The Library

[serenesheila]

The Library Our library cafe is open 24/7, the welcome mat is always out. Do come in from daily chores and spend some time with us. We look forward to hearing from you, about you and the books you are enjoying (or not). Let the book talk begin here!

*Suggestion Box for Future Discussions
*SeniorLearn's Archives 

I, thoroughly agree. RMK.

Sheila

[ginny]

Half way through The Admissions which is now beginning to seem symbolic. Lovely  nice characters, you can identify with this family. It's the kind of book where you talk to the characters and tell them what they ought to know hahahaa. The Big Secret I think I already know, and that's a good feeling,  too, but I might be wrong.    If it IS the big secret then it's interesting. The mother's secret is now revealed too, one wonders why they are keeping these secrets from each other, one wonders what that really says.

AND I got to learn something. One of the girls takes ceili.  I didn't know what that was, so I had a lovely morning looking it up and then watching it on Youtube. I am sure I am the only person  on earth who has never seen Riverdance  (if that IS the same thing) so that was interesting, too. And the World Ceili Competition was really something. Learning about the Real Estate business: the mother insisted on returning to her career despite it's just about killing her with 3 girls all in different activities. Good book. Mid 40's protagonists. I'm not 40 but I WAS.

It's a VERY satisfying, enjoyable read. If it keeps on like this I'm going to look for more by her.

[pedln]

Glad to hear such positive comments about Nightingale and Admissions.  "N" is on my kindle and I"m watching for a bargain sometime for "A."

Steph, "All the light" is long, but so worthwhile.  And you do  jump around, sometimes wondering where you are and what country you're in.  Here's what worked for me -- read it, enjoy, then go back and scan it in chronological order.

I've only read two books this year that I can rave about, recommend without reservation, and that I really really loved.  One is Doerr's "All the Light" and the other is "Boys in the Boat."  The others --good, okay, enjoyable, so-so, etc.

[Jonathan]

How very interesting, Ginny. It's the Delphic Sybil that's the subject of the book I'm reading. She's somewhat prettier than Cumae, but the latter looks somewhat more professional, don't you think? I must see The Ceiling in Rome, so it's one more stop before going home. I already have my ticket. Ross King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling.

As they say in Iceland...Jolly Book Flood.

As well as Peace and Good Will to everybody, whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu.

[hats]

Good morning Ginny and Jonathan,

I can't see very well. My eyes....I wanted to find "The Adventures Of Pinocchio. Have been back and forth trying to choose whether to stay around. Pinocchio keeps coming back. Hope I'm not too late, but where is it??? I'll look again. Hope I didn't come too late.

[hats]

I'm ending a good mystery, cozy by Betty Webb. The title is The Puffin Of Death. So, I'm in Iceland and loving it. Hope the place will warm up this cold, hard heart.

[maryz]

Hats - I was just thinking about you!  Glad to see you chiming in.

[Steph]

I am really loving the Nightingale, and trying to read it slowly indeed, so that when book club comes in January, I will have it all fresh, but oh my it is good.

[BarbStAubrey]

Hats - just in time to wish you a Merry Christmas - we have about finished exploring Pinocchio however, here is the link - lots of good stuff came up while reading the 'real' Adventures of Pinocchio
http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=4862.0

I'm so excited - after the holidays I will be helping at the local middle school, students from Syria with little English and some never having attended school - by law they must attend regular classes but each day they have just under an hour to learn English and to have folks help them understand what they are attempting to learn during their regular classes. I have NO Arabic but they assured me we will be able to communicate using pictures and body language. My concern was that not only do they need to learn English but to have the background that we take for granted as Children in the US have a wealth of traditional stories and fairytales tucked in their childhood experience that is actually built into our understanding through most of our early learning. And so, I will get to read some of these children's stories and hopefully get them to read them in class as well - already thinking of teaching some of the basics with the songs we remember from our childhood like the ABC song.

We have about a 100 families in our neighborhood and everyone is chipping in to make their transition as warm and welcoming as possible - Caritas is arranging their housing etc. Caritas is a Catholic group here in Austin that has always helped the poor, the homeless, the refuge etc.

