The Library

[ginny]

Barbara, on this:  Ginny have you had a chance yet to open your copy of Cromwell by MacCulloch - my take is there is almost as much information about the monster size drop of Cromwell's papers as the story of Cromwell.

I actually, I blush to admit this, read a great portion of the book when it came out. Now ask me what I remember of it. Obviously not much, I'm going to have to add it, but 200 pages of Mantel's Mirror and the Light kind of dominated  yesterday. hahaa

There IS something about that avalanche of papers, though, I do recall, is not what it seems. The letters go one way only? Or something like that. I could be, and often am, totally wrong, but there is something about all those letters that were found.

And I thought this was very interesting:

I can't help wonder is he lamenting that he did not go to Wolsey - or - that Dorothea has beliefs he knows he cannot convince her to refute - or - that he blew it as to how it looks and made an enemy of Dorothea which could mean others share her viewpoint and he lost some supporters - or - did he blew it and now has no way to refute the rumors about his dalliance with a women at court that will reach Henry's ears if it has not already and he has no way to protect himself on top of learning from Dorothea his reputation may be in tatters if others share her viewpoint.

Now I took it as he is truly in grief because he thought, he truly thought he was going to help his mentor and friend Wolsey, and here he's being told by Wolsey 's daughter that he can't take pride in his efforts, he didn't help, he should have stayed with Wolsey,  and that Wolsey knew it, and went to his death knowing it and that MAYBE as the book hints at but it IS fiction, that it caused, that disappointment, Wolsey's death. I simply can't see him crying over her not wanting to marry him.

But he  can't bear it if he let Wolsey down.   I think that's possible, given the hints about Wolsey giving up. Different from the first movie.Possibly different from the second, Wolsey hasn't said yet, but his presence  as a ghost in Mirror the Movie shows how important he IS to Cromwell here. One of the few people in Cromwell's life to champion Cromwell, really. In the movie.

That's what I've got for thought today. I'll pull out the MacCulough (can't spell it) and look first chance I get, though.

[PatH]

It's good to see you back, Tomereader.  I have computer. issues too, and also time issues--just living, and keeping fed and clothed and clean seems to take a long time, and also I'm n Pacific Time.. half the time I'm posting, it's night, and I'm curled up in a ball under the coves, with my laptop screen lit, breathing good air trough my CPAP sleep machine, with its tubing getting in my way.

And it's hard to keep going fast enough for a coherent conversation.

Reading in bed has been my bad habit ever since I could read, but now it's time to get  up and make breakfast. it's 9;27  AM here, and I'm hungry.

[bellamarie]

Good afternoon, all!  Goodness all this talk of Cromwell had my interest piqued so I did a bit of googling and for some reason I feel as if I just finished a book back in the fall that was on Ann Boyle.  I'll have to go back and look, anyway this Wolf Hall Trilogy is new to me as is the PBS series The Mirror and the Light.  Here is a link for beginners such as myself for reading the trilogy. 

https://www.readings.com.au/news/a-beginners-guide-to-hilary-mantels-wolf-hall-trilogy

Here are a couple of nice interviews with Hilary Mantel and Claire Foy

https://youtu.be/LsZrYQ2Ud_c?si=_VZLt5JdWnRgimq5

https://youtu.be/5CiVns3nIfU?si=cJcVUzyPD-SezSQp

Frybabe, I too have gotten involved in watching tv and less reading, although I am staying with Secret Service by William G. Hyland Jr. I just finished watching the series called Suits which is about a young man who faked his way into getting hired into a high-powered law firm pretending he was a Harvard grad. There are 9 seasons with typically 16 episodes in each season.  After finishing this my granddaughter got me into watching The Traitors on Peacock and I am now binge watching the 3 seasons.  I can't seem to tear myself away from this show and see there are other episodes in the UK and Australia. The treachery and trickery these people play to succeed not being banished or murdered from the game is just so fascinating.  I appears some of the people feel honesty should be the ultimate goal while others feel winning the money at all costs is their sole purpose.  I love watching how some people are willing to place their trust in others with nothing more than relying on their own instincts which at times ultimately prove to be completely wrong. This all takes place in a castle in Scotland, so the scenery is spectacular.  I keep thinking of the quote from Sir Walter Scott, " ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,’

Ironically, this quote falls into the all the mentioning of Henry VIII. 

