flight paths discussion

i didn't mean to, but i read heart berries straight through. I found it very poignant and brave. It helped to read the afterward where she explains her rationale.

Petra the library was intended to contain our favorite books. Sort of the opposite of the spinners filled with trashy so called best sellers that you find at airports. there was a hope that anyone could refer to the shelves to find for instance a laughable book, or favorite books on any subject really, altho we didnt really pull it off.
I wish i could find it on my fone. We have yet to consider a group read. Is there any interest?

Petra you are so industrious! And i have to smile at your concern for the mouse. Hope you were able to relocate the poor thing.

Started the audio book of J Franzen with whom i have loved but i did not love his voice and in fact i found the beginning so distasteful that ive bailed. Rather disappointing.

i wish i could find some poetry in audio. Have you explored that avenue Ellie?

After my way off optimism in Feb im going to pass on any predictions for the next week. It seems to me that the strongest influence is mercury in retrograde.

Canada reads is coming up. I wish we could watch together. i hope i can tune in at all because its soon and my laptop is still waiting to be fixed. Apparantly there used to be a man who lived here that offered a service, but as it stands i will have to take it to town and leave it, making for two trips and a considerable sum.

i am now reading a sweet little book called English is not a magic language.
Still reeling from The Sympathizer.

Hope our gentle members in the east are warmer!

Happy Friday!! We've FINALLY had a break in the weather and it's getting above zero on a daily basis. :)

@Magdelanye, I'm so happy you enjoyed Heart Berries. It is a very powerful book. I'm reading Lakota Woman right now and it is breaking my heart. I know a lot of the history of Indigenous people in Canada but not much about the US. It's been a real eye opener.

I have Bridge to the Soul: Journeys Into the Music and Silence of the Heart ready for pickup at the library. I need some joy in my life and I think this will fit the bill.

I've also been listening to Oprah's podcast with Echart Tolle. I'm really enjoying it and I bought a copy of A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.

@Petra, a mouse! ahhhh!!! You're much calmer about it than I would be.

We got him! It was a bit of a gong show last night and included a flashlight, towel, box of wine bottles but we got him outside safely.
Hubby and I didn't have a plan of action if we caught him, so things were a bit gong-showy as we moved the towel with the mouse to the back door. lol …. "have a plan" is the take away from this fiasco. :D
At least I'm pretty sure he's outside. If he's not, he's locked in the solarium. I will check today to make sure he is outside and safe.
I'll also pick up the wine bottles and towel from the back yard.

We left out a sacrificial bag of cereal last night and it's untouched this morning, so he's certainly gone from the house.

There is new house construction in the neighbourhood. That probably disturbed some mouse homes and caused them to scatter through the neighbourhood. I hope they keep moving to the wooded area at the end of the street.


Magdelanye, I wasn't suggesting a group read. I was curious how the books were listed. It's a really interesting list. Thanks for letting me know they are the favorite books of members. That makes it a special list.

For audio books, the narrator makes all the difference. A good narrator will have you listening to books you wouldn't normally read; a bad narrator has you turning away from books you normally would.

Bad day around the world. I managed not to hear about the NZ tragedy until late this morning i melted, not in a good way.
Spent the rest of the day reading A Disappearance In Damascus.
Other comments will have to wait until i can calm down

well that was a conversation stopper.
of course we are all upset, across the world.
i am still a bit numb.
In such a mood i finished A Disappearance In Damascus and then floundered, picking up a recommended book that i quite looked forward to by Andrei Makine, thinking it would be good to get into something completely different but i cant seem to.
So instead of reading this afternoon i worked on my notes and this evening began a novel i took from the book club shelf tho ive barely entered it.

Since following Petra s Proust marathon last year i still think of Petra when I come upon a reference. Greg Hollingshead in his short story Sense of an Ending in the collection Act Normal....Proust has a couple who are incapable of evil, they're too self-conscious, too into the aesthetics of it, the drama, they cant get past the trappings.

