flight paths discussion

Little signs of spring poking out of the earth boost our spirits
Soon it will be warm enough to read outdoors!

It's hard to believe-3 degrees which is very cold for the Bronx! Can't wait for sunshine.

So what are we all reading?
This bleak night would be unbearable if it were not for the magic of reading. Curiously, its cosy in here and i love the sound of the rain, while in my book the refugees are sweltering in the heat and going through unbearable trials. This is certainly one of those books that I wish i could reach in and tap the author on the shoulder with a plea for clarification. There is so much superficial detail the essential details are obscured.

The Map of Salt and Tears is also one of those books that transcend their flaws. In spite of my annoyances I am thourougly engaged and learning a lot.

And i finally scooped a major Murakami. Killing Com. There it was in plain sight on the new arrivals shelf in the pokey little reading room.

hey Ellie...i see you are also awake! And i was just thinking of your love for Killing C and remembering that you skipped through it ( being somewhat daunted by its size). in the process of deciding whether to just leap on it or read a couple of quickies. After Map of... I may need a breather, a wedge book as we used to call them.

It's -30 with the windchill today and we have a snow fall warning. My parents were supposed to come up tomorrow to visit but looks like the roads will be too bad to be driving on.

I just started reading The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock this morning, I'm not blown away, hope it picks up!

Megan it is mind boggling to think of -30 ^ and wind chill factors. Sure hope your family is over their sicknesses and you are feeling the benefits of life with no coffee. Also that you were able to get the tea ingredients. i havent been to Edmonton for so long but i imagine that there are good herbalists there.

wasnt it Shannon that cautiously recommended the mermaid book?

Finished the instruction manual for cleaning women. Ellie: everything you said. What mastery, of tone, of material. I went back and revisted the first couple of stories. They may not have been the best to lead with, even now, loving her, i dont think they reveal her special genius. Unless you consider wtf endings a trademark signature.

Mary Anne was it you who recommended Map of Salt and stars? Yes i should have checked before beginning this but i didnt and i cant leave page without losing it.
Well i am still struggling with it. Some of it is gripping and well written and then i come to a passage so clumsy and unlikely, a fantasy cliche
i wish i could just have fun with it but I feel as if my credibility has been toyed with.

Did i ever say? that if you love Elena Ferrante you might also The girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe.

Stay warm and cosy with book ⚘

and Petra! Hope you are over the awkward hump of strangeness that i remember from my own experience. I have the feeling you always land on your feet. I'm sure you have already come up with a new reading path

Magdelanye, I must try the Rufi Thorpe (consAnnie Dunneidering how dearly I loved the Ferrante).

I'm so busy it's hard for me to commit to any prose. I started Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry and am luxuriating in its gorgeous writing, although the story seems like it may turn out to be rather bleak. Too soon to tell though.

I also started a series of essays, Crash Course: Essays From Where Writing and Life Collide by Robin Black. She is an author who didn't really begin writing and publishing until her mid-40s and she has a lot to say about not realizing your dreams until mid-life, the pain of that, which speaks powerfully to me. Also, she has a special needs child who has trouble with language and the difficult irony of that for a writer who lives by language. I couldn't sleep last night so I got a lot of reading done!

I feel like I may have written this already somewhere so forgive me if I have. I'm mostly focusing on poetry--Catherine Barnett's wonderful Human Hours and Mary Ruefle's interesting My Private Property (don't know yet how much I like it). Next up is feeld by Jos Charles. All these were on some "must read" list I came across. I'm always looking for guidance in what poems to read. I love the Poem-A-Day I get sent--during the week, all contemporary poets so I'm learning a lot about who is out there. But there's just so much to read--like fiction--it's overwhelming. I feel like I'll never become literate, let alone "well-read"!

But I love how I always learn about new books here. I'm poised to read Dara Horn after Annie Dunne. I'm excited and looking forward to it.

