flight paths discussion

sounds glorious: all of it!

Ice, your post is so happy. Flowers blooming and gardening is starting. It's so nice that your girl friend's daughter is learning to tend a garden. That's something to build memories and enjoy for a lifetime.

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day and today is grey and drizzly. It really does feel like Spring.

0 yes to spring and the glorious days of sun and blue skies and to the nourishing rain that keeps the cycle going. But really, always have a rain poncho or at least a good rain hat to trade for the light cotton or straw hat worn in the sun as the weather can change in a minute.

This morning I danced for world peace, the middle day of the Azul Peace Challenge with Amara Pagaro and over 650 people from around the world. You could do it too tomorrow >10 am- 11
its quite wonderful.

Ellie you are getting close to lift off, yes? I hope you have a moment to share with us how your preparations are coming together. Like, are you taking a real book? You haven't told us yet about your accommodations. Maybe you are already packed with a mostly empty suitcase, and maybe you are lost in Proust.

Honestly, I keep meaning to double up the search for the name of the legendary bookstore that I mentioned earlier. I suppose actually that you have almost every minute accounted for.

Peace Love and Happy Trails

Magdelanye, could it be Shakespeare & Company? It's famous and in Paris. It published Ulysses when no one else would.

Gosh Petra it would be wild if that were so. Of course I've heard of Shakespeare & co. but I found this bookstore quite by serendipity in my night on the street wandering and immediately got lost in browsing the outside bins. It has 2 levels and a neon sign with wild art in the windows and a mezzanine and its on a corner. All this I was sure I would remember

Oh my goodness! That's what I loved about Paris. You could turn a corner and find yourself in another world.....and never find it again after leaving it.
Paris is full of moments of serendipity like this. It's wonderful.

Petra wrote: "Oh my goodness! That's what I loved about Paris. You could turn a corner and find yourself in another world.....and never find it again after leaving it.
Paris is full of moments of serendipity li..."

oh yes Petra!
and is our Ellie on her way now?

I'm not sure when Ellie is going to Paris. It's going to be exciting to hear of her adventures.

yes indeed.
and gosh indeed i almost forgot about Canada reads tomorrow. I have read or at least regarded all of them but cant get too excited. It will be interesting to see the defenders so i am thinking to check it out tomorrow

Have you ever had a day on GR where your reviews are suddenly being "liked" by a large number of random people?
Today is that day for me. I have had a dozen or more "likes" on various reviews, all of them older reviews and focussed on about a half dozen books.
I wonder if there's a group out there that is or has been reading these titles and my reviews somehow popped up on someone's radar and the others followed?
Very strange to see that much activity in my Notices.

O yes Petra, and especially lately. This is indeed part of what I was talking about before. I do look the people up. If they are dodgy, like no reviews, few books and/or tons of friends, I block them.
I have the feeling that some of my reviews are being used by others, either students or perhaps Amazon. I'm not sure we have any rights.
What's really odd is when some unknown person (robot?) likes a status update. Whats to like?

Ah yes, the progress "likes".
When a GR friend likes my reading progress I take that as "I'm glad you're enjoying the book" but when some unknown person likes my progress, I have to scratch my head and wonder why.

Happy Easter!! I hope everyone is having an eggcellent day! Wishing you all a wonderful day, no matter what you have planned.

It's just the two of us today, so it will be a quiet one for us.

Quiet is good!
Deep peace and sweet rest

Aiming for a timezone cut off, Happy Birthday Magdelanye !

thank you Ice Bear!
Sweet of you to remember!

Happy Birthday, Magdelanye! Wishing you a peaceful day, filled with sunshine. May this day be a delightfully memorable one for you.
Happy Birthday.

thanks Petra...it really was a beautiful peaceful day to remember ☮❤

Another month , another holiday, Cumbria this time, and a trip to a relatively new national garden at Bridgewater https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridge... . Via Yorkshire of course, https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/

Ice have you read Robert MacFarland? I think this is territory.
A national garden and a brewery sound like a delightful combo

Ice, sounds lovely!