Its funny, i grabbed a couple of books of short stories a while back and it turned out I had read both of them. My immediate thought was to just return them because really it wasnt very long ago that i read them. However, further exploration revealed i remembered little so i read this one and enjoyed as if i never had read it before and now ditto for the equally astute and astonishing Rebecca Makkai Music for Wartime.
Isnt MaryAnne currently reading Proust? Please may i live long enough!

The NZ tragedy is numbing. While it's a terrible feeling, I do hope we continue to feel the horror and never let such awful events become "the norm" in terms of our feelings & reactions.
It's so disturbing when an individual feels compelled to create such havoc. I can't even begin to understand the rationale or purpose behind such thinking. I don't understand where so much hate originates within a person.

Proust is a project. Magdelanye, you can get through Proust in a year reading 10 pages a day. I don't recommend that method as it would disturb the flow of some of the scenes. However, I do recommend reading the work slowly as a background book. Pick it up as you sit quietly on a balcony or surrounded by the coziness of your cabin.... anyplace with solitude surrounding you. Read as much or little as resonates at the time. There are in the narrative points where a story or day ends that make natural stops for a day's reading.
If you start now, you'll be finishing in a year or two. :D

I finished Red Mars yesterday. Disappointment. It won't be getting my vote for this month's sci-fi selections of the tournament. I'm glad I'm done. I still have to write a review.

I have Lisa See's new book, The Island of Sea Women from the library. I hope to whip through it this week as I can't renew it. I always enjoy her books.

Step-dad is arriving today for a week's visit. I predict lots of walking in my near future.

How was everyone's weekend?

This White Male Terrorist thing is getting really old. Honestly, it's so disheartening. I'm hopeful that we're on the cusp of a great shift in thinking with respect to love and tolerance. I have to also remind myself that I need to remember that there are so many people doing great things in big and small ways.

Megan wrote
hopeful that we're on the cusp of a great shift in thinking with respect to love and tolerance.

It seems so possible but too much evidence to the contrary, like this nutbar of hate. Petra you make a good if difficult point :
While it's a terrible feeling, I do hope we continue to feel the horror and never let such awful events become "the norm" in terms of our feelings & reactions.

Indeed, may it galvanize some good.

Oddny Eir gives some hope on p28 of Land of love and ruins:
Such crises are like any other period of upheaval, when renewal is closer tjan ever before.

So i can now cut and paste on this thing but not highlight titles.
Also the less than 3 inches column is tricky for editing. Hoping to have some computer time this afternoon as ive a lift into town (Sechelt) but want to address some of the info from Petra s post.
I am excited for a new Lisa See whose skill continues to astonish.

Keeping in mind your reaction petra i saw red mars in the reading room on Saturday and fid not bring it home.

Hope this beautiful weather carries on as we approach the equinox. Yay flowers! May Petra and stepdad have splendid walks. And MaryAnne now is Vancouver's most lovely moment. As for all you easters, may you also be getting the spring! Ice, as the farthest east, that March wind WILL lead to flowers

Ellie i finished the Purdy much happier. Yes there are some challlenging phases he goes through but it was fascinating to follow his development. I Look forward to your meeting him.

Started Liz Howards Infinite citizen of the shaking tent. I had to reorder this as my hold expired but finally i got it....and ach! I dont get it. This is poetry at its most challenging.

Good Monday morning.
(Sorry for the rant that follows) It is indeed tragic that we have not learned anything from history. I am reading I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Nietzsche and was surprised by the raging anti-semitism that swirled around him and which he himself hated. He loss of friendship to Wagner was in part due to Wagners virulent antisemitism. Nietzshe denounced his sister and her antisemitism.
I think we will never be rid of racism and bigotry of all kinds until we understand that we are all complicit in our language, and our culture.
I truly believe that our basic acceptance of our right to dominion over the world, its resources, its waters, and creatures, leads us to harbour, unconsciously for most of us, a feeling of superiority and dominance even as we protest that we are not.
We need education to help us understand that we are each one of us capable of atrocities to protect ourselves against what we fear. And for white supremacists it is a real fear of losing their most precious sense of identity in a world where their meaning is bought by vilifying the other, be it Jew or Muslim or Black or Native.