Well all that to share how I just learned that Allah means God in Arabic - it is not a word only associated with Islam that even a Christian in the Middle East would call God, Allah - it just so happens that the Koren is written in Arabic as the Bible was originally written in Classical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek translated into Latin and later other languages including English - God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim and The Aramaic word for "God" in the language of Assyrian Christians is ʼĔlāhā, or Alaha. Again, Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, use the word "Allah" to mean "God".

I just hear so many denouncing the use of the word Allah and wonder if they realize what they are saying is they are atheists or non-God believers.

Another that tickled me is in the Koran, the first thing God said to Muhammad was 'Read. - I love it...

[Steph]

The Allah reference however to the ISIS and other extremist groups, does not mean our god,, but their Muhammad.. No mistaking that one.

[BarbStAubrey]

Allah is to God - Mohammad is their prophet to God - they do not pray to Mohammad - I would say Mohammad is as our Jesus however, Jesus is part of God and they do not see Mohammad as part of a Duality or Trinity but as a prophet - So yes, their prayers that include the word Allah are to the God of Abraham - the average Muslim is practicing a religion that believes in the same God as the Jewish/Christian religions however, there are some very right winged groups that are about political gain that use the religion and make it into a very right winged view of the religion - they use it as to justify their political aims -

We have some very right winged Jews and very right winged Christians - they are not as brutal - but we do have them, and to a much lessor degree kill others over a difference in living within a belief structure. Here we have right winged factions killing doctors, we know that in Israel today we have some very right winged who are land grabbing - no, they are not near as brutal nor have they armed themselves to create war as ISIS. However, there is a stable government and stable economy and stable supply of food in Israel which is not true in Syria or the desert regions of Iraq where this right winged group took hold -

But that is all political - to the religion - we have untold numbers of Muslims here in the US and they use the word Allah the very same as those in the Middle East, right wing or not. It is an Arabic word meaning God. And in the Middle East Christians will call God, Allah.   

[mabel1015j]

Barb, sounds like an exciting, interesting experience.

Hi Hats, other than the poor eyesight, i hope you are doing well, we miss you here.

Have any of you been watching the rerun of the "First Ladies" series on CSPAN? it was so good. I still have missed a couple, but I can go online to CSPAN and see them. How fortunate we are to have had Brian Lamb and CSPAN in our lives.

Jean

[ginny]

Hats, how great to see you here and what a good mystery that sounds:  The Puffin of Death, so you are vicariously in New Zealand! I just read something somewhere about their Christmas customs. This article said it's traditional to give a book and then after dinner everybody sits by the fire and reads. For some reason nerdy me likes the sound of that. Seems so peaceful!

Jonathan I thought it might be the pretty Sibyl of Delphi. . She's somewhat prettier than Cumae, but the latter looks somewhat more professional, don't you think?  Somewhat prettier? hahahaha That's putting it nicely,  but the Sibyl that Michelangelo painted looks totally capable of doing what she did to Tarquin the Proud about her 9 Sibylline Books. Wonderful story and its aftermath through history.

I also am intrigued by your reference to Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling. so have ordered it, it's awfully cheap and I have the Amazon Prime so I don't pay shipping, and it looks to be a lot like Brunelleschi's Dome which I loved. Have you all read that?

I finished The Admissions and enjoyed it throughout. It was the ultimate luxury just sinking into a good book  and enjoying the laziness of a day spent in enjoyable reading.  Am now reading Salt, which I think Frybabe has mentioned she read, and  two other books on Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Barbara,  how exciting to help immigrant children in middle school learn English and understand what they are being taught!  That should be very rewarding.

[Steph]

A beautiful day for me. Was my birthday and my older son and wife came up yesterday. He did some house stuff.. my birthday present from my very very practical engineering couple was a spectacular new shover head.. Does everything but make coffee. It was installed today and then I was taken to a festive lunch, finishing up with Culvers very nice custard ice cream . My younger son gave me a wonderful new book of Witches.. So I had fun indeed. Also a Panera card, so I can indulge in my favorite breakfast place. What a lovely day

[mabel1015j]

Happy Birthday Steph! Isn't it nice to have grown children nearby who can help you take care of household chores. Those are the best presents.

Jean

[BarbStAubrey]

Happy Birthday Steph sounds like you had a wonderful Birthday and received the perfect gifts - wishing you many more happy returns of the day.

[pedln]

Hi Hats, it's good to see you here.

Belated birthday greetings, Steph.  It sounds like you had a perfect day.

[ginny]

Whoops, I'm late to the party but Happy Birthday, Steph! Anyway!

