Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085482 times)

salan · « **Reply #1920 on:** June 21, 2010, 05:35:13 PM »

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

Shirley Valentine is one of my all time favorite movies. I have my own copy and have watched it many times.

Sally

roshanarose · « **Reply #1921 on:** June 21, 2010, 10:48:13 PM »

Octavia - Nice to meet another Queenslander, although I am originally from NSW. State of Origin does not do much for me although I have a secret crush on Darren Lockyer. It was a great score. I, too, just like to watch soccer/football every four years. Australia will be uphill beating Serbia, but it should be interesting.

I have seen "Shirley Valentine" and I loved it too. However, I have never seen a film about Greece that lives up to my own personal view of it. I am a bit biassed though.

I remember someone, Steph I think, saying that she was so overcome with emotion in one place she visited that she started to cry. This happened to me twice in Greece. The first time at a beautiful temple built to the god Poseidon at Cape Sounion. Sounion is not far from Piraeus. It was there that Aegeus, father of Theseus waited for his son to return from Knossos, where Theseus had killed the Minotaur. The ship that Theseus sailed to Knossos was sailing under black sails. Theseus told his father as he was leaving that if he was successful in his quest to kill the Minotaur he would return to Cape Sounion under white sails. If the sails were black it meant that Theseus had been killed. The temple Sounion sits on a prominent headland with excellent views of the surrounding sea. Aegeus saw his son's ship returning, but it was flying under black sails. Overcome with grief Aegeus threw himself into the sea and the Aegean was named after him. Theseus went on to be a great hero.

It was at Poseidon's Temple I sat on a marble seat, column base, actually, looking out to sea. I started to cry. I didn't feel ashamed. Greece is about emotion to me.

I realise that this is "The Library", but what better to read than the myths of the Greeks. Something I do every day.

roshanarose · « **Reply #1922 on:** June 21, 2010, 10:51:14 PM »

Quote from: marjifay on June 19, 2010, 11:13:57 AM

Yes, Babi, that London museum is wonderful isn't it? I remember I'd just been reading some history on one of the ancient kingdoms in the middle east, and there in the museum was a huge entrance gate I'd read about. I was just fascinated, and had to sit down and stare, and almost sobbed I was so overwhelmed. I saw a security person looking at me kind of curiously and finally moved on, but thinking what could they do to me, I certainly couldn't steal it. Those Brits sure brought back a lot of stuff wherever they went, didn't they?

Marj

Steph · « **Reply #1923 on:** June 22, 2010, 05:50:18 AM »

When we traveled,it was the little things that touched me the most.. One early morning day in France, we were on a river boat and had stopped in the most beautiful little town.. all flowers, etc. There was an old tow path in the town and MDH and I decided to walk the path in the early misty morning. There was a tiny bed and bath in town and the guest were obviously going to have breakfast in a garden. The mist and the tables all set and the flowers..Ah,, that is a memory to keep and treasure.

Mippy · « **Reply #1924 on:** June 22, 2010, 06:29:51 AM »

Thanks Mrs S ~ I just linked through to Amazon and ordered Postmistress, which I'd somehow overlooked in new books on Amazon. Looks very good!

Current reading?
Now in the middle of a sort of pop-psychology book about mental perception.
Are you getting any benefit from all those crossword puzzels? Read why not in:
The Invisible Gorilla(2010) by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons.

According to several sources, the only way to improve your (aging) mind is exercise.

Babi · « **Reply #1925 on:** June 22, 2010, 08:34:48 AM »

Trust me, MIPPY. Forcing your brain to do new things, or do old things
differently, does exercise it. Requires it to form new synapses. Physical exercise does help, of course, in that it sends more oxygen up there. I
am currently trying to brush my teeth left-handed. It's almost like reverting to the ape!

Gumtree · « **Reply #1926 on:** June 22, 2010, 10:33:02 AM »

Babi: I really relate to you 'trying to brush my teeth left-handed' In January I injured my left shoulder and for a time could not use that arm which is the one I use for teeth cleaning - had to brush my teeth with my right hand - what a trial - ended up brushing my tonsils more often than the teeth. I am fairly ambidextrous having been forced at school to do things right-handedly but could not believe that I had never used my right for that chore - brushing or combing my hair was the same - now I try to do those things with either hand but always revert to the natural left just to make sure.

marjifay · « **Reply #1927 on:** June 22, 2010, 02:49:29 PM »

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets emotional about such things when traveling. That was a lovely story, Roshanarose, about how the Aegean Sea got its name. I'd not heard it. Have you read any novels by Mary Renault? I loved her books bringing the Greek legends to life. The Greeks had such wonderful stories.

Marj

roshanarose · « **Reply #1928 on:** June 22, 2010, 11:54:53 PM »

Yes Maj - I have read all the Mary Renault books. I had read them all by the age of 14. Even then Greece had a hold on me. The book that really impressed me about Greece back then was Gods & Heroes by Gustav Schwab. I was really in love when I finished that.

Steph - Such a beautiful memory. You will always have that memory and the fact you shared it with your love. Take care.