Magdelanye: I did not recommend Map of Salt and Stars (not to be confused with The Years of Rice and Salt). It was new to me but after reading your post I put it in my want to read list to look at reviews of it later. What did you think of Borges and the Eternal Orangutans?
So much cold across this country and to the south of us. Climate disruption much? Hope you are staying warm Megan.
Here in Vancouver there is so much vegetable life under the rain (and some sun) with green shoots, little white flowers that should be called snow flowers if they are not, and green grass that seems perkier somehow, as if it knows that spring comes early here. What a difference to Ottawa where I have friends.
My youngest daughter and I are doing the PopSugar 2019 reading challenge as a way to search out new books not in our normal range in order to fit the various 50 categories. The fun comes in finding books that fit more than one category. I rediscovered a classic The Last Unicorn as well as Beagle's first novel A Fine and Private Place and one I had wanted to read for some time: The Scorpio Races.
Petra I hope you are embracing Retirement with joy. To have health and enough money to keep a roof overhead and food in the belly is a gift of time.
Elle - I too get the Poem-a-day and some are contemporary and some are more classic or at least established, but all hold some wonder. It must be magic to be immersed in poetry like some Romantic.
I have gotten a once weekly serialized story over 4 days from Season of Stories, but they seem to now rely on readers going to their website to find their stories. These are by various writers of different genres and vintage.

I'll have to check out the Rufi Thorpe books, too. I'm currently reading the third of Ferrante's series and have thoroughly enjoyed the first two.
I just checked & the Library has it. I've put it on my "for later" shelf. Thanks, Magdelanye.

Ellie, I think we all feel as if we'll never catch up on the books we'd like to read. We have an unlimited curiosity about ourselves, the world and people in general. Books help us with all of that. I wouldn't be the person I am if I hadn't read the books. They helped me a lot in many periods of my life.

Megan, stay warm and safe. I hope this deep freeze loosens it's grip soon for you. We've been very lucky on the West Coast and had mild temperatures. The forecast is for cold next week, but not to the extent you're having.

Magdelanye, I haven't felt any strangeness yet but suspect it'll happen after a couple of weeks when it'll become obvious to my head that this isn't a normal "vacation" but permanent.
I'm going to have lunch with a couple of ex co-workers tomorrow and will drop in a bit early to say hi to everyone else. We'll see how that goes.

Hubby has been asked to work for the next few months at his old workplace. He'll work partial days (4-6 hrs) at his schedule. The company needs him to help out with some building & assembly. They've suddenly gotten a lot of work that needs to be completed within the next few months and hubby hasn't been replaced yet. He's happy to go in for a few months with the flexibility he'll have in choosing his hours.

My Tai-Chi instructor has asked me to help him with a Beginner class he's teaching. The group currently has people enrolled with 3 different levels of knowledge. I can help by helping one of the groups go through their moves & correcting them while the instructor focusses on the other 2 groups. That will give everyone more one-to-one attention (at least, that's the thought).
I'll be doing this until mid-March. It'll be fun, I think.

Currently I'm reading:
Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused and finding it fascinating. The book has many different sides such as the history of the tulip and the economical situation of the Netherlands & how it allowed the tulip mania to occur. I'm currently reading a chapter on the artwork that the mania inspired and spending time on-line looking up these paintings. It's a well researched book.

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay -I just started this last night. It's going to be good. I'm looking forward to catching up with Lina and Elena's stories.

The Grapes of Wrath - I'm listening to this while jogging. The lovely descriptions and the slower pace of the story is perfect for my jogging pace.

Petra wrote: "I'll have to check out the Rufi Thorpe books, too. I'm currently reading the third of Ferrante's series and have thoroughly enjoyed the first two.
I just checked & the Library has it. I've put it ..."

It probably will take a little time for the reality of your new state to sink in. I think it will just get better and better.

The Tulip book sounds interesting. I really liked Grapes of Wrath which I finally read last year. Both a good novel and a document of its times.

Lovely to hear what everyone is up to!
It’s still -30 today so I’m inside cleaning and reading.
I got 90pages into the mermaid and mrs. Hancock and I give up. This book has either 5 star or 1 star reviews on good reads , I’m in the 1 star category...it’s so boring!

Megan wrote: "Lovely to hear what everyone is up to!
It’s still -30 today so I’m inside cleaning and reading.
I got 90pages into the mermaid and mrs. Hancock and I give up. This book has either 5 star or 1 star ..."

-30?!!

I'll never complain again.

Right?! We’re in a deep freeze for what looks like at least a week. Ugh. At least it’s sunny today!!

wow, this morning i was somewhat disappointed that nobody had responded to my last comment and now theres almost a conversation, which i had been hoping to get into with Ellie earlier. Sadly, altho its nice there is more room to comment, i can only see one line at a time of your comments.
The one thing thats obvious is that my opening remarks were way out of line. Fact is, even here its gotten so cold that green growth has paused. There is even a rumor of snow tomorrow.
It may be that we're all experiencing a challenge in trying to inject positive vibes into tough situations. May we all have the luxury of having a warm and cosy place to hunker down with our books.
Natasha is it as windy there as here? And of course Ice will be rejoicing about snow.