The quote is from Scott’s epic poem, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field.  It’s an historical romance in verse, published in 1808. It tells the tale of how one of Henry VIII’s courtiers, Lord Marmion, pursues his lust for a rich woman, Clara Clare. He and his mistress, a delinquent nun, Constance De Beverley, devise a scheme to implicate Clara’s fiancé in treason. It becomes chaotic and although Marmion appears to have won, by defeating Clara’s fiancé in a duel, Clara retires to a convent rather than endure his attentions.

‘Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive’ means that when you lie or act dishonestly you are initiating problems and a domino structure of complications which eventually run out of control.

PatH. I have never been able to do much reading in bed, but I am a night owl so I can be lying on my couch til the wee hours of the night reading or watching tv.  Computer issues and all the rest you must deal with is understandable and yet you continue to remain a very integral part of our group and share such insightful posts.

Tomereader, good to hear from you.  Yes, you were mentioned over in Senior & Friends.  I'm so sorry you are having computer issues.  Laptops have come so far down in prices that maybe a new one is something to consider if it falls into your budget.  It's always nice to hear from you.

Ciao for now~

[BarbStAubrey]

hmm interesting frybabe - those of us who enjoy reading are following in the footsteps it seems that was alive and well in ancient times - and yes - I can't count the times I said enough buying till finding this cartoon like bit of wisdom a few years ago allowed me to laugh at myself instead of feeling like I blew it again...

Wow full house today - yes, Ginny trying to figure out the meaning of that tearful scene that seems to have dominated the second episode has me all over the place - I never was good at or enjoyed enough board games growing up and found every excuse not to participate as an adult and all these machinations trying to figure out whose up and whose down and who will be in Henry's crosshairs is beginning to get to me in the same way as attempting to play chess - not so much monopoly since that was more by chance requiring little brain power or maybe that is it - everyone thinks they can out think Henry without realizing he is probably not thinking himself but simply reacting - and yes, the explanation for the collection of letters from Cromwell - and I forgot - need to go back and read again - but I think it was those he sent that are missing.

Haha Pat your image of reading in bed tangled in the tubes from your CPAP machine present quite a picture - my good friend Charlotte used a CPAP and I was always driving her down to have it adjusted or cleaned - I think many of those visits were the result of being annoyed using the machine  - Charlotte did  only use it when she was going to sleep however, it sounds like you put yours on earlier - I bet in case you fall asleep reading... I'm finding myself falling asleep more frequently watching TV and have been weighing if I want to put my second TV in my bedroom - never have used my bedroom for anything other  then getting dressed and sleeping but falling asleep on the sofa and then waking up and heading for bed all groggy is probably no longer safe. 

Nice links bellamarie - If you have Amazon Prime they do have the first Wolf Hall that was originally shown on PBS available to watch on TV - Amazon Prime is already showing this final series from Mantel - Mark Rylance is the actor that I think does a fabulous job - he is so different looking than the picture I've always had of Cromwell but my oh my that man can act and without some fake English accent... Never did finish watching all of Suits - my grandson, who did graduate UPenn with a duel Law Degree and a Masters in City Planning was all into watching and told me about Suits Now he is living his own version of Suits as member of the staff for a Philadelphia City Councilmen - who would have guessed

Well the Astros play in just a few minutes and so that will take my mind away from all this 'chess' playing among people who lived centuries in the past...

[BarbStAubrey]

[bellamarie]

Barb, I do have Amazon Prime so I will check out the first Wolf Hall.  That is interesting how your grandson is now living his own version of Suits.  I absolutely loved the actors/actresses and the characters they played in Suits.  I told my hubby I almost want to go back and begin the entire series again.  The main character Harvey who is played by Gabriel Swann Macht after suits ended decided to no longer pursue acting and concentrate on his family.  I did see that a new Suits LA began a few weeks ago and Harvey makes some appearances in it.  I mean come on who couldn't fall in love with this character?  lol

[ginny]

Taking a clue from Bellamarie here, (I  liked those links explaining for somebody new to the movie or book what it's about)....I thought to go to  youtube and see if Diarmaid MacCulloch, the scholar who is  retired from Oxford who wrote the "new" definitive biography of Cromwell, had anything on youtube which would answer the questions that somebody who was struggling to figure out the book/ or movie/ or the real history  would ask.