Another Good Morning. The weather is gorgeous here in Vancouver and the mountains stand tall and clear with their white tips like old men.
Laundry is drying on racks on the deck and I am going to try and make some coconut peppermint chocolate covered patties. Making food is therapy for me.
Gaudy Night is a great book to read to remind me of rationality.
Days by Moonlight is an absolute delight, funny and with an almost poignant sense of what we have lost. The denouement of the book was a complete surprise and wonder.
On Sunday I went for a long walk by the ocean. Such natural beauty!

I just watched Haka being performed by bikers, students and others in NZ. It looks like a great way to scream and physically move the anger and sadness out of the body. (Similar to other native dances and movements) Imagine the whole world performing Haka or other physical dance all at the same time - we would indeed move the world.

Off to Liverpool today for a conference on Social Housing Finance ...... weather set fair, current reading packed !

Have a rollicking time in Liverpool Ice. Does your conference touch on homeless issues?

O MaryAnne, your rant is so appropo, sadly. i believe that racism is built in to our hierarchical society and while once i optimistically and naively thought it was all over, all the slimeballs slithering out from the woodwork give me pause. And of course the old white guard is feeling threatened. Thats good! Their monopoly is all but over.
i was surprised at your reference to Nietzsche, whom i had pegged for a racist. may you be right about this, it will allow me to take another look at his work.

It seems right now there is only one topic left that has not benefited from fresh discussion, and thats class. People still deny it, but you put your finger on it without even mentioning the word entitlement.
Glad that you are enjoying Van Quite possibly ill be in for a flying visit before too long.

Petra I hope that your visit is going splendidly, enhanced by the fact of your retirement.

what about the high tea at the Sylvia?

I understand that spring has not come yet back east. All that is about to change, so dont hate us!
The moon woke me up 3 mornings im in a row now, so huge and bright.
May this equinox bring peace and balance to all

It's going to be double digits here today. I wore my converse instead of my boots this morning. Things are looking up!!

Class is a major issue, and it's so apparent in North America as the gap between the rich and poor grows and "middle class" people are trending towards poor. I agree, the old white guard's time is coming and like any animal cornered they're not going down without a fight.
They called the election in Alberta yesterday, and the conservative party leader is so far right that it's going to be a very scary time here if he's successful.

In reading, I'm half way through La Femme qui fuit (Suzanne), and I'm really enjoying it.

I agree that class is a problem. There are different degrees of class, class of money, of education, of talent, of physical abilities, etc.
It is when some people feel entitled to belong to one of these classes and thinks that he is prevented from belonging because of the scapegoat of the times, that they are moved to violence against the scapegoat. The members of a class do not usually resort to direct violence: they have status or money to destroy others. There will always be some sort of class distinctions in society as we are not all equal in ability, and we seem to always need a scapegoat. Somehow we need to accept that we are ok the way we are. But is that the prevailing mantra in our NA society? Look at the popularity of 'reality tv' that portrays the rich and famous. (I have not watched any but have read about them) Is that not setting up unrealistic cravings and desires?
Nietzsche was not a racist at all and his books were rewritten by his Nazi sister to support fascism and only recovered in their original form after WWII. He may come off as a bit misogynist but that is understandable as most women in his time were raised to be wives of wealthy men, and not educated. So even if he met intelligent women they wanted to marry rich men, and Nietzsche was not rich. Nietzsche's sister was intelligent but was not ever encouraged by her mother or society to get any learning ;however, she was encouraged by Nietzsche and he tried to get her to read philosophy and history with no success. Nietzsche was appropriated by Nazi sympathizers (his sister was a raging anti-semitist) even while Nietzsche was alive and suffering not from syphilis but probably from a tumour similar to the one his father died from. It was Nietzsche's sister who spread the story that her brother had syphilis and she made money by having visitors visit her brother's bedroom to see the diminished philosopher. Nietzsche's sister professed to prefer Mein Kampf to her brother's works.