Steph · « **Reply #1929 on:** June 23, 2010, 05:43:38 AM »

Mary Renalt.. Ah, I have read every single book of hers and loved them all. A good author who always made her books so real.
Brush your teeth right handed. Sigh.. Hmm. I will try it, but I suspect the answer is not likely.. As to brushing your hair right handed.. For some reason this is one of those few things I can do with my right hand.
I do crossword and suduku..Exercise.. walk 40 minutes each morning and go to the gym three days a week. Alas, I am still old, but hopefully healthy.

Babi · « **Reply #1930 on:** June 23, 2010, 08:58:18 AM »

Crossword, yes. Suduko, no. My older daughter does those. There
was a period in my life when I went to a gym regularly, before the gym changed hands a couple of times and my 'lifetime' membership disappeared.
Too hot to go walking most of the year...at least that's my excuse.
All of which comes down to the sad fact that I'm not in as good shape
as I could be. How true it is, that we build our future with each day's
choices. $:-\$

winsummm · « **Reply #1931 on:** June 23, 2010, 03:02:57 PM »

suduku is fun for me since it is mostly visual. crossword almost impossible since words are difficult now and I am a lousy speller. I'm training a new helper now that is mostly for cleaning. the previous applicant was mostly for person care. I didn't need my feet lacquered. she hated housework and tried to farm it out. people lie don't they. this one is marketing right now which is major for me.
we have having more aftershops. cnn said in their bottom line that we just had a 5.5 mag on which is much stronger than usual. spooks me even though I've lived here in southern ca all my life. . . almost.
claire

PatH · « **Reply #1932 on:** June 23, 2010, 07:55:26 PM »

If anyone tried to lacquer my feet for me, she'd be in serious trouble. You're very right, Claire, it's hard to figure out what people can really do.

Steph · « **Reply #1933 on:** June 24, 2010, 05:54:06 AM »

Oh I love the image.. lacquor the feet..
Hmm. I suspect you are speaking of a pedicure. I have to admit. They are my guilty pleasure. ONce a month, off I go.. to be throughly clipped and trimmed, a lovely leg message and steaming towells and then a pretty color applied. Makes me feel special.. I tried regular massage and hated it, but love the pedicure.. Also love facials, but the prices on those is getting out of sight here.

winsummm · « **Reply #1934 on:** June 24, 2010, 11:56:31 AM »

oops: that was a canadian earthquakethat bottom line at cnn goes by awfully fast. canada can look like california.

Mippy · « **Reply #1935 on:** June 24, 2010, 02:12:02 PM »

I'm glad to see I opened up a discussion of whether or not to do crosswords!

Once again, the book I'm reading which mentions crosswords is Invisible Gorilla
and it is of mixed interest. The best parts are really interesting to me.

Among other things, the authors debunk the Baby Mozart effect ... have any of you or your kids tried playing Mozart for the babies, rather than other composers? There are published articles in reputable journals pushing for the greater value of Mozart ... but it ain't so! Just badly formulated psychological research! Toy companies made lots of money from the mis-information! I knew that ... didn't you ?

Here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_effect

maryz · « **Reply #1936 on:** June 24, 2010, 02:52:18 PM »

We don't need a reason to do crosswords - We do them because they're there!

In a story on Alzheimer's last Sunday (on CBS Sunday Morning), the expert said that there is no evidence that working crosswords or other puzzles helps forestall the onset of Alz. No matter to me...I think puzzles are one way to keep our minds active and learning - as in "use it or lose it".

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #1937 on:** June 24, 2010, 02:56:29 PM »

seems like these days, somebody is trying to "debunk" everything or change history as we learned it. Saw advert for a show that says Columbus didn't discover america. Well, we learned that Americus Vespucci first discovered it, now i guess they change that too.

PatH · « **Reply #1938 on:** June 24, 2010, 03:40:15 PM »

They've already changed that. When I was a kid I learned that the Vikings discovered America about 1000 AD. But although they had a brief settlement (it's remains have been discovered in Canada) they gave up and people forgot about it.

Columbus' discovery was the one that mattered.

winsummm · « **Reply #1939 on:** June 24, 2010, 04:35:19 PM »

and president obama is not a citizen of the United states having not been born here. He is really from Mars.

claire

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1940 on:** June 24, 2010, 05:13:00 PM »

Claire:

Steph · « **Reply #1941 on:** June 25, 2010, 05:46:59 AM »

There is also a mysterious site in New Hampshire that is believed to have been a viking settlement.. Who knows for sure.

maryz · « **Reply #1942 on:** June 25, 2010, 06:42:19 AM »

And, after all, this continent had been inhabited for centuries before that, too.

Babi · « **Reply #1943 on:** June 25, 2010, 09:06:07 AM »

Actually, I think Vespucci was later than Columbus, but he made a map
and put his name on it...Amerigo Vespucci.... so he got the honor of
having the continent named after him.