BTW, I remember being pleasantly amazed by Peter Beagle, and MaryAnne you are the first person ive heard mention him. Is he still alive and writing i wonder.
Put a hold on Annie Dunne and Ellie you have reminded me how much i need poetry so ive picked up a collection of Al Purdy...Rooms for rent in the outer planets.
Ellie i doubt youve heard of him because he is Canadian and so probably not included on any of your lists. Unless there is a list of famous Canadian poets. I'd like to see that. And you should definitely CHECK HIM OUT

Petra and MaryAnne, if you are still keen, now is not too early to plan our inaugural tea party at the Sylvia. I have to laugh at your enthusiasm for Vancouver MaryAnne its wonderful even if i cant share your POV. Maybe you can do some research about the necessity of reservations in March.
Hope you connect with DH Ellie.
Megan hope your mom made it through and that you have good gear.
I think ive gotten spoiled in terms of excellence. Mostly im currently reading either authors i am following or novels from longlists. I would love to know how others find The Map of Salt and Stars. It may have suffered a bit read after Elif and Dara.
What i did find special were the poems in the beginning of each section. Ellie you mentioned playing with form and space. Here it really worked for me.
im afraid ive gone on too long so signing off

petra thats ace re the tai chi. i may have to take up again as no chi gung here

Magdelanye wrote: "wow, this morning i was somewhat disappointed that nobody had responded to my last comment and now theres almost a conversation, which i had been hoping to get into with Ellie earlier. Sadly, altho..."

I am so sorry you were disappointed in the lack of response to your comments. I'm not sure which you meant: was it the Lucia Berlin and her early/other stories? I agree with you. I just finished Evenings in Paradise, and although most of the stories contained moments that I loved, none of them achieved the brilliance of Manual, I liked your WTF ending remarks although I feel that her stories' trademark (at least the ones I most enjoy) are these hapless women, often alcoholic or in some way out of control, struggling to make sense of their lives, usually (it feels to me) mostly unsuccessfully. The men, while they often give up so much to and for them seem secondary in this world of women and children. The women that I find most interesting are looking for ways in which to fill some craving for meaning that I think for Berlin lies in the artistic life but is often filled instead by drink or sex.

I don't know if this is what you meant but here are my thoughts anyway.

I have discovered Canadian literature through you, Magdelanye, and so you're right, I know little of Canadian literature. One writer I do know and love is Michael Ondaatje. And, of course, my all time favorite, Leonard Cohen. Also I like M. NourbeSe Philip (I really liked Zong). But I'm woefully ignorant in this area and always looking to remedy this.

I'm still interested in form and space although my poetry does not include enough of either. It tends to be semi-formed and somewhat crowded. I'm working for more economy.

I wish I knew how to send you some of my poems. I think your feedback would be invaluable. Anyway, I think of you when I write them and some of your comments about authors come to me.

Is it because of me? I’m on mobile and this app is subpar. It doesn’t show me all the comments just parts of them. Ugh.
I haven’t ventured out for tea yet. It’s so cold I’m hibernating and scheming to get my son into French immersion kindergarten this year. It’s basically an olympic sport.

Megan wrote: "Is it because of me? I’m on mobile and this app is subpar. It doesn’t show me all the comments just parts of them. Ugh.
I haven’t ventured out for tea yet. It’s so cold I’m hibernating and scheming..."

I have not found the app to be very good at all!

Good luck with your son. :)

the app sucks
I saw Ellies comment but couldnt reply because there seems to be no comment box half the time, i think because half the time GR does not acknowledge that i am a member.

And yes, hibernation is still the key word. This morning it is not snowing but its still covering the world here. I just finished reading one of the oddest books ive ever read, up there with Eileen. The first bad Man by Miranda July who, like Emma Hooper but dangerous, sings and enacts kooky fantasies that are both charming and somewhat disturbing.
https://youtu.be/SCxO8_Xs8mg

https://youtu.be/8y0cwsiNFmQ

gee hope these links work.

And Ellie, youve given me a Canadian Im rather ignorant about, M NourbeSe Philip. Must rectify that, she sounds powerful. And altho when i said i was disappointed with no response i meant it more generally, what youve written is just the kind of feedback that generates creative pondering.

wish i could look at previous comments
AND Ellies poems.