It is a beautiful day here in my neighbourhood. Laundry dries quickly on the deck and smells so nice.

Megan - do you read in French?

Petra - It is nice to have a walking companion.

And yes, an outing to Sylvia for high tea would be delightful.

@Mary Anne, I LOVE drying my clothes outside, I should be able to in about a month from now. So exciting!

I don't read in French, but we've applied for my son to start french immersion kindergarten this year, so if he gets in I will be starting to brush up on my french!

wow MaryAnne thats some heavy duty stuff youve got on Nietzsche s sister. Is there a book to be read on the subject?
Class bias is not logical.
Ive been introduced to people whose interest in me fades fast when they discover i dont own property or a car. Their eyes glaze over if i start talking about peace.

Interesting, i too have a passion for hanging out the laundry to dry in the sun!

Glad its warming up for you Megan, can Shannon and Natasha be far behind?

Ellie was it you who got me fired up about Liz Howard? Having a hard time deciphering her. Quite frankly, i dont like to have to work so hard for poetry ( even when im writing it lol)
Today i tried something new which was writing a poem on my phone, as a memo. Now i have to transcribe to paper for editing! pretty sure its not going to catch on with me.

Reading Dreams of My Russian Summer by Andrei Makine. i can see why he is making a strong impression. Not having actually read Proust he reminds of him. It reads more like a memoir than a novel.
Petra im waiting for the right time, preferably with my own hc edition.

Mary Anne, I love the info on Nietzsche and his sister. I never knew!
How did the coconut peppermint chocolate covered patties turn out?

Magdelanye, I'm a bit surprised that people (in Vancouver, at least) would dismiss someone for the lack of owning property or a car. It's dismaying, for sure.

To be honest, I don't think I think about class much, if at all. I do realize that the homeless and downtrodden are discriminated against. There's so much for everyone involved to learn and understand. The World is complicated and we all reach our current states through our past. Some pasts aren't conducive to good decisions (or open minds).

I don't know where the Sylvia is.

Step-dad and I have had a couple of nice walks already. Today, we walked around Barnston Island. It's a cute island, completely inhabited by farms (hay & cranberry), as well as an Avalon dairy farm. The road goes around the perimeter of the island and we saw all the farms (which are in the center) on our walk.
There's a ferry (free trips) to take cars, walkers and bikers over to the island and back, with a large parking lot on the mainland side to leave one's car. It's really cute.

Tomorrow, I think we're going to Colony Farms to walk around.

The weather has been wonderful. I'm glad we're all enjoying warmer weather.

Magdelanye wrote: "Bad day around the world. I managed not to hear about the NZ tragedy until late this morning i melted, not in a good way.
Spent the rest of the day reading A Disappearance In Damascus.
Other comm..."

I'm hysterical about New Zealand, both as an individual horror and a sign of the imes.

Magdelanye wrote: "wow MaryAnne thats some heavy duty stuff youve got on Nietzsche s sister. Is there a book to be read on the subject?
Class bias is not logical.
Ive been introduced to people whose interest in me fa..."

I loved Dreams. I would love to reread it. Also, one of the first things I'm going to do when I retire is begin a reread of Proust. Maybe eventually, I'll reread him in the original (I've only read the first volume in French).

Mary Anne, have you read Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are? It has some interesting information on Nietzsche and his work.

I think a lot of the tyrannies of class, especially now in the U.S. It's become increasingly difficult for someone to move out of the class into which he or she is born. It feels as though a class struggle is inevitable. I'm still hoping for a rebirth of unions to protect the working class.

Magdelanye, I think some of class bias is illogical but some is based in simple greed: people have a chokehold on resources and jobs and they don't intend to give them up. Being in a privileged class provides both a sense of superiority and access to even more resources and opportunity. Same thing with racial bias: keeping a large number of people disempowered not only feeds an irrational hatred it also keeps resources limited to those who already control them.

Enough of my rant, for today I'm resting and hoping my leg heals quickly so I can get back to work (and be out of pain).