[rosemarykaye]

Yes - a belated happy birthday to you Steph!

[Tomereader1]

Yes, indeed, Happy Birthday Steph!  The kind of birthday celebration I love, good food, gift card, books.  I don't have sons to "fix stuff" but daughter who lavishes me with love, hugs and kisses!

[Steph]

Thank all of you. I am indeed blessed with two lovely sons, who each have very different , but equally attentive daughter in laws.. Helps me fill the empty hole.

[marjifay]

I agree with those who liked Kristen Hannah's Nightengale.  One of the most interesting books I read this year.

Marj

[Steph]

I finished Nightingale last night. Wept tears of sorrow and joy.. A wonderful book, that showed me how different women can fight as well as men.

[mabel1015j]

Geeez, I just saw the national weather report. It's terrible everywhere. You all be careful and safe today. Merry Christmas to all.

Jean

[Jonathan]

Where are we today? In Georgia?

We're having a beautiful day here in southern Ontario. It's 52F and sunny. Well, partly sunny. Yesterday, not quite so nice, we were told  we were enjoying a North Carolina day. But that nasty national weather report changes everything I suppose.

Shut it out. Bake something. I've just taken my cheesecake out of the oven. My place smells like a chocolate factory. The chocolate icing goes on tomorrow, just in time for dinner with our two grandaughters. They made me do it. They say it's always so good...sinful, in fact, but they go to Mass later in the evening and presumably set everything right.

The most interesting book for me, this year? I guess it would be The Towers of Trebizond. But then I enjoy hearing about the travels of English ladies exploring the Middle East, Like Gertrude Bell and Lady Anne Blunt. Getting to know Laurie was fun.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Trump. Past, present and future.

[Steph]

I am off to Bradenton in about an hour. Hoping to beat the mob.. Will be home Sunday. Everyone have a wonderful holiday.. be it christmas, hannukah or Kwanzaa..

[rosemarykaye]

Jonathan - have you read any Freya Stark? She was a real life explorer of sorts, though I believe she was a difficult woman at times. The only book of hers I have read is The Southern Gates of Arabia, but she wrote many more.

I am in Edinburgh today but I think I'm about to take myself back to 1950s London with Wilmet, Piers, Keith and Mr Bason (A Glass of Blessings). Daughter is cooking, which is great but which makes the kitchen a scary place...

Have a good time!

Rosemary

[rosemarykaye]

Steph - have a great time, hope it's not too hectic. 'See' you soon,

Rosemary

[PatH]

A blessed andjoyous Christmas to all.

[maryz]

Wishes for Peace on Earth!

[Frybabe]

Happy Holidays to one and all.

[mabel1015j]

I hope some of you saw Tom Brokaw with the Mormon Tab Choir this morning. Its a repeat so you may have seen it last year. He tells the story of Col Halvorsen who, during the Berlin airlft, dropped candy to the German children standing at the fence watching the planes come and go. The Berlin airlift story is one of my favorite stories in history, how the allies flew in everthing the Berliners needed to survive for a year after the Russians cut off the train routes to the city in 1948. I would tell my U S History 102 students the story every year, but when I told the "Candy Bomber" story I could hardly hold it together, no matter how many times I told it. It's such an uplifting story.

That story and the story of Little Rock parents having the courage to send their Af-Am'n high-schoolers to integrate LRHS made me tear up every time.

Jean

[BarbStAubrey]

Hear ye - Hear ye...!!!

Our Holiday discussion is extended through the 12 Days of Christmas till January 6, 2016

Check it out - questions in the heading of Holiday Books and Bookstores are low key and have changed in keeping with our post-Christmas Day experience.

[Steph]

Home with several new books.. Hooray. Went to St. Pete yesterday with older son and wife. We wanted to see the M.C. Escher exhibit at the Dali.. Wow.. I have never seen so many people at once in a museum ever.. and even stranger were all of the people hauling preschoolers around tryng to explain the wood cuts, etc.. along with the worlds largest strollers knocking all and sundry around.. I loved the show, but oh my,, I do wish people would think about what a small child might like..

[rosemarykaye]

Glad you had a good time Steph.