Such bizarre weather: it's like springtime today, I don't even need my coat (3 degrees only a few days ago!.

I love Miranda July's performance work (I've seen videos) but have not yet read the First Bad Man--although I own it. Maybe soon.
*sigh*

I'm not sure that even in retirement I'll have time to read everything I want. Certainly not, since the list keeps growing faster than my reading rate. But I plan on giving it a good try!

Ellie, we've swapped places. It's sub-freezing here today. It was beautiful with lots of sun but so cold. I was planning on walking to the Tai-Chi class tomorrow morning but it may be too cold. I don't want to wimp out, though, so will be watching the temps closely and bundling up. I still hope to walk it.

I had lunch with a couple of co-workers today. I arrived about an hour early, knowing that I'd go around the department saying hi to whoever had the time. It was really nice to chat with everyone.
Lunch was marvelous. We went to the Banana Leaf Restaurant. They have terrific food.

Ellie, if one week is any indication, retirement doesn't give us time to read everything we want. LOL. My pile of books (to read) keeps growing, too. My eyes just can't read as fast as I'd like them to. :D

Sometimes whining works! Here is the comment space. I will be so happy to get a working laptop again.

I hope that everyone contending with snow and freezing is having a similar respite as Ellie and yes me as today was a classic blue sky and sun sparkling on snow.
I can imagine Petra on one of her power walks if you had the same kind of grace day.

Im not sure what to think about The first bad man.
the short stories were all gems and this novel retains that unique sparkle but it travels some murky territory.
Its a quick read with a punch and much to ponder.

Began Corvus which so far seems like it really should have made the Canada Reads Shortlist, compared to the 3 ive read.

I guess we were writing our comments at the same time because your comment was not there when i began this evening. And you answered my fantasy/question about walking without eve reading it!

somehow the above comment lost its opening LOL Petra!

The snow here in Vancouver surprised me: I had to bring in some plants I had put on the deck. It is warm enough during the day but as the su sets even my Vancouver warm clothes - down jacket with wool knitted hat, scarf and mitts -- left me wanting more. I had given away my Ottawa winter coat and mitts before moving to Vancouver.

@Magdelanye: Who is Corvus? I looked him/her up but there were a number of choices. Al Purdy is not available at the library so I just bought a used copy of his selected poems. Thanks for the tip!

Its a myth that Vancouver never gets snow or cold. Hope your plants are ok Mary Anne. And you too of course!

Ellie, Corvus is a native dystopian not exactly fantasy by Howard Johnson that was on the Canada Reads longlist. it was a quick engaging read that takes a different approach to its subject.
Now Im into a book that did make the shortlist, and im surprised i have to admit. The Woo-woo by Lindsay Wong tackles a number of issues that arent often portrayed together, displacement, racism and mental health and how all that affects identity. Its actually quite funny the way LW chooses to tell her story but the language, which doesnt bother me, does seem to be more racy than family values have allowed in the past.

Thats great Ellie that youve found a copy of Al Purdys poetry. As im reading the collection i have right now, im thinking that when he is good he is very very good, but undermined a bit by old fashioned common garden misogyny. What do you feel?

Megan i just read that the extreme cold you are experiencing is 10 degrees Less than optimum necessary to kill off lethal overwintering of lethal insect pests. Not sure if that fun fact will make it any easier to tolerate.

im so glad i decided to post that comment, as the second part just disappeared just as i was about to.
so, comments addressed to Petra and Natasha are lost and honestly, i ve had enough texting for now.
Just briefly then, i was wondering about Canada Reads and griping a bit about books being carried over from last year and what are your thoughts. Megan and Shannon might also have something to say on this.

@ Magdelanye we're hoping that the cold will kill off the pine beetles in the Jasper park area.

Ugh, Canada Reads. At least the defenders are decent this year. I'm kind of over the whole thing. The last few years was a circus in my opinion. I know some others like Ali Hassan as a host, but I think he's awful. I don't feel like he can get a handle of this when they rail road out of control, so everyone just ends up screaming on top of each other.
I'll edit to add that how women like Jully Black and Candy Palmater were treated on that show left a lot to be desired. It's actually a sad reflection of colonial male privilege, but that's a rant for another day.
Phew! That was a lot, so to sum up, I'll be keeping my eye on it a bit but I'm not going full pull.
At least it helps the authors with sales and puts books on TV. I'll give it that.

The best thing i can say about this CR shortlist is that it may just knock colonial male privilege out of the water. Having read 4 of the books by now, they speak from such different perspectives that Im cautiously hopeful.
Ive also warmed a bit re Ali Hassan because he is so unflappable.

just finished The Woo Woo. Going in I was not expecting much, but i am glad to report i loved it. Not only that there were some major aha moments when her comments collided with my life. From reviews i see some complaints about the structure of the book but i think its perfect. What a lot of courage and awareness it took to publish this.

Now! on to Murakami!

Magdelanye wrote: "What a lot of courage and awareness it took to publish this...."

This book wasn't one that I wanted to particularly read until this comment. Now it is.

Petra wrote: "Magdelanye wrote: "What a lot of courage and awareness it took to publish this...."

This book wasn't one that I wanted to particularly read until this comment. Now it is."

thats great Petra. I was kind of shocked to find such pertinence to my own life, having grown up with a similar mother. I hope you like it.

Now I do want to watch the CR sit-com :-)

What a difference a few hours can make!
This morning I woke up to clear, blue skies and lots of sunshine. Now, the clouds have moved in thickly and it looks ominously like snow.
I wanted to go out for a run this afternoon. I'd better get a move on soon in case it gets nasty out there.

How is everyone spending their weekend?

Hubby went back to work last week. After 10 weeks off of work, he's finding it a bit restrictive. LOL! He'll be working for a couple of months, about 3/4 time, so it's not bad. He'll readjust to the routine. :D

I'm thoroughly enjoying my time off. So far, I'm catching up on the chores, housecleaning, etc. that there was no time for while working.
I signed up for a beginner carving class at the end of February.
My Tai-Chi instructor asked me to help out with a beginner group on Tuesday mornings. Last week was fun and I'll help him until the end of this session in mid-March. Those ladies have me doing homework and making sure I know the names of all the moves and their specific "counts" when executing them. Being on the student side of the table is easier. Ellie, I think of you while tutoring.

Yesterday I baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that turned out really well. I'm popping those into the freezer before we eat them all up.

Today, I plan on that run and reading. That's about it. No other plans.

Petra wrote: "What a difference a few hours can make!
This morning I woke up to clear, blue skies and lots of sunshine. Now, the clouds have moved in thickly and it looks ominously like snow.
I wanted to go ou..."

Petra, it sounds like you're having a great time! It's an inspiration. Love the cookies. I can't wait to have more time for reading. That plus a run sounds like a great plan.

My weekend was quiet. Mostly reading but also some work on Monday's lesson plan (note: probably going to be my most boring lesson ever). And getting ready for my retirement meeting tomorrow. I'm so nervous about it. I hope to write good things tomorrow night about that meeting! Wish me luck everyone.

Well, I'm back. It started to snow half way through my run. It was almost magical running in snow (which was not sticking to the roads yet). Now, I'm home with a hot cup of tea.

Ellie, the retirement meeting will be informative. We went to 2 of them and learned a lot. If your plan is anything like ours, there are a lot of decisions to think about. All good ones aimed to fit your upcoming lifestyle.
I think you'll enjoy it. I hope so, anyway. You've got all my luck and good wishes.

We've got the same thing happening over here Petra. This morning i watched a hummingbird on the deck and a placid dawn, an hour later the snow began, coming down hard now.

Just finished the Murakami. What a fun journey, tho it may take a while to untangle those double metaphors.
I gather from looking at the reviews that the reception of this book is wildly mixed. To heck with the nay-sayers, I loved it.
still baffled about the reproduction of the painting that i have such a vivid memory of seeing near the beginning. i even remember how the painting is described and turning back to it at the mention of the gremlin peering from the bottom and being creeped out. Ellie, you loved this right?
Am i imagining things? I love Petras speculation in the dreamscape thread and am inclined to believe it. Anyone else read it?

of course now i am faced with what next after such a great experience.

May everyone be warm and dry and not too inconvenienced by the rugged weather. And with tea and good book of course

Magdelanye wrote: "We've got the same thing happening over here Petra. This morning i watched a hummingbird on the deck and a placid dawn, an hour later the snow began, coming down hard now.

Just finished the Muraka..."