Ouch Ellie
Whatever happened to your knee? Have you been using arnica? So sorry to hear this. But surely you have sick days covering this kind of contingency?

Unfortunately its been easy for many people to slide down the class ladder...and most people are not born homeless. Why o why do people seem to need others to look down on for their sense of security?

Ellie you might have missed my question re Liz Howard and Infinite Citizen of the shaking tent.
Its driving me crazy

Petra the Sylvia hotel is on beach avenue just across from Denman st.
They serve high tea or they did when i was last there a few decades ago already. Some research is necessary.

@Ellie, I'm so sorry about your knee! I'm also having knee pain and limping around, but it's because I keep forgetting that I'm getting older and that after I work out at the gym I need to stretch otherwise I'm all stiff. I hope you find some relief very soon!!

For those that love hanging laundry outside, a read of An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith might be in order, she touches on the joy of this.

@Petra, When I lived in Vancouver I always meant to go to Barnston Island but never actually made it out there. I'm glad you're having a good time. :)

@Magdelanye, I feel you. I live in a townhouse and we have one car, which both raise eyebrows around here in the oil patch. My husband and I are both happy with what we have and just let people have their opinions, we know what we love and what we're doing.

Magdelanye wrote: "Ouch Ellie
Whatever happened to your knee? Have you been using arnica? So sorry to hear this. But surely you have sick days covering this kind of contingency?

Unfortunately its been easy for many ..."

Luckily I do have sick days although I may have used them all up. Turns out it's bursitis, so another day or so in bed and I should be relatively ok. I'm very relieved.

I did miss your question, Magdelanye, and I can't seem to find it. Was it about Liz Howard (didn't hear of her through me, I don't think)? Anyway, please let me know again.

lots to catch up with.

I read Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, but I much preferred I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Nietzsche's book to read Nietzsche again. I read some of him years ago when I was in university the first time doing Philosophy and Literature.

The coconut mint chocolate covered patties are divine - just coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, a few drops of peppermint essential oil, and then the melted chocolate. I made them very tiny so chocolate ratio is nice.

I scoped out The Sylvia and I would rather not go there for several reasons, but primarily because they seem not to have anything vegan or even vegetarian. There are a few really pretty places downtown, depending if we want just dessert with tea as a high tea event or more. Does anyone know of a nice place? Indigo Age is a place I would like to try. One of the owners is a Ukrainian raw vegan chef!

Bursitis is no fun and the stiffness of old age is also no fun.

They always warned us, getting old is not for sissies. I now have a fond relationship with my hot water bottle. Hope you feel better soon Ellie.

So it wasnt you who got me fired up about Liz Howard. My daily poem with her has been a struggle.

Megan there is a poem that i read back in the heyday of the feminist revival when there were an influx of small press poetry anthologies. It will take a bit of research...i dont think it was Adrienne Rich but one of those poets in an out of print poetry anthology:
a long poem connecting laundry lines across time and space with the end refrain referring to the satisfaction in the echoed phrase reverberating like a mantra LAUN-DREY-HUNG
the book you refer too sounds interesting and very much in line with the more Buddhist mindfulness tendencies that i practice. The author certainly has had an interesting life. Thanks for the rec.

Petra, did you know that there is a woman on GR called Petra Eggs? Whoever she is, she just liked one of my reviews and from her profile picture she has a wacky sense of humour.

The resteraunt you mention with vegan chef sounds like it might be worth a visit if its not too pricey. The Sylvia is pricey too of course but a shared pot of tea and a decadent pastry has always been within the range of possibility. Its a place drenched in history and across from the beach. But im not stuck on it.
Now to organize a time convenient for us all.