Boy does he. Here in this youtube interview he talks about Hilary Mantel,  how historical fiction is different from history, Holbein's portrait of Cromwell and, contrary to what I had been told, how  he did not have it altered as apparently Thomas More did of his...so he must have liked it!  He talked about the difference in the stage play and the screen, how great Rylance is in the movie.  He talked about Henry VIII being lazy, wanting the credit but not wanting to do the work, about how Cromwell did NOT desert  Wolsey when everybody else did, ....he's just talking like we would, and seems a very nice man, and suddenly all these startling things come out and you think...huh? Wait a minute...wait.... I'm now taking a million notes a minute, but he's off on another tangent, and I can't read the notes. He has a Holbein of Gregory , Cromwell's son, who looks exactly like one of the actors in the movie,  and talks about poor Gregory who died in his 30's of the Sweating Sickness.

He talks about that avalanche of papers which would have been gathered by Cromwell's own men after his death, and how they were one way: TO Cromwell, the rest destroyed but not from the Sent Box as it were, not from Cromwell so we do not have his voice or his opinions.     Nobody does.  Some are quoted by Ambassador Chapuys, of all people, however...but none from the man himself.

It's marvelous, it really is. If interested, I recommend it, he certainly threw my theory out the window on the desertion of Wolsey unless Mantel herself put it back in.

What fun this all is.

Here is the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2426&v=En44HaZWB5U&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDM2ODQyLDIzODUx

if that works. It's called Thomas Cromwell, A Fresh Look, subtitled  by whoever put it up, "A Master Class in Historical Detective Work."

It's our chance to hear an Oxford Don talk about his specialty.  Lucky lucky them, imagine having a class with this man.

(Funny thing, too: sometimes when he talks about Cromwell, it sounds a lot like "Crumbwell", remember the nickname for Cromwell by the King?) ("Crumb").

[ginny]

PS: As I was typing this I heard MacCullough say Henry VIII was a narcissist. He was asked if Henry VIII was smart, and he said all the  Tudors were clever, but Henry VIII was a narcissist as well.

[PatH]

Barb, you're right about putting on the mask to prevent falling asleep unmasked.  I can even fall asleep while sitting on the edge of the bed to change the water in the tank, which you have to do every day.  But I'm used to the tangle.  These machines have a lot of fussy detail to them.  But they can save your life if you have a heavy case (mine's medium)

[BarbStAubrey]

Been sorting out my AC - it is not operating as it should and trying to communicate what I hear to guys that know all the bits and pieces is like talking two different languages - I'm exhausted because what I experience to them is impossible and therefore I must be a crazy old lady - sheesh an effort to stay positive - if I did not need the AC I'd chuck the whole thing but with outside humidity today at 80 and temp at 77 and this is still only April I can't afford to throw a hissy fit.


Here is another lighter moment with elders enjoying life with books...

 

[ginny]

They probably don't care what it sounds like, Barbara, they need to get it cooling, and if they don't, then it's on them, not you. The yearly sigh and put up with whatever was wrong this time till they fix it. Good on you for getting the jump on the Airconditioning issue in advance. I am astounded this year that the heat pumps here are even working, because it's always something different wrong.

The pollen here is SO thick I'm amazed anything works.

Talking about the different programs available on TV and YouTube,  there's one called the Pickers which for some reason has suddenly thrown itself onto the TV where I read. Have you all seen it? I had nothing to do with it, it just appeared and started running while  I was waiting for my roaring  cosy fireplace film to start...

 It's an old show but apparently a new iteration of it?  Two men ride about looking for yards full of what some would call junk and some would call treasures, haggle over the price , buy selected pieces, and bear them away like trophies for resale. You get to see people with literally acres of barns and old junk...again treasures to some..... cars...signs...this time those super large wheels of very old bicycles (you'd have thought they were wrought in pure gold from the reaction of the "Pickers)," and ALL of them have a story to go with the stuff, and mostly it's family related, "my dad kept,"  etc.

You really have to see the show to believe it, and I am strangely hooked now on it,  since I was late in reducing my own  junk to the bare bones mentality. If I tried to hide under that table like our two ladies in the illustration today I would still be there 100 years later, too.  I am willing to bet that both of those happy ladies are going to find  out neither of their legs will straighten out when they want to leap into action.