I'm so excited you liked the Murakami--I can't wait to read it (although unfortunately I need to since I have a very short attention span when I'm working. Maybe during the winter break in 10 days. Depending on what happens during in retirement meeting (I may be running around to Social Security and Medicare offices--I'm really hoping to do this by July). But I feel inspired by your reaction, Magdelanye.

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Murakami, Magdelanye. I'm a fan of his weirdness.

Ellie, I meant to tell you that I thought of your poem while running in the snow. The visuals of seeing through "weather", be it rain or snow, made me see the streets, houses & trees with different eyes as I ran by them with the flakes fluttering down, interacting with the objects and me, yet they remained their own entity.
I'm not very good at interpreting poetry, so forgive me if I've got it wrong. Your poem did touch me.

Petra wrote: "I'm so glad you enjoyed the Murakami, Magdelanye. I'm a fan of his weirdness.

Ellie, I meant to tell you that I thought of your poem while running in the snow. The visuals of seeing through "weat..."

I loved that you thought of my poem while running. And weather certainly plays a big part in the poem, it's almost a character in it, just as you said.

Nothing to forgive and I'm so glad it touched you. It was scary to share and everyone has been so supportive. :)

Balmy or Barmy, the weather at present .........
.................... currently lost in Medieval England, weightlifting Tombland still.
Nordic noir (Anne Holt) next on the tbr bedside mountain.

Good afternoon from a very snowy Halifax. I love following the thread of your conversations and I’m hoping it won’t take me too long to get onto the swing of things.

Magdelayne I LOVE your descriptions of the weather on the west coast. Today is a rare day that a snowstorm hit Halifax as advertised. The wind is howling and visibility is near zero. I got the call I had been hoping for at 7 am that federal government offices were closed across the city so I have a rare day when I have no where to be, an empty house and a beautifully inviting stack of TBR novels in front of me.

But the first order of business is to dive into the last 30 pages of the Eric Dupont’s masterpiece “Songs for the Cold of Heart”. It is truly magnificent. I had lost momentum because life interceded - job applications, work overtime, family commitments, etc. But even though I’ve not been able to carve out much time to finish the book sooner the story kept calling to me. I’m REALLY looking forward to the penultimate scenes.

As for earlier questions about Canada Reads, I find I’m not invested this year. The last couple of years the show was uncomfortable for me to watch, for various reasons. This year the only book I am familiar with on the short list is “Brother”, which I read last year. I am happy that this book is getting more recognition and I hope more people come to love it as I did. But the rest of the books flew under my radar. I’ll get to them because that’s who I am. But I feel no particular urgency to have them read before the broadcasts. I will tape them and this year I vow if I find the debates cringey (mean-spirited, unnecessarily combative, etc.) I will happily walk away.

Petra I am SO happy you’re settling into retirement and it’s going well. I love hearing about your new adventures.

I am off to finish the Dupont book.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.

Songs for the Cold of Heart is a brilliant book that is so well translated (I am following the translator - Peter McCambridge). Its only drawback is that it is longer than most modern novels.

Yo Natasha,
lucky you to be able to return to that world. Good to hear you are surviving Atlantic winter.

it was that last part that for me confirmed EDs genius. What a wonderful book, and MaryAnne i actually couldnt bear for it to be over.
im remembering now how when embarking on my reading life, i adored big fat novels that one could live in for weeks. I do seem to be on a bit of a roll here with the Murakami and now the Nix, both over 600 pages.

Ice you are enigmatic as always but i think you are capturing the caprice of the weather and in tune with your nordic noir.

Petra you must be getting used to your new situation. How are you liking being a facilitator?
I have found a good facilitator makes all the difference in these kind of classes. Hope its a good experience for you.

And Ellie i hope your meeting went well and that you are able to relax a bit. You may be pleased to know that after reading your poem and noting my muse has been on extended vacation, poems are starting to come. Sometimes i think that i have written all i can and thats okay, but once again after a period of silence, there is that voice that needs to be heeded and tended.
We'll see what emerges from this

Megan we may have just about caught up to you with our surprise dump of snow. Hope things are less hectic for you.

Cheers all
whats up for weekend reading?

@ Magdelanye heavy wet snow is the worst, hope you're surviving!

It hasn't been snowing but we're still in the deep freeze, it was -40 last night! My son hasn't been outside for recess in 3 weeks. OMG, we're all getting cabin fever.

I've been a bit sick for a week so not a lot of reading being done, just work then sleep.

@Natasha, thanks for the glowing review on Songs for the Cold of Heart. I was waffling on reading it, but I think now I'll put a hold on it at the library.