Speaking of fast-moving lines on TV, is anybody else as annoyed as
I am by advertising flicking onto the screen right in the middle of some
tense drama you're watching. It's distracting, irritating and rude. Who
to I contact to complain.
I was really intrigued the other day, tho', to notice a single line in the lower left corner of the screen. It simply read, "Male, 43, MS" ..and a phone number. Now where did that come from?!!

Steph · « **Reply #1944 on:** June 26, 2010, 05:47:03 AM »

Whew .. Babi.. sounds like a singles ad, but why on the tv..?? Sounds weird at best.

Babi · « **Reply #1945 on:** June 26, 2010, 08:31:16 AM »

Weird pretty well covers it, STEPH. I wonder if hackers can now insert
their own bits and pieces into television viewing. Nah.,..surely not....I
hope.

maryz · « **Reply #1946 on:** June 26, 2010, 08:54:35 AM »

I'm chairman of the annual meeting (November) of our Friends of the Library group this year. I talked with Catherine Landis yesterday afternoon, and she agreed to be our speaker. She's written two books Some Days There's Pie and Harvest. I'm thrilled to have this part of the program set, and with an author with local ties, too. I'm currently reading Some Days There's Pie on my Kindle.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1947 on:** June 26, 2010, 12:41:24 PM »

Mary: Those look like good books, both Pie and Harvest, which are now on my list. How delightful you were able to score Landis for your Library Friends meeting. I wonder if my Library friends have such meetings . . .

maryz · « **Reply #1948 on:** June 26, 2010, 01:00:53 PM »

Jackie, we do this once a year. The current Chairman and I would like for it to happen more often, but we have an extremely limited budget, so we'd have to hope for cosponsorships or local authors, etc. And, like most libraries, unfortunately, our budget is always one of the first things to get cut. We're a city-county library, so we have to deal with two governmental bodies, dealing with turf wars, one doesn't want to give more than the other, etc., etc.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1949 on:** June 26, 2010, 07:04:17 PM »

Mary: Souds like you must be fast on your feet!

maryz · « **Reply #1950 on:** June 26, 2010, 09:26:16 PM »

We try.

Steph · « **Reply #1951 on:** June 27, 2010, 06:02:48 AM »

Our friends which I joined this spring has a once a year author event. Our first one consisted of one day at the library with a panel and guest speakers,lunch and a movie and the second day a bus trip going to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home which is a state park here in Florida, then onto a pay for your own lunch in a teeny little antique sort of town near the park. Great fun. We got 40 people to go for the very first event which made us happy.. We thought we would continue to theme a once a year event..

maryz · « **Reply #1952 on:** June 27, 2010, 08:24:04 AM »

That sounds like fun, Steph. This is our annual meeting (required by the by-laws), and we officially elect officers and new council members for the following year. The author and luncheon is to try to get members to come and to attract new members. Folks pay a flat rate ($10.00 last year) for the buffet lunch. The cost may be more this year - we haven't settled on a caterer yet.

Babi · « **Reply #1953 on:** June 27, 2010, 10:00:10 AM »

The Landis titles are intriguing and sound like something I might like. I'll
seen what more I can find out about them. Thanks for mentioning her,
Mary.

Steph · « **Reply #1954 on:** June 28, 2010, 05:44:11 AM »

Always surprising to me the titles that go first when I list on the swap club.. This time,,I had a nonfiction.. Where is the Mango Princess. another of the Spellman books and a new series to me written as a dogwalker protagonist at a dog show..All three went on and were snapped up in an hour..

Babi · « **Reply #1955 on:** June 28, 2010, 09:23:45 AM »

I was surprised that two of my non-fiction pb's were quickly requested. Perhaps those who
love non-fiction don't see as many of those offered.

pedln · « **Reply #1956 on:** June 28, 2010, 11:26:14 AM »

MaryZ, as a kindle owner, do you know if Amazon discounts books for kindle downloads, if you have previously purchased those titles in print from them? They seem to know everything ngyou've purchased. The kindle price is getting lower and lower, but there are still many unread books on the shelves.

maryz · « **Reply #1957 on:** June 28, 2010, 11:39:03 AM »

I don't know, pedln. Joan G might know and chime in later. There are some discussion boards about kindles, and someone there might be able to tell you. Interesting question - let us know if you find out an answer.

winsummm · « **Reply #1958 on:** June 28, 2010, 12:33:13 PM »

the kindle negotiates with the publisher and the kindle price is the result. lately the books that sold for about ten dollars are much higher. kindle owners are complaining but kindle amazon has no power over the final price. the publishers are the bad guys. . .and in charge so I guess ancient purchases of amazon books don't count for much on a kindle.

I just subscribed o THE ATLANTIC magazing which is a good deal at 1.25 a month with a two week free trial.
right now this minute almmost is the beginning of the elena kagan confirmation hearings at the senate on c-span. see y'all later.

claire

mrssherlock · « **Reply #1959 on:** June 28, 2010, 12:38:24 PM »

Has anybody used Apple's Itouch for book reading? Prices seem to be lower. 8GB for $199. Does the Kindle store your selections in the unit itself? 8GB isn't much.

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 2085482 times)