speaking of people liking my reviews, ive had some curious experiences lately. when i was last at the library i was able to check out one of these people. His blog revealed that not only is he a trump supporter, hes written a book! Unfortunately i blocked him so fast i forget his name.
Then there are quite a few people with empty accounts or maybe like 3 books and either 40 + groups or 10000 friends.
It sure irks me to think that a new friend might be a sock puppet

but its spring and in the morning it might be lovely

want to read both those Nietzsche books, maybe not right away. I know that i was very disappointed in the few books of his i read before deciding he was too negative and confused to take on. He certainly has had an amazing influence, for all the misinterpretation

peace love and good vibes

@Mary Anne, Megan, Petra and Magdelanye: I'm definitely feeling my age. Bursitis (why is it all these old people ailments end with "-itis" and sound so unattractive!) Doctor says it was the squats I'm doing and I should stick to walking! I've missed a few days of work but I'm feeling much better. I may end up owing days of work which is a drag since that's expensive but oh well, what can I do? I'm lucky to have them.

Thanks everyone for their good wishes!

@Magdelanye: I loved Nietzsche as an adolescent and later not so much. I found the author's adoration of Nietzsche (plus his own eating disorder which he romanticizes the heck out of) a little annoying but the information about Nietzsche fascinating.

@Petra, your walks sound lovely! I wish I were there (or anywhere prettier than the Bronx!)

I'm reading an author who's new to me, Daisy Johnson, Apparently on the Booker list for her new Everything Under which is (as far as I've gotten which isn't very far) beautifully written. She goes for magic realism which I don't always like (except, of course, for Murakami) but I enjoyed the short stories I've read in her Fen. Also I'm reading Once Upon a River which is charming so far.

I'm enjoying my time off--although there's still not enough time to do everything I want to/need to! Today I'm working on my latest poem for the workshop (a retelling of Medea: sadly, the daughter of someone I work with actually killed her two very young children as an act of revenge against her husband's cheating). Guitar, meditting, reading. Plus I do have to make time to work on Monday's lesson. But soon that will be over--only a little over 3 months!

Happy weekend everyone!

Magdelanye wrote: "Have a rollicking time in Liverpool Ice. Does your conference touch on homeless issues?

O MaryAnne, your rant is so appropo, sadly. i believe that racism is built in to our hierarchical society an..."

Yes we touched on homelessness, the more I touch the subject the more complex it appears to be, and the less generic solutions seem to work.

frustrating that theres been no wifi up here for a week but it got hooked up again today.
Ellie my jaw dropped when you said you work with someone who killed her 2 kids. Are you referring to a colleague?
Harsh.
Of course, when i was facilitating the prison group i did meet women who had killed abusive partners but thank goodness ive never had to deal with such a mother that would kill her children for whatever reason.

Homeless people are in the front lines of the systems crash. It may be possible to use our collective intelligence to do a complete overhall, but at the moment it appears as if we are stuck.

reading Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. I can confidently recommend it to everyone.

Hope that it was as beautiful where you are as it was here today!

Magdelanye, she's the daughter of a couple with whom I've worked for many years and a close friend of a close friend of mine who came to me distraught when she did this. It was/is just horrifying. I'm a little nervous about the group's reaction to this one; it's hard to imagine--and who wants to anyway? But I guess I needed to write about it.

I just finished the most beautiful, heart-wrenching volume of poems: Registers of Illuminated Villages: Poems by Tarfia Faizullah. Amazing, gorgeous writing. I wish I could give it 6 stars!

I'm interested in Fruit oft he Drunken Tree--what a great title!

It's beautiful here too, even in the Bronx. Very spring.

@Ellie, that's intense. I hope she's getting the help that she needs. I guess we never know what someone is going through!

I actually read the Fruit of the Drunken Tree...admittedly because the name appealed to me. I enjoyed it. :) I found the setting (Narcos-era Columbia) to be one you don't often read about.

This week I'm trying to read Song of Batoche and I'm finding it to be slow going.

I need to start Gods in Alabama soon for my bookclub in 2 weeks.

Happy Weekend all!

Ellie, my heart goes out to everyone involved. There are no words. Every time I hear of a child hurt or killed by parents my heart bleeds a bit. How we would have liked to have a child. We would have taken any of these kids to save them. (I'm sure most would have; we're not special in that)

Shannon, I loved Gods In Alabama. It was the first of Joshilyn Jackson's books that I read and I'm hooked on her writing. Gods In Alabama is my favorite of the books of hers that I've read.

The homeless situation is so complex. As a society we really need to work on it, looking for solutions that work for all parties. It'll cost the taxpayer a boatload of money, though, so the stumbling block is high.
There are so many facets to the situation:
the mentally challenged - they got caught in the cracks and safe homes with care need to be found for them.
the addicts - they need treatment (good, solid treatment). This could (will?) go on for years until they are firmly in remission, with a support network (which includes a home and job)
the unemployed - these need to be found safe homes and jobs. Kids need to be fed, counselled and supported on top of having a home with their parents.
anyone else - whatever their needs we have to look at how to address them.

However the issue is tackled, the different needs of the different groups need to be individually addressed. Their needs are so different.

The end would (hopefully) allow everyone to find a way back to a productive, safe, secure life where everyone is unafraid to face a day.

Lots of years and a ton of money. Those things always stop progress (sadly).

Happy weekend!
I think we got rid of our second mouse (it may have been the first one who found his way back in......we haven't found the ingress point). There have been no indications of a mouse for days now. We've got the pest control people coming next week to help us find out if we're right and how he/they are getting in. We've never had an issue before, why now?! (rhetorical question)

I finished knitting a lap afghan this week. It was started many years ago, intended as a baby/toddler afghan. The baby is now in high school. I used non-baby colours (red & gold). I'm going to ask my brother if any of his clients would like a wheelchair afghan. If not, I'm not sure what to do with it.

I started knitting a small alpaca doll. I've always enjoyed knitting dolls. I'll find a place for it when it's done.

I'm still reading Oryx and Crake. Retirement really cuts into one's reading life. Ellie, beware! Your reading will plummet after retirement. :D
I'm enjoying the book a lot and will finish it over the weekend.

Magdelanye, I hope your Wifi stays put. We miss you when you aren't around.

@Shannon, I also felt that way with Song of Batoche. I was disappointed that the book didn't focus more on the Metis women.

Petra, I love your story about the afghan--how time does get away from us! But--oh, no--less reading! I hear that people often become busier in retirement than when they were working. A friend of mine says she doesn't know how she found the time to work!

I started Oryx and Crake and had trouble getting into it. I'm interested in what you think of it. Although I'm reading far too many books as it is. I'm as greedy about reading as a child is about sweets.

I love the idea of knitting a doll. I'd love to see a picture of one.

Magdelanye, Petra is right. You're very much missed when not around.

I'm so glad it's Friday. I wish I didn't have any plans for the weekend but I do and it's all good.

Ellie, I've read the entire MaddAddam series and liked it. I wasn't terribly keen on the last book but I think it was published so long after the other two that I forgot too many fine points and didn't put it together well enough. The fault may have been in me; not the book.
I read Oryx & Crake when it first came out and don't remember much of the story. When the book was chosen as one of the sci-fi books for a tournament read this month, I thought it was perfect timing for a reread. It's good. There's so much I've forgotten. I'm not terribly keen on Jimmy. He's telling the story from memory and the telling makes Jimmy seem like he's not aware of a lot that's going on around him. I have to wonder why he's the survivor left to tell us the story. It is intriguing and I'm sure Atwood will let us know why Jimmy is this important.

I will post a pic of the alpaca doll when it's done. This morning, I stuffed the body. It's knitting up really fast.

I measured out the flower beds in the side yard and took pictures of them today so that I can start planning them out. I'm going to do this one bed at a time to get it right. I'm looking for a full, leafy, textured, colourful, interesting-in-all-seasons look and don't know how to go about that. These beds are on the shady side of the house. Any plant suggestions are welcome.

Petra, I'm definitely going to give Oryx another try.

Also, it's amazing how much you do! I have no plant suggestions; I'm terrible with plants but I'd love to see pictures of your gardens.