@Petra how is retirement going so far? I think it's so great you're teaching Tai Chi now!! I used to do it but there isn't a class near me anymore, so for now I'm just sticking to yoga.

Stay warm everyone!

Good morning!
It seems that we missed getting the worst of the predicted snow storm. We only got about 2 cm overnight and the temps are now warm and supposedly going to stay that way, so the snow should start melting.
I'm running on the treadmill because the sidewalks aren't clear and many roads are very narrowed by the snow.

Ellie, I hope the meeting went well. It's always good to know what's ahead.
I also hope that the stress at work is manageable.

Natasha, the Eastern winter is really hard this year. I wish you all no more snow.

Megan, those are brutal temperatures! Let's hope the winter breaks soon.
I hope you start feeling better soon.

Thanks for all the continuing well wishes.
Retirement is very relaxing and busy. I don't have a real routine in place but every day is a combination of busy & relaxed.
Tai chi class was cancelled this week. Monday night and Tuesday were the hardest hit for snow fall. The Community Center cancelled all their programs for Tuesday. I was disappointed but not surprised. It would have been difficult to get to class by mid-morning.
I've signed up for a 1-day beginner wood carving class on Feb 23rd and am looking forward to that. I'm checking out beginner patterns on the internet and they don't seem very "beginner"! LOL! My confusion is around getting the depth of the carving. How does one plan on that? It must be doable, though. I hope the class covers that.
The Leisure Guide has just come out this week. I plan on looking at some art classes (painting or drawing) for the next term.
Other than that, it's just nice being able to do house chores, cooking, shopping, etc in a more leisurely way. That leaves more time for visiting on the weekends when friends have time (they are still working).

I haven't been reading as much, though. That's rather surprising. However, the "to read" books keep piling up. I've got quite a few out of the library right now. I've just got to read them.
It's all going really well.

Hi guys,
Sorry I've been awol. I usually comment on another thread every Friday but maybe I am going to convert to this one. :) Livelier and more open-minded discussions perhaps.

I'm really struggling with The Clockmaker's Daughter. I am 300 pages in (of 500) and really ambivalent as to whether or not I finish it. I've read some of her other books and enjoyed them but this one....not so much. :(

So instead I picked up Trickster Drift which is starting off reasonably well.

I also finished I'll Be Your Blue Sky for book club. It was a bit like Nancy Drew meets romance but light on the romance. Good enough but not a quality discussion-generating book in my opinion. Book club isn't until March 1st so we'll see how it goes.

How's everyone doing here? Hope you are all well and staying warm. :) My daughter is keeping me busy as she has started a business selling all natural bath bombs and soaps. She is only 13 so I am guiding her on the business aspects and helping with sales. It's been a fun and educational way for us to hang out. :)

Have a great weekend all.

Trickster Drift! Yesterday i ventured out to pick up my copy from the reading room. The place has been closed since the snowstorm and ive had to cultivate patience knowing it was there.
But i will not pounce on it, rather let it take a special spot in the bedside queue for my attention. In fact, i would like to read the first
book again before....

Just finished the nix.
That too was exhilarating.
Ellie dont you think that was perverse for NH to address the pronunciation of Pwonage on like the very end of the book. I was using Pwonagee even tho you warned me. Points off for that. i will give it 4.5
It was an intense pleasure

Thanks for dropping in with updates everone who did.
Seeing as im on the app, i cant easily go back and reread but the things that stood out, in addition to Trickster Drift is Petra not reading, and Shannons 13 yr old daughter starting her own business. Thats awesome. Is it hands on in the production department? And marketing? i love making bath bombs myself and Megan probly does too. Im guessing, but it seems the sort of thing you would be skilled at.

just noticing the time and yikes i usually am waking up now. Last night slept from about ten -3 am when i couldnt resist to finish up the Nix.

o yes re songs for the cold of heart, im with Natasha its a magnificent book altho it took me a while to get into. Once i had though it was a delightful read so dont be put off by size.

You make your own bath bombs? I’m super impressed!! I make my own cleaning products, body scrubs and bath salts but haven’t ventured into bath bomb territory. Is it hard to do? I have such a sensitivity to artificial fragrances, which I why I started making my own products.

Trickster drift is high in my radar. I loved her first book.

I’m about to start moon of the crusted snow. It’s not my usual type of book but I’m looking forward to it.