Author Topic: The Library (Read 2080039 times)

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20800 on:** March 25, 2020, 07:49:27 PM »

The Library

Our library is open 24/7; the welcome mat is always out.
Do come in from daily chores and spend some time with us.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20801 on:** March 25, 2020, 07:50:18 PM »

You too Pat - found today a half box in the back of my food cupboard that is probably so old - also found a jar of large grain mustard that must be at least 2 years old - love it - takes a pandemic for me to clear out my cupboard

Frybabe · « **Reply #20802 on:** March 26, 2020, 06:32:15 AM »

Great idea Bellamarie. It reminds me of when people at home were knitting/crocheting cotton bandages for the services during the WWI (and possibly WWII). Instructions were still included in some of the pattern books I bought when I started learning.

I am in between reading and have not yet chosen another book to read yet. In the meantime, I have started listening to Great Mythologies of the World from Great Courses. The first lecture was, mostly a synopsis of the origins of the gods and the male gods. The second lecture was about some of the goddesses, mostly Athena, and the lecturer's take on the role of these women of the Olympiad. That is as far as I have gotten.

I am still debating the advisability of going to the grocery store for the few items I am almost out of. I haven't considered seeing if there is delivery available yet. I think one store suspended it. My order would be too small anyway, and they are things I can work around for now. There are now, as of yesterday, 13 cases in my county. They are being all closed mouthed about where in the county for privacy reasons. I don't need to know who, I just would like to know what areas to avoid.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20803 on:** March 26, 2020, 04:01:51 PM »

Just thought after reading your post frybabe - this is where kids could make a few dollars - since they do not either get sick or if they do, they get better very quickly they could offer to go to the store for people in their neighborhood - according to if they have to drive or not by using Amazon's tip guide they charge a $1 for every $10 with a $36 minimum without a delivery fee. Most of the small ethnic shops have more supplies and less shoppers where as now the bigger grocery markets have a limit to the number allowed in to shop - here according to size of the store the number is either 50 or 100 shoppers at a time and so there are lines at some groceries with the 6 foot distance between each waiting in line

And yes I remember when WWII started all the nation had was old WWI equipment - I had just joined the Girl Scouts and we would ask our neighbors and classmates to ask their moms for donations of sheets and tear them up and roll them for bandages - this went on for nearly a year - and we were all knitting socks immediately to get through those first two winters - and then all sorts of personal items were being donated - I remember my grandmother had a particularly fine set of binoculars that with a tug at her heart she donated saying if it helped one soldier that was more important - now the nation keeps up with and recently updated our stockpile for war but no one really thought we would be fighting and needing to stockpile for a pandemic - I guess being prepared for germ warfare will become an item on the national budget .

Jonathan · « **Reply #20804 on:** March 26, 2020, 06:05:12 PM »

That is great news. That kids have greater immunity and/or are likekly to survive a bout with the virus. Isn't it impressive...all that's being done to control its spread. Hang in there, everybody.

Moll Flanders has certainly been an interesting read. I'm almost through it. I'm going to watch the movie tonight. And then it's on to Thackeray's Vanity Fair, and Becky Sharpe. So many quotable things in the book:

"I used the utmost of my endeavour to persuade him, and joined that known woman's rhetoric to it, I mean, that of tears.'

At long last it's out!!! Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light. With a huge ad in my newspaper. But the stores are closed. Oh well...I have a house full of books.The cupboards may be bare, we may have to survive on stories.

h

bellamarie · « **Reply #20805 on:** March 26, 2020, 08:51:09 PM »

Jonathan, Almost done with Moll Flanders, well you caught up and passed by me. I have been so busy sewing the masks, I am irritating my eyes. I have a dozen to be picked up tomorrow, by my niece to take to the elderly care center she and her sister work at. It really feels good knowing I can help in some way.

Barb, I have been hearing reports on children having the virus, so maybe we want to hold off on thinking they are safe proof, and for certain they are considered carriers, even if they show no symptoms. I am staying as far away from children as possible. I miss my grandkids, but there is no way I my sons or daughter in laws, would risk letting them go anywhere under this lock down.

My hubby said he plans on cleaning our garage through this lock down. My neighbor is a hoarder, her basement, garage and house is packed with boxes and things she will never use. She hopes to get something accomplished in this time of not working.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20806 on:** March 27, 2020, 06:12:45 AM »

No rice here on Deeside either! But plenty of potatoes & bread (not flour). I think the shops will soon have more, I don't think it's that the stocks aren't in the warehouses, it's the panic buying and the lack of opportunity for staff to refill the shelves. Our little co-op is now closing an hour earlier at night to give them time to re-stock. Seems sensible to me. I don't think anyone in the village is over-buying, but people are driving out from the city to fill their cars with excess amounts. Co-Op is now limiting the number of any one thing you can buy, which is a very good idea.

Last night we chopped and roasted lots of vegetables with a little oil, and a bowl of those with some mustard or mayonnaise was excellent. Trying to eat healthily, but of course followed that with some chocolate and a cup of tea. As a teacher I used to have said 'the chocolate helps the tea down, so it's actually very necessary'

We all need little treats, especially at the moment.

I've finished 'The Village Newcomers' and am rationing out the last few chapters of 'Black Forest Summer'. Next, I think, will be either The Chilbury Ladies' Choir or a Hazel Holt cosy that I bought in a library sale.

Our bin men have just been - I do think they deserve praise for continuing to do their normal rounds. I know they wear gloves, but they are still all huddled into the cab of the lorry in between stops, and they are still cheerful and helpful. