the state.

Today we are in Jackson, Mississippi. There was a battle in the area which was important because it helped deplete the number of Confederate soldiers who were holding Vicksburg. Their loss at this local battle helped end the seige at Vicksburg earlier. HOWEVER, although our book tells us about the site nearby, it didn't give an address or location because it's on private property. We traveled some roads, hoping we would happen upon it but didn't. Meanwhile we visited another field, one which helped Grant figure out when & how to attack Vicksburg. There was a good walking trail, so we walked around it twice.

Otherwise, we visit the Welcome Center as we enter each state.While there we get a state map, as well as flyers from sites & businesses. These help us decide. That is how we learned that Monroeville, AL., was along our route. Same with other places we've visited. Of course there are some spots we've just wanted to see for some time, so stop there. After Jackson, we go along the Natchez Trace trail, which we also visited last fall when we went through here. From there, we go to Natchez to see some of the antebellum homes. Many cities, such as Jackson, were burned as the Yankees won, so those old homes are gone.

I think that pretty much sums up how we decide. In May, when we leave Texas to head to Oregon, we are mostly visiting friends we haven't seen in 30 or more years. Their hometowns will help us decide that itinerary, although there are stops along the way we won't miss, such as Little Big Horn and Laura Ingalls & Almanzo Wilder's home in Missouri.

Madrano wrote:Otherwise, we visit the Welcome Center as we enter each state.."

That's a good idea. It's also nice that you can change your plans anytime and you have no set time to be anywhere. No pressure and you can do things at a relaxing pace.

I know you love history but I didn't know you were a civil war/ rev. war buff.

I've never been to Oregon, but it a state I would love to visit.

Thanks for sharing how you are planning your trip.

Madrano - I hate to ask publically, and if I'm overstepping I apologize, but can I ask are you retired that you move around so much? I read your threads and they are so interesting with the places you've visited.

Julia, not a problem to answer. Yes, we are retired. As it has been my lifelong goal to travel, we are starting in this country while DH's parents are still alive. We hope to be able to travel overseas later but who knows? We are in our mid-60s and still fairly healthy but one can never be certain. We've been amazed at the number of people around our age who say they would like to do the same thing. Grandchildren seem to be the biggest deterrent. Not having any of those, i think i understand.

Alias, i didn't know i was a Civil or Rev. War buff, either. I've never liked reading about war & really still don't. I just don't understand the maneuvers & such and don't really want to do so. When we were living in Maryland we visited some better known Civil War sites, Gettysburg and Manassas, which started my deeper interest. The number of lives lost was just numbing. I suppose in some ways i'm trying to figure out the willingness to be a soldier. When we realized we were kinda near Vicksburg, we decided to go & haven't stopped yet!

I just got Rick Steves' Paris 2014--my choice: Paris, and his choice: Ireland, "the serious golfer." Plus a British football game in person. I've been purging as much as I can; he retires March 31st. We have our passports, I just need to book everything . . .

Madrano - good for you!! My BF & I are trying to get all of our ducks in a row so that we can do the same thing.

Madrano wrote: Alias, i didn't know i was a Civil or Rev. War buff, either. I've never liked reading about war & really still don't. I just don't understand the maneuvers & such and don't really want to do so. When we were living in Maryland we visited some better known Civil War sites, Gettysburg and Manassas, which started my deeper interest. The number of lives lost was just numbing. I suppose in some ways i'm trying to figure out the willingness to be a soldier. When we realized we were kinda near Vicksburg, we decided to go & haven't stopped yet!
."

Thank you for the reply, Deb.

Carol wrote: "I just got Rick Steves' Paris 2014--my choice: Paris, and his choice: Ireland, "the serious golfer." Plus a British football game in per..."

I am so excited for you, Carol. I like to watch Rick Steven' on PBS. He is so informative.

JuliaO. wrote: "Madrano - good for you!! My BF & I are trying to get all of our ducks in a row so that we can do the same thing."

JuliaO, how long do you hope to be on the road? Some people think it would be difficult to leave their things behind but we haven't missed much along those lines. Indeed, it is rather freeing to not have so much to "look after".

Carol, I hope you enjoy the planning almost as much as the trip itself. It can be such fun to plan.

Madrano wrote: "JuliaO, how long do you hope to be on the road? Some people think it would be difficult to leave their things behind but we haven't missed much along those lines. Indeed, it is rather freeing to not have so much to "look after".
..."

We're still in talking stages, but discussions so far have been about 3-4 months out of the year during the spring/summer or summer/fall months. Do you have a camper? He wants to try a fifth wheel, but I'm afraid we would get claustrophobic (sp) after awhile.

I'm in Portland, Oregon, for the summer. We are renting an apartment on the 22nd floor in the downtown area. We face west, so can't see the best views of the river but have glimpses. At this point the weather has been too wet for us to see the mountains, even if we were facing east. Regardless, it's better than being in Texas for the summer!

I apologize for being away from the board for so long. One big reason was incredibly spotty signals as we traveled in this part of the US. To be fair, we had hole in coverage while traveling in the eastern part of the country but nothing like this. We are not fans of T-Mobile as a result. Motels, too, were spotty in providing service. Every one had service but few had reliable service--usually the signals were too weak to connect to the 'net for more than a few minutes. And so it went.

Now we are settled in for awhile. Ya'll have been on my mind even though i haven't read much of importance. I'll share those titles on the appropriate threads but i wanted to pop in here to let you know where we are. Have we visited the world famous Powell's Book Store yet? But of course! That before the mountains, river walks, etc.

MEANWHILE i see i didn't answer Julia's question. Sorry, we were totally out of service for a couple of weeks, so i guess that's how i missed it.

We do not have a camper, so i cannot give insight regarding claustrophobia in such a vehicle. However, we are traveliing in a Prius C, which is a mightly small car. We tell people we travel 6" from one another, which is fact. The gas we save by using a Prius has been amazing. I don't think we've gotten under 45 miles to the gallon but our average is in the mid-50s with some parts of some days reaching the upper 60s. Before embarking on the journey, we compared prices between travel the way we are, staying in motels versus camper/RV. They equaled out about the same for us. The added benefit for me was that i am not expected to cook, which would be the norm if we were living in a machine.

Periodically we spend a week or two in the same motel to catch up with emails, laundry and making a few homecooked meals but even then i am rarely the cook. What can i say? I have passed that stage of my life, i guess. I throw all that out there for your consideration, Julia (and others). Feel free to ask questions.

So happy to hear from you, Deb. I bet it's nice to settle in one place for a while. I would need that to recharge and relax.

I've never been to Portland, but I hear it is beautiful.

'Tis gorgeous. Our son is here, too, so we have another reason for being here. Portland prides itself on it's hiking and biking accessibility. Impressive, it is. And the Rose Garden overlooking the city is a delight for eye and nose!

No misspellings from what i see, William. It's tough to zero in on one favorite place. Even if i narrowed the options to continents, i probably couldn't zero in on just one. I've been to Greece twice and am hankering to go again but my husband insists we visit other countries first. Still, i think Greece is my favorite, mostly because i like reading it's ancient history & seeing the artifacts.

We were in your country early last year. I was fond of Avila and Granada because both seemed intimate. Madrid for the museums!

Most of our travels are about museums and history of the nations & cities. In this country we travel for the same. We like the scenery in all places and try to walk about, to better get a sense of places.

New York City is probably my favorite city, partly because i speak the language, which can be daunting in other countries. The variety cities offer is exciting but sometimes the getting around is tedious.

How about you, any favorite places?

deb

Greetings from Dallas, Texas. We have returned to our "home" state for awhile. Family health issues have arisen & we feel it's important to be here for a few months. It's already been a whirlwind of activities, despite the heat. With cooler temps & the holidays ahead, we may not be able to fully relax again until we are on the road. Weird, huh?

I'm writing to state that i have found it difficult to get to the boards the last 6 weeks or so. Initially the problems were machine-related. Nowadays i find that i just don't have the mental frame of mind to frequent the boards the way i like. Therefore, i am stepping away from book boards for awhile.

This is such a diverse and pleasurable group. I often think of things i want to share here but my energy flags when it comes to actually doing so. One thing i know is that you and your fearless coordinator, AliasReader, will be in my mind often.

Thank you for all the pleasure you have given me. I hope to check in periodically. Years ago some of us wondered what happened to former regulars. I suspect their lives got more complicated but i am now confident that we are still in their minds. Sharing thoughts on books and the rest of life is such a wonderful experience and this board has allowed that for many of us.

Thank you.

deborah

We shall miss you, Deb. You are very much the essence of what Book Café was. Your thoughtful posts shall be missed.

As of late, the boards have become very quite and it's hard to have sustained book discussions. Therefore I think I'll run out the year with this format and then see where things stand at that point.

I had thought when we moved here from AOL to GoodReads that we would find a lot of active posters looking to discuss books. Alas that really hasn't happened.

Anyway, it's been a good run. :)

I wanted to echo Alias's comments, Deb. I've really appreciated your comments and enthusiastic support - they enriched my reading experience.

I hope you are able to pop back in now and then, but I understand the challenges. I've cut back on my posting as well, given work requirements and a desire to just mellow out now and then! That said, I hope to have future chats wiith you about great books.

Best of luck!

Madrano wrote: "Greetings from Dallas, Texas. Thank you for all the pleasure you have given me. I hope to check in periodically."

I will pray for those in your family who suffer with health issues. And I hope everything will go well. Deb, IMO you will be missed greatly. Maybe someday, I will see you in Austin? Take care!

Thank you for your kind thoughts & wishes. Alias, i am sorry to read your comments. It is frustrating when the number of posts flag, i remember it well from our years at AOL. It would be sad to see the group end but i could certainly understand it.

I will say that for the boards i coordinated at AOL, this GR venue has increased numbers. It's reassuring in many ways. I'd like to think such groups will continue for those of us who in the future want to discuss classics or the latest novel.

The boards have changed my life in many ways. For that, i'm grateful and that i hope it will continue to do so for many others. Talking books with other readers is an oasis in an individual's non-reading community for many of us.

We are in Mississippi, Biloxi, to be specific, today. I wanted to share something i learned while in New Orleans. As some may be aware, this time last year we also found ourselves along the Gulf Coast. In Mobile we learned that Mardi Gras season is a long one & that there are numerous parades.

This year we actually saw residents take down their Christmas decorations (outdoors, that is) with one hand, while hanging Mardi Gras decorations with the other hand. The same greenerty is used quite often but the bulbs and other symbols are changed. Mardi Gras colors are purple, almost lim green, gold/yellow, and on. Good contrast from the plant green & reds of Christmas.

We also were there to see the first parade of the season, one to celebrate the 603 birthday of Joan of Orleans. Who knew? It was a small parade with only one real float, per se. However, there were costumed walkers, some with tall constructions, which reached double a person's head, including a dragon. Items were given to parade watchers, such as candy, miniature lights, symbols of Joan, such as a tiny sword, a medal, etc. and, oddly, considering she was burned at the stake, matchbooks.

We were tickled to be able to see a parade.

deb

We are in San Antonio, Texas, for a while. My father-in-law died peacefully earlier this month. As he retired from the military, there was a military ceremony before his ashes were interred. It was touching, more so now that Memorial Day followed soon after.

Presently we are helping my mother-in-law adjust to her new life. This entails many phone calls and financial changes, as well as clearing out his medical equipment and goods. As soon as a room opens, she hopes to move into a smaller apartment in this retirement community.

I am going to try to catch up with the boards now. The weather here is draining--high humidity (nothing under 95% since we arrived) and much rain. The drought must be over in this part of Texas.

deborah

Deb, once again, my condolences to you and your family. I am sure you and your family were a blessing to him at the end.

When my sister's husband passed away, they also had a military ceremony. It's very poignant.

Thank heaven your mother-in-law has her son and you to help her through this most difficult time. Change is not easy.

Deb, so sorry for your loss. When my father-in-law past away, they had a military ceremony at the cemetery which touched all.

Sorry for your loss, Deb.

Carol !! Keep us up to date on your sons. Hope all is well. I've haven't watched any TV the past few days. Busy with family this week. So I didn't know about the TX floods.

Thank you for the condolences. Their children were here but our daughter was the only grandchild to make it. She was a blessing to her grandmother during these days.

I must add that we were impressed by the outpouring of generosity by their church, even though they had barely attended (due to his health) the past two years. They held a lunch after the military service, plus sent us home with sandwiches & cake. It's something i didn't expect in a city, i suppose.

I see that i didn't post here that i was going on an Alaska cruise. Frankly, it almost seemed as though it was an "Emergency Cruise". My sister arranged it all at drastic pricing, all within 3 days of departing. It was a whirlwind.

Previously i've been on a Danube River Cruise, which is akin to this one in that for the vast majority of the trip land was within sight. For many this was a comfort. I'm an open seas kind of cruiser, so our one day on the Gulf of Alaska was more to my liking. However, the landscape & islands along that inner passage were gorgeous. Many people commented on how they'd like to be dropped off right there & live off the grid. Sure they would, thus explaining all the devices pulled out when we arrived in every port. :-)

The small cities we visited (Ketchikan, Skagway, Haines, Juneau and Seward) were larger than i might have thought but they still have the inner city frontier charm. For tourists they have maintained that flavor. One had the feeling Jack London was just around the corner, writing. Still, many of us wondered what it would really be like to live there year round.

We didn't take any excursions, as they are pricey, if bought from the cruise line. Twice we rented a car to find hiking areas and to see the area at our own speed. Usually we went our separate ways in towns, as i'm a museum person & they aren't. My favorite museum was The Totem Museum in Ketchikan. There were rebuilt but unpainted totems but also (laid horizontally) preserved totems from the 1800s, paint now gone. Both Tlingit & Haida tribes were from the area. Did you know that the pinkish red on totems are from paint created with salmon eggs? I didn't.
http://www.city.ketchikan.ak.us/depar...

This was a Glacial Park cruise, meaning we spent a day in the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In the morning a ranger climbed aboard & talked to us about what we were seeing. It was informative. At the end of one channel, where the tidal Margerie glacier was dropping small calves, the ship made a 360 degree turn, so everyone could catch photos of it. It was a thrill to hear the post-crack sound, sorta like a mini-sonic boom. From there we followed another channel to the Johns Hopkins Glacier, which was impressive, although it didn't reach the water.

On our drive in Seward territory we saw some salmon running upstream. Dozens & dozens of them were in the stream, across the bridge we saw them jumping up the human-made ladder. Remarkable to witness.

We saw over about two dozen eagles on our drive around Haines. This included one massive nest high in the trees. Chilkoot Lake, where we saw most of them, was beautiful, too. However, we spotted no bears or moose. Most folks told us we were too early for the bears because it was mostly too early for the salmon, too.

Where we really lucked out was the weather. Only Juneau was wet, both coming & going. Ours was a 14-day return cruise, so we visited most places twice. We met a number of people who were heading toward Denali after the cruise, then going within the Arctic Circle to conclude their vacation. Maybe next time!

What a lovely vacation, Deb !

I really enjoyed reading your post.

Thanks so much for sharing with us. :)

My pleasure. It helps me remember, so i can write it up for myself, too. I tend to lose proper nouns if i don't record them relatively quickly.

It sounds amazingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

You are welcome, Carol. I want to add that the cruise was as restful as one wanted, which was perfect for our purpose. One could sight-see from the ship's deck and see plenty.

Wow, that sounds amazing, Deb. Thanks for sharing!

I had pleasure just in recounting the cruise, i must admit.

Having now been "released" by both surgeons, i am ready to hit the road again. All the way to Oklahoma for the next few weeks. Ok, not dream traveling but we have family there, as well as some Civil War battle sites to see.

I'll have my trusty iPad, so intend to keep in touch. The only hassle of leaving when we stay in Dallas is that we repack stuff we don't use on the road. It's hard to believe how much we move to the motel room each visit...starting with this computer.

later,
deb

Congrats on getting the all clear from the doctors, deb.

I look forward to reading once again of your travels.

Thank you. Thus far we've visited a museum about the Chisolm Trail, where cattle were driven to market. Good artwork and great film. We felt as though we were with the cowboys driving the herd.

Today we trod through the cemetery where his great-grandmother & her family are buried. In a thunderstorm, btw. Best way to visit a graveyard. DH visited his tribe's headquarters, donating some material his father had. They were excited about some of it due to tribal names mentioned.