So I was just putting finishing touches on my review yesterday and got up to get more water when I sensed movement in the shadows of the deck. It took a moment to credit that the face peering in was indeed a bear. with her two little cubs.checking the place out.
As thrilling as that was I was glad that it was the
glass door and not the screen. As much as I love bears, not in the housthe!
It was surprising that they were so delicate where they explored because no

oops...nothing was disturbed, flowers, the deck furniture.

Nature is beautiful. I'm glad you experienced seeing the bears. I hope they find their way back away from people.
Stay safe, Bears.

Glad you are safe, too, Magdelanye.

actually Petra i found out that they live in the woods behind this property. I think they were just saying hi

Hi--Magdelanye, that sounds so scary. I'm glad you're safe but I'd hate to have bears living near me. I'm happy you enjoyed seeing them.

We had a fabulous time in Greece--it was a dream trip, I can't imagine a better one. I'm grateful we were there before the heat wave; as it was, Athens was extremely warm. The islands were as beautiful as the pictures I've seen and it was thrilling for me to go to the ancient monasteries at Meteora. I'm proud that I held up physically as well as the kids but I did often need their help keeping my balance on the hills (well, mountains! which seem to only go up and never back down!)

The sunsets were beautiful--in fact, all the views were amazing.

I had a hard time coming back to ordinary life but I'm beginning to adjust. I'd love to go back to Greece some day.

wonderful Ellie!

Welcome back, Ellie. I'm glad that you enjoyed Greece so much.

well Ellie, tell us a bit about your trip. When I was there with my son in 1981 there were huge demos and much tension. We stayed in the plaka but the acropolis was out of bounds. We did make it to Sounion but he wasnt into 'sightseeing'.
in 67 I was there with my ex, and we stayed in Myteline which was gorgeous.

I am doing a bit better, able to eat a bit which is thrilling. I even made it outside for a little walk and a lie-in-the sun. Ellie what did you eat when you were sick? Whats hard is cooking for myself when so weak.You are very lucky to have such devoted kids.

And Petra you always have good suggestions. The next couple of days will be crucial.

Back from holidays, confirmed my date of retirement as end of the year and a few other things besides including reading !

Congratulations on retirement Ice! I love it

wow Ice, thats not so far off.
Enjoy!

Congratulations, Ice!
Retirement is fun. You'll enjoy it.

Easing into retirement my life seems busier !

Easing into is good. Soon you will be wondering how you ever found the time to go to work at all L:_()

I am on a knitting kick lately. I started knitting a toque and am now on my 4th one! I can't stop! LOL!
I'm putting them aside as possible Christmas gifts.
I also knit a few Christmassy gnome ornaments for the tree to give as stocking stuffers. These used up the tiny amounts of left-over yarns I had accumulating. I never throw anything out, thinking it can be used somewhere and now that paid off nicely.

I also finished up the yard work. I have some pruning left to do but the weather has been so nice that plants are still flourishing. However, this is easy work and can be done at any time. I'm considering the yard work done for the Fall.

I signed up for carving, Tai Chi and acrylic painting classes this Fall. All of these activities have been keeping me busy with classes and out-of-class projects. Plus my jogging. I'm keeping that up as well.
It's been a good time, and a busy time.

Garden re-growing after a dry summer, almost like Spring, so grass cutting and weed pursuit. Ahead on Autumn clearance and then winter project(s). Hopefully will have a pair of extra hands to help occasionally.

way to go Ice Bear
and Petra

I seem to remember your last knitting binge...something about legwarmers.....:-)

Packing my books now. May it be that I get to assemble them again in the not so distant future. Of course I have a few piles for a new tbrn box. Also a few piles for binges Ive planned: the almost complete works of Margaret A, Kate Atkinson, Dorothy Byatt, Joyce Carol Oates, and Asimov. Hard to plan when I dont know where I'll be or where going. Stll I have hunch I'll need somethings to read in the interim

LOL! I remember asking about sizing but never heard back.
I'm currently knitting a colourful scarf. Not sure if anyone would want it but I like how it looks. It's very cheery.