[bellamarie]

PatH., good to hear yours is a mild case.  I suppose you just get used to dealing with the wires much like when I was in the hospital and had to deal with all of them trying to sleep.  Eventually I found a comfortable position.  I have a friend who travels with her c-pap machine and doesn't let it slow her down a bit.  When I first began my in-home day care I accepted a baby who was only 6 weeks old and when the mother brought him for the first time lo and behold, she brought in a machine to monitor his sleeping.  She reassured me it was only precautionary measures and that the doctor said only for a couple of weeks.  I was shocked she did not reveal this to me at the interview.  Well, he was lying in the bassinet next to my couch where I sat watching him and his monitor while he was napping and egads the machine started beeping!  I called the mom immediately and she apologized and said she had forgot to charge the battery, and it beeps when the battery is low.  I swear I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  Within the week the doctor took him off the machine and all went well. 

Ginny, I'm with you, I'd never be able to get myself out from under that table.  lol My son was hooked on watching that show the Pickers and said these people would buy the old junk and find valuables amongst the piles.  We set things out to the curb the night before garbage pick-up and usually someone comes along with a pick-up truck and loads the items in their truck and drives off.  As they say, "One man's junk in another man's treasure." 

Barb, I pray all works out with your air conditioning unit and it's not too costly.  We finally had to have a new one installed last summer.  I could never live without air conditioning so it's not something to even consider.  It appears my neighborhood is finding termite infestation in many of their homes.  I received a text from a neighbor yesterday saying at least 4 houses on their street have been inspected and did have them.  My next-door neighbor had them a year ago so now I am getting worried and may need to have someone come to inspect our home.
Last night we lost our power due to a car hitting an electrical pole and I sat with my flashlights reading my book.  Homeowning in our senior years can be a bit overwhelming at times.

Ciao for now~

[BarbStAubrey]

Bellamarie I don't know about there but Termite inspections were only about $40 to $50 and if you are concerned you can have a treatment that is not the whole house but they put holes in the ground or through the cement in a patio and fill it with Termite treatment - some sort of powder - again not expensive but again this was in Austin where in order to sell a house you have to have a Termite inspection also I believe there are several different kinds of Termites in that here in Houston it is a more expensive ordeal with them having to tent the house and treat house and ground - However, you might just make a phone call or two and get the skinny on the inspection and if they do spot treatments and how much.

Yes, easy to see the illustrator is not as old as the ladies that are depicted but to me it was fun thinking of closing away from society by a table and table cloth, books as the ramparts along with tea and sweets.

Ginny the Pickers as you describe remind me of some book I was reading that I thought had the best description of the often seen ramshackle old house on a couple of acres full of what to many appears like junk and to the author she said it was their bank account and investment account - that the poor don't deal in financial investments instead, what the rest turn their nose up at as junk. Anytime they need cash they go to the 'junk' pile and find something they can bring to town and sell or put out the word to sell and they can even earn unexpected dividends with someone knocks on their door needing this or that from their 'junk' savings. Loved the concept when I read it and realized it was so true.

I guess the trick is to have junk that can be out where it can be seen where as it sounds like those of us who live a different lifestyle our junk is often the kind that needs for storage and protection a drawer, shelf, closet or attic or at worst the garage or shed.  If retail establishments had their goods for sale hidden away they too would be bringing loads of end of season products to Goodwill and so it appears those who surround themselves with an acre or more of 'stuff' may not have figured it out but fell into the best showcase for a sale.

Looks like the weather is putting on a show this afternoon - after 2 weeks of Temps in the high 70s and low 80s with the humidity through the roof at least at 80% - no rain just this thick thick air of course full of pollen so it was like a yellow paste on all the vehicles and porches, we get a Tornado Watch from the county with a cold front barreling through that will drop the temps to would you believe 51 or 52 - we'll probably loose our electricity but thank goodness Paul did talk me into installing a whole house generator and we may loose WiFi - oh I need to go quick and plug in my phone to be sure it is charged up - OK till later...   

[Frybabe]

I believe there used to be another show similar to The Pickers. I've seen both. They find some very interesting things on occasion. Sometimes they will pick up something that they or someone they know might be able to restore, like an old pinball machine or jukebox.

[Frybabe]

I just ran across a book called I See You've Called in Dead by John Kennedy. Supposedly, he won a Thurber Prize, but I can't find what year or for what. Anyway, with a billing like "The Office meets Six Feet Under" deserves a look.

BTW, did you know Bill Bryson won a Thurber back in 2001, I think, for In a Sunburned Country? That is the one that I sent back to the library I didn't seem very funny to me. Maybe it is a slow to build humor.

[BarbStAubrey]

haha read the excerpt provided by Amazon of I See You've Called in Dead - it is a riot - even though it is not compatible with my word 7 and I have to go through all these machinations to read it I just had to download it - what a hoot - reminds me of the movie Four friends and a Funeral that was so improbable and so so funny.

Brr cold today - cold front came through yesterday and heat on since last night - still no sun but the humidity is gone or as gone as this area allows - its about 50% but so much better than the 80% of the last two weeks.  Well more of Cromwell and the gang tonight - not having read the book I'm looking forward to what is next - I'm thinking it is all downhill from here... what a time and all this time Henry has one wife after the other... sheesh...

[BarbStAubrey]

[ginny]

Frybabe, I ihaven't read the Australian book by Bryson, nor the Appalacian book either, nor many others of his.

But your thoughts there about him not being all that funny in the Australia book really got me thinking.

Humor is such a personal thing, isn't it?

And I notice that the books of his I most enjoy are the ones on travel on his own, throughout Europe, what he expected and what he got and he IS hilarious there, laugh out loud, tears streaming but I think it's because I've done it too, and to see his reaction is priceless.

But the things he is also funny about are things we can see or contemplate doing  right here in the US, the automatic parking garage barrier, the elevator. I had actually been thinking of writing him to thank him for many bright moments.

Anyway, that's my take on it.

[ginny]

And now we come to The Mirror and the Light: the movie last night.

HUH?

My take on that is that I need to watch it again. I am positive the daughter of the Woman in the Tapestry was NOT in the original book, but who knows?  I'm just now there in the book itself, boy will I read closely now. And why is she there now?

And last night, military threats!!

1. Apparently the TV audience needs to be reminded that Henry VIII was trying to hold on to the reign that his father Henry VII, managed to achieve....(remember Richard III and the War of the Roses?)_  That's what Henry VIII stands to lose. It may be that married 28 years with no male heir just said to HIM (as evidenced in HIS dreams related to  Cromwell) that his family, specifically his brother, and certainly all the people he's supposedly ruling feel he lets them down continually. He's defensive as a result, impatient and tyrannical really, just trying to hold on.

2. And there's always a threat to his position from within, as he sees it. Enter the Poles, what a strange name. They have a claim, going back to King Edward, was it? And they aren't the only ones.

Wasn't it interesting, to learn how these Noble Families of Britain got started? Now it's Lord Cromwell,  Earl of Essex, is it?

3. The Pope wants the errant sheep back in the fold, that schism must have been astounding to him. And fear producing.

4.  And it appears half of Europe wants in, too, through family ties.

Henry VIII has a LOT on him, and his leg is festering and hurts.

I don't know if you all are familiar with Horrible Histories,  the British satire with a lot of real history in them, but here's their take on his dad, Henry VII,  the dull Henry, supposedly, protesting his being labelled that:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=Horrible+Histories+Henry+VII&&mid=964640B0D4106E7EA881964640B0D4106E7EA881&&FORM=VRDGAR


There's a lot of history in that one.


So what can anybody make of the  appearance of the Daughter of the Tapestry?


I'm stumped.

[bellamarie]

Barb, thank you for the info on the termite inspection.  I have seen no tracks like my neighbor had but I suppose it's better to have it checked out regardless. 

Yes, the picture of the ladies under the table looking to be our age is a bit of a hoot.  I remember as a child my younger sister and I would drape a large bedsheet over our clothesline in the backyard and use cement blocks to hold down the four corners to build a private tent where we would lay a blanket inside and play with our paper dolls cut from newspapers and magazines.  We could spend hours during the summer inside those tents.  Great memories.

Well, we had beautiful temps for a few days last week but are back to the 30's and 40's but one good note is the sun is shining, and my Daffodils and Hyacinths have bloomed!





Sorry for the size of the pics I still have no idea how to resize them for posting.   

[ginny]

Those are beauiful photos, Belamarie!

Here's how to resize them in future:

Post it just like you did and then hit Modify.

Here is what you'll see: I will remove the first img so you can see the coding

[width=600 height=800]https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/488910388_10236930611508416_8659239630470605113_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=hhOG1zD4NC8Q7kNvwGCP3V7&_nc_oc=AdkowkJBn1qVKpPimLiUxMvdULQkNZhyNDZqdHcyZJXwxQ0ini99cFdwJds9-iGDmyyN_e8L6QLvkyjx1IP615xi&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&_nc_gid=sv4Mj96rT0d_fJFVIaNvbg&oh=00_AfE03PRyn_yPIwiMoqOEIK0B1Tzi3aGtLnxHMJz_3NUMOg&oe=67F9C86A[/img]

You essentially want to change what's in red here. Make the first number 500, and remove all the blue bit, but be sure the ] is till there, so it looks like this:  (You want 500 to be the maximum width, otherwise everybody else has to scroll).

[BarbStAubrey]

so glad you posted Ginny - last night's ellipsoid for me was very confusing - I could not get a handle on the message or the as I call it the prime moment that sums up the message - I can see now Henry's out burst suggesting that if he wanted Cromwell and Cromwell's children to be crowned as members of the royal family he 'by God' would make that happen and now i see it was the way of expressing his frustration with not securing the crown that could easily go back to his grandmother's side of the family and that helped me see all the concern about what was happening and what people were saying in the north was an extension of that fear and concern.

I had not put that together till you pointed it out - what I did come away with how often Cromwell was being misunderstood and the fall out from these misunderstandings which is leaving him more and more alone without backup and then this supposed daughter - so far my take is it is one more monster size misunderstanding and without support from those in court who seem all to be alienated including his own son how does he refute this women - I could be wrong by I have doubts she is his long lost daughter. Since Henry gave Cromwell the tapestry it would have to mean Henry knows the story behind those depicted on the tapestry and I don't pick that up....

The storyline seemed disjointed to me - all I could get was that he was in a time of his life when he was being isolated and being a 'pet' of the King separates him further which I was taking as the setup for his demise till the very end with this daughter - don't know what to make of any of it now... I should read more of his life and Henry's life but I need to take a break - dealing with the upcoming death of my last living cousin from my generation - there are two more boys/men that are 12 and 15 years younger who live in Florida that we lost track of each other back 50 years ago but Jackie who lives in NC is only a year and a half younger and has decided no treatment. Jackie is in hospice as of Saturday night - need to get a note off to her daughter to read to Jackie - my sisters and I and my daughter have been on the phone with each other all day yesterday - I don't know well Jackie's children or grandchildren but I still need to send notes. I finally came to grips and know what I want to say - no matter how old we get the passing of a family member is loosing the link to memories that yes, are still there but they are no longer a ribbon binding us together but rather a memory of what was...

Bellamarie good luck with your termite inspection - it should be simple and having a clean certificate will bring such relief - if not, the spot treatment may be all you need plus the inspector can tell you what around your house is conducive to an infestation - example here there are narrow pieces of wood used to separate sections of sidewalk or driveways used when the concrete was poured and wood against cement is like party time to termites and so home owners are told to remove them - the same is often at a front door if there is a concrete porch - the inspector should give you tips specific for your area and home construction that will help to make your house less inviting.

For some reason your photos are not downloading on my computer - sad I would have enjoyed seeing your spring garden. And yes, memories of tenting as kids - I think that is part of the charm the artist invokes in the illustration. Even tenting at night reading under the blanket using a flashlight felt safe and for sure we thought we were hidden from our parents as we stayed up past bedtime reading.

hmm I think that is what I need - a tent to feel contained and safe while I write my notes... 
   

[Frybabe]

I've been running across quite a few podcasts, etc. on YouTube lately about Oliver Cromwell. The "paper dump" and the newest episodes of the Wolf Hall saga sure stirred up a lot of interest. But what really caught my interest this evening is this YouTube cast interview with Margaret Atwood about The Handmaid's Tale with relevancy to today or possibilities to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljvVUW2vrRU

There are others, but this is the one that first popped up. If you are interested check out the various talks and online essays that are listed from the various organizations have posted, much of it involves women's rights. Some of these posts go back at least to 18 years.

I have not been paying enough attention to author discussions posted on YouTube that go beyond just talking about their current book.

[ginny]

My sympathy  in your forthcoming loss, Barbara. That's one really bad thing about getting old, the people you lose. And the memories they take with them. 

I've spent the day reading the book The Mirror and the Light and I'm shocked to currently be in the 300 + pages and it's really good. I sort of hate for it to end now. I just watched the movie again, too.


You said The storyline seemed disjointed to me -   It did to me, too. I thought the movie was flawed in that respect. Seeing it the 2nd time I don't think so quite as  much  now, but it seems there's a LOT the movie wants the viewer to understand. Or know before hand. Of course it IS a sequel, to a movie and three books. Still.   I've finally figured out Richard, who he is, and what he looks like this year.

The current threat, it seems, are the rebels. They somehow combine all the list above of threats. It's interesting how the various people see them. The consensus seems to be that the rebels will restore the Pope to Britain, but the rebels are dissatisfied Britons angry about taxes, etc., which the Pope has nothing to do with. 0r does he? Maybe the loss of the Church was the final straw. They say the king is dead and Cromwell wants to marry Mary and be King. The Church will be restored, tif the rebels win, he Poles will be restored and all will be well. That's quite a leap.  Not sure where Cromwell and Mary fit in with the Poles, either.  (They spell this out about 3 times with different sets of narrators, but I missed all three entirely the first time).  Or discounted them. I need to stop that, they have very  few other ways to communicate reasons in the movie.

I have still NO earthly idea why the new daughter has appeared and so far she is not in the book. That's another leap.

Lots of Leaps. And now the King has sent Norfolk north, to York, which has just fallen. His real name is Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. I always thought Castle Howard was his house but it's in Yorkshire.... (there must be a connection but it's only 300 years old ), and apparently is owned by the Carlisle branch of the family, and was used in the first movie of Brideshead Revisited, the best one, I think, remember that?



I always thought I'd get to see that in person but I haven't so far. Always something else was more promising at the time.

Frybabe, I forgot to mention that the book about I See You've Called in Dead seems a very intriguing title, and it seems new. I hope those who are reading it will let us know how  you like it?

ONLY 3 more installments of the film to go, there are only 6 parts!  No matter what one thinks of the disparity between the movie and the book, it IS good to know more about Cromwell, good or bad.

[ginny]

OH PS:  And Barbara, way back there you talked about why Cromwell left home?  Ran off and so on. I thought so too, in fact he says he left Putney as a boy in the movie to the  Cardinal. The book says he didn't run off, etc., as one would think, he was offered a job and took it in the Cardinal's kitchen. But I'm still reading that bit, and it's interchanged with reports of his wide travelling, so who knows at this point?

[ginny]

I started to read  The Road to Little Dribbling hahaha last night and wanted to share the opening lines, which begin:

"One of the things that happens when you get older is that you discover lots of  new ways to hurt yourself..."

Here is a print out of the opening paragraphs which one could download and print if wanted, that  had me falling asleep smiling:

https://issuu.com/transworldbook-publishers/docs/littledribblingextract

[bellamarie]

Barb, I am very sorry you are dealing with your cousin's illness, I will keep you all in my prayers.  Yes, losing loved ones does indeed leave us in a state of loss for memories only shared by them.  When my youngest sister passed in 2023, I felt as if she took a part of me with her because she held so many of our childhood memories and into our teen years.  She seemed to remember things about me I had completely forgotten.  I can agree with your sentiments...   

"I finally came to grips and know what I want to say - no matter how old we get the passing of
a family member is loosing the link to memories that yes, are still there but they are no longer a ribbon binding us together but rather a memory of what was..."

Ginny, thank you so very much for the instructions on resizing pictures.  I will give it a try and pray it works for me. Here is a pic of my morning visitor.



YES!!  It worked!!!

 

[ginny]

Yes it certainly did,  good for you! You really don’t need to make it that small, though.   500 would  be good or maybe in that case 400. We have beautiful Cardinals here as well my goodness they’re big this year and they’re all over the feeders. And the first time we ever came out to this farm we had seven red cardinals in the yard, and  I said we should call this place seven cardinals.  We didn't but I swear they’re back….hahaha 45 year old cardinals.   

Because of the feeders we have though in the mornings, like this morning when I opened the front door to look at my geranium on the porch,  ( I think it's the wrong color), the birds in the trees—- the singing is absolutely unbelievable….

[BarbStAubrey]

Well interesting few days as family just kept calling each other and talking about all sorts of things not usually discussed - Jackie still hanging in there and her daughter said her passing is not eminent however, one never knows but for sure the beginning of the end. Sorry to be sharing a downer but this has consumed me and my family since last Saturday night... and frankly Cromwell and gang have come in a distant second so that I have not done any more reading...

I must say though, the vast number of books on Henry and his wives and those who surrounded him, not so much his father but bunches on his daughters is astounding... all this took place nearly 500 years ago and where various times in history are written about by many writers I think, except for our Civil War there does not appear to be a time that took as much interest by so many writers with bits and pieces surfacing even today or a few years ago - amazing... I remember studying the War of the Roses in High School and none of us were interested however our teacher was a history buff and in short quick phrases had us memorize dates and people and battles and and and...

Frankly it had no meaning at the time since there was nothing to compare to our own history and where it was considered a big deal with the break from the Pope we had been studying in Church History that year that as much a big deal Henry instigating the Anglican or Episcopal church and Luther originating the Lutherans for the Church it was concerned with a greater issue that is still a thorn in the side of the Vatican which was the French Revolution where they lost hundreds of monasteries and convents along with all the land and valuables attached to and within these monasteries and convents as well as, many nuns and monks who had no place to go and in their escape were lost to the church as they hid and took on different lives in the mountains and many hid openly by living out their lives as a lay person. And then the disrespect that many a parish priest developed for a church that did not, even if they could, protect them and so, where they continued as parish priests they no longer acted with the expected decorum of a priest, became more independent which included not giving  homage to the Pope. And so Henry VIII,s break was nothing in comparison - our biggest discussion in the religion class was if a consecrated Bishop or Priest, who became an Episcopalian brought with him the sacredness of the Holy Vows he received and therefore, the subsequent Episcopal ministers had received the sacrament of Holy Orders and were as much a priest as the Catholic priests.

As to Luther, since after his wife died he came back to the church he was considered a priest who took the questions most experience and made them public that many others who were on the same road and would get stuck with similar deep questions joined his rebellion in addition, the politics at the time when the Holy Roman Empire was in taters and German's were challenging the authority of Rome, along with a larger German reading public that challenged the church that only approved was reading the Bible in Latin or Greek - so that Luther was the spearhead that challenged Church Authority as much as his belief we are saved by Faith alone. After the 30 Years War that came about with all this, the Church yes, denounced Luther as a heretic however, the Counter-Reformation followed which strengthened the Church's doctrines, practices, and authority - a repair of sorts - However, the losses from the French Revolution were never and can never be repaired.

I laugh now but at the time we learned all this with Father Lynn, a favorite, who taught the religion class and Mrs. Kennedy taught history - since it was a Catholic High School as crazy as it sounds Mrs. Kennedy did not have the status of a priest, brother or nun and so all this about the Tudors was learned just well enough to pass a test. We cared little about Henry, felt bad for the wives and cared naught about the court system or those who surrounded Henry.  None of it stayed with me and I bet it stayed with few of my classmates.  Only later reading historical novels did this time in history became clear. Doing the research was piecing together what we learned, no I should say memorized, in Mrs. Kennedy's class

As a result of this High School background I always saw Henry as tilting windmills with a lot of blood on his hands - Now reading more about the other players like Cromwell I'm seeing them caught in this web that yes, set the road for Britain and furthered the slaughter in Ireland but in the scheme of things as far as religions go it was a tempest in a teapot that poured forth an awful lot of blood centered in one man's insecurities and need, as well as family expectations for power.

Well onward to figure out why in the world Mantel decided to include in this story Cromwell having a daughter...   

[BarbStAubrey]

Ginny love your descriptions of Spring entering your porch and farm in South Carolina - yes, Cardinals are such a bright note aren't they - have you joined all the rage of setting up colorfully painted bird houses - Here they are on fences and attached to trees and garages and posts loaded with bird houses - I sure hope they attract more birds because the area is filling up with houses and vehicles as well as shopping centers that of course all chase away birds...  not the squirrels though

bellamarie so glad you pursued and now can make smaller a shared photo - I bet you are downloading them directly from your phone and that is why I'm not picking them up - my family groans because in order for me to see what they share someone has to download it on their personal web site and then copy that link to my email - with the change to Word I'm being promised a new computer for Christmas and I bet on the new computer I will easily be able to see all downloads from phones... I've always loved the photos you share of your garden.

Frybabe need to watch the Atwood interview - you tube has more interesting stuff - I can spend hours just browsing and following one after the other...

[BarbStAubrey]

[Frybabe]

I spent a good bit of yesterday on the sofa reading with Oscar on my lap. Today, he goes in for his six month check up.

Barb, I have to agree about the names and dates thing. That kind of teaching got me a D (my one and only) in the World Culture class. It was years before I started to connect the dots so to speak, that each event was not isolated, but that while one thing was going on in the world, something else was going on somewhere else. And then James Burke came along with his TV Connections program on PBS connecting the dots, not only at a specific time and event, but how these events and people contributed to how we got to where we are now. So, now, I can read about an isolated event and see how it fits where we are today both in inventions and in how we think about current events as well as being able to see some themes playing out over and over again throughout history. Are we on the verse of another major shift in ways of thinking about our society, where we are headed as a global society?