I think many people have this weird idea that it's somehow arty to take your children to highbrow stuff then go on about how much they enjoyed it - all part of parental oneupmanship. Jake and Dinos Chapman, two very hip artists whom I find incredibly annoying and smug, said a while ago that children shouldn't be allowed in art galleries because there was no way they could understand art. Much as the Chapmans irritate me, I have a certain amount of sympathy with this view.

The Escher exhibition was here at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art a while ago. I didn't ever get to it but I did notice that they built a maze on the lawn, which at least entertained the children a bit.

Not sure if I mentioned that Madeleine and I went to a great new exhibition (at the same gallery) recently, 'Modern Scottish Women Painters and Sculptors 1885-1965'. Some familiar names like Ann Redpath, Phoebe Traquair and Joan Eardley but also many I'd never heard of, such as Phyllis Mary Bone, Bet Low and Dorothy Johnstone. So many tales of women who had to give up their artistic careers on marriage, or whose work was dismissed as unimportant solely on grounds of their sex.

Rosemary

[Frybabe]

Oh how I envy you. Escher! I rather like Dali too, since you mentioned it, Steph.

[BarbStAubrey]

Ouch on the children - a fond memory is at the age of 5 or 6 going to an art museum - I was left alone to wander and I remember sitting on a bench looking at what was an Impressionist's canvas of a shore with rocks and a cliff and it was all these squiggly lines - I was fascinated - had no idea what I was looking at except all these squiggly lines made a picture - I remember my father came and sat next to me - never said a word - didn't explain, although I doubt he could have - not sure he was even seeing the painting so much as just sitting as if in solidarity with my taking time to look at the painting - that was when I learned it was OK to like something other than the latest comic book or newspaper ad that most of the kids I played with leaned toward.

I also remember my daughter and I taking grandsons to the Washington Museum of Art because my favorite, Calder had an exhibit. We sat and gazed upward, talking about the connections and balance so that we were all amazed as we moved off a bench where we were sitting we caused enough air movement that the Calder moved - then of course we had to try it on others - yes, they were a bit older - Cade was 8 making Ty 11 - then Katha proceeded to take them to a few rooms and point out the various artists and have them learn their names and be able to describe the painting - yep, she did, the art teacher came out, however, when the younger Cade asked why they needed to know this stuff - Katha simply said, so you do not grow up stupid. That was enough of an answer for Cade and again the double message - it was not OK to be a gown up version of stupid for the lack of educating yourself.

So maybe not toddlers that need to be wheeled in a buggy but then to me, even that has its redeeming value - the influence of seeing more than what surrounds us affects some children, not all, even if they all had the opportunity, just as the Cds of serious classical music is available for babies nap time.

[Frybabe]

Mine was the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I never forgot the "Prometheus Bound" (Rubens) or the  El Grecos (what I saw must have been loaners from the other museum - one definitly is now at the Met in NY). There was also a Greek or Roman temple set up.

Also the first time I went to the Smithsonian as a youngster, I mostly remember the medical display.

[maryz]

We saw an Escher exhibit years ago at a small museum in the DC area.  Fabulous!  And we were able to go to the then-newly-renovated Dali museum in Tampa about 10-12 years ago.  I had never been much of a Dali fan, but was blown away by the scope of his work. 

[Jonathan]

What a busy Christmas. What a lot of fun. And now it's time to catch up on the posts. Rosemary is planning to be in London. I must look for A Glass of Blessings. But what, I wonder is Fred Bason doing in a Barbara Pym novel. His 'Diary' is such a delightful book, and isn't he everybody's favorite London bookseller, with his 10,000 autographs of famous people? And the things he tells about  them!

On the subject of letter-writing, Barb says 'a note sent once in a while would be neat.' Let me tell you about my charming cousin in Germany, who writes me two or three times a year. I last saw her about 25 years ago. She's ninety and has lived a very eventful life. She is evangelical and her faith has been her strength all along. She keeps me posted re the welfare of herself and all her friends. And always sends along a little tract or two for my spiritual well-being. But how can one not feel affected to read that B...., at age eighty has experienced a rebirth, the community is awaiting the Second Coming...and 'besides that there's not much that's new.' God bless her.

Had an unusual little family outing today. Seven of us. Three generations. We were all very moved by the Pompeii exhibit at the museum. Several hundred objects that have been excavated. It all left me feeling haunted, especially the beautifully crafted gold necklace that came from the throat of one of the victims. So many objects that were treasured and loved by someone, two thousand years agol