It's sad to hear that you are packing up your boxes and don't know where you're going. I hope you find a safe place this week. I really want you to find a nice place and soon.

I have been asked to give another painting session on painting wood carvings. We had a session this summer. A few new carvers joined the group and painting came up again. We will be carving small penguins to paint in early November.
Those who were at the first session will hear a lot of repeat information. I don't have anything new to add, but the reinforcement should be helpful, I hope.

Not much else going on this weekend. I'm planning on a quiet, restful one.

thanks for your good wishes Petra. At least I think Ive found storage...going later today to seal the deal.

As much as I hate having to deconstruct the library, Im delighted to visit with them.

Sounds like you have found the perfect balance between busy and relaxed Petra. Hope your weekend was truly quiet and restful. Now that the rains have come I guess you will be challenged to find moments outside, but i am sure you will find them.

i will still love some new leggings!

I still need to know some size to work towards, Magdelanye. Send me a message. ....with colour preferences, too.

Magdelanye, I hope all is well. I'm a bit concerned. We haven't heard that you found a new home. I hope you are safe and warm.

yikes! Ive been posting in the what ate you reading section and wondering where is everybody? I am relatively safe out here, and Powell River is nicer than I remembered with better resources. I have already filled out some applications and am potentially eligible for subsidized housing.

In the meantime I am pursuing my best option and reading, finishing off the library books I brought one by one. Plan to return to reviews but this year I will not do a scramble to clear up my unwieldy currently reading list.

I am doing allright all things considering. A bit disconnected still, so it would be so lovely to hear what you others are up to

actually, think somethings off with GR. I did send Petra a message on Monday re the Tempo special on Prousts music that was on. Looks like it didnt go through.

I posted a response to you and somehow it got lost. I've been meaning to post another but I've been very busy. We went to Quebec City to celebrate my (70th!) birthday and then (the day of) a trip up to Beacon NY to the Dia Museum and a wonderful restaurant on a waterfall.

Glad to hear you'r'e at least ok for now

Magdelanye, I haven't received a message from you. Yikes! Sorry!
I haven't noticed anything off about GR lately, except this lost message.

I'm glad that you are getting acquainted with Powell River and thinking of settling in. I've never been but heard that it's quite nice. I hope you hear about the housing soon. It would be nice to have a place of your own again.

Ellie, your trips sound really wonderful.
The restaurant on the waterfall brings to mind The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Both sound like they are built on the edge of something beautiful and dangerous.

☯️☮⚘

thanks Petra and Ellie for kind thoughts It was heartwarming to hear from you both and somehow stabilizing. I hope you picked that up in my emoji response.

seeing as both Ellie and I reported missing messages, it points to glitches. I am also being asked quite often to sign in again or denied access: to flight paths because need to be a member.

Petra I messaged you last week because there was a special on CBC Music on the favorite music of Proust. It was lovely and possibly you are familiar with the scene from your reading.

Ellie that sounds like a perfect celebration for a new decade. May all your dreams of relocating manifest and peace, love and vibrant health be yours ❤

I'm sorry I didn't get that message, Magdelanye. I would have tried to tune in.
I don't recall the scene specifically, but the program might have refreshed my memory.

I took part in a Photography & Art Show today. My carving group was invited to display and sell carvings, so I took part to see how it would go. Today was fairly busy and we sold a fair amount. There's another day of the Show tomorrow, so I won't know how I did until then. But I'm happy with the number of carvings sold today.
I'm so tired now. It's been a long time since I've been on my feet all day. I don't have to go back tomorrow. Others will take a turn to man the tables.

Not much else happening here. I am working on a few Christmas presents and will start to prepare for a group read that I'm leading at the end of December. It's for the Dickens' Holiday story, The Cricket on the Hearth.