This comment really belongs in whine and cheese thread. Im not sure exactly what happened, but I'm thinking that Petra and I both wrote comments at the same time and when i hit the arrow there was a little flash which indicated that her post knocked out mine? Could that be. What I know is that there was no comment from Petra when I wrote my rather lengthy response. When i checked to scan my comment for errors it was not there and Petras was. I did not have the heart or the time to redo.
Maybe later if i can get on a computer this afternoon.

That's strange. I have never heard of that happening but maybe it could? I'm sorry your post was lost. I would have loved to see it. How frustrating!

Happy weekend everyone. The sun is shining and it looks gorgeous outside. I'm not sure what we're doing today. I slept poorly last night (happens occasionally) so I'll see how much energy I have to tackle anything.

We haven't seen indications of a mouse since Tuesday when I tossed a box of granola bars outside. I saw the top bar with holes in the wrapping, so I carefully transferred the box into a plastic bag, twisted the top and tossed the whole thing into the garden. Don't know if he was in there but there haven't been any indications of a mouse since.
Still......the pest control people are coming on Monday to hopefully help us figure out how this little guy (and his friends?) are getting inside. This has never happened in the 12 years we've lived here. What has changed to bring this little fellow indoors? Where's the new opening?
We'll figure this out (I hope). It's kind of creepy to think that we've got a guest or two that we don't know about.

The alpaca has ears. He looks strange at this point. Kind of like an albino butternut squash with pointy ears.

Happy weekend all! It is a lovely sunny day here on my balcony that is readying itself for plants. SO far only the chives that survived the winter in a pot, and the new rosemary that I hope to add to my perennial collection.
Mice - ah - even the house of Commons in England has a mouse problem. They can get in through the smallest opening. In Ottawa I always had mice in the winter as they moved in with their families, but they always left in spring. I learned to keep all my food in jars or safely in mouse proof containers. I did have a humane trap if there seemed to be too many mice.
Good luck Petra! with the mice.

Happy weekend to everybody. Oh Mary Anne, the idea of having a balcony sounds enchanting.

Petra, mice are everywhere and it's so annoying and, yes, creepy. Even with our three cats we've sometimes had a visitor.

I just reread Medea (seeing as how I'd based a poem on it, it seemed only right). Such a chilling play.

I'm also reading Karen Armstrong's A Short History of Myth since it was used in my workshop and am finding it fascinating.

Plus Once Upon a River (since I enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale so much and am liking it.

But for love, I just finished a collection of poems, Registers of Illuminated Villages: Poems by Tarfia Faizullah which I was completely enthralled by. It was a library copy and I may have to buy it since I'm sure to read it again and again.

I wish the weekend could last forever but I'm enjoying what I have. It's just sometimes scary how fast time goes.

where to begin?
reading! of corse

Shannon have you read the Joshilyn Jackson yet? i find that the book of hers that i just read, the opposite of everyone- echoed in me and im on the lookout for her now. As for Drunken Tree, dont you think it was a magnificent read?

Ellie i looked up that poetry book and if the poems are as gorgeous as the cover (and as you declare) than i need to find that one too.

Im still wondering who recommended Liz Howard and Infinite Citizen of the shaking tent such an evocative title and such intractable poems.

Petra i am sure you will find your rhythm. Right now its good that you are exploring all options. Did you end up taking that carving workshop?
Im interested in the gardening and im going to add my suggestions on another thread. Im with MaryAnne on the balcony.
Last year, with minimal effort and only occassionally there, on the steps of my friends place grew wonderful veg.

Did not get on to the computer yesterday because the only one available has a virus.
But Im happy that last week i did get 7 reviews in.
Right now Im listening to Tanya Tagaq which reminds me to put a hold on her book.
Started a new historical fiction by Tim Bowling, who impressed me so with the wild salmon memoir. Its called the Tinsmith and i assumed it was going to be if not a placid book at least break from these heartwrenching gut twisting heavies ive been following. i was wrong.
It might be be the most graphically violent and horrifying ive experienced.

So i was sad to finish the bio i was reading, tho along with her triumphant walks Grandma Gatewood, i found out, endured a violent marriage until she finally divorced her rat husband, and did what she wanted





But i will recommend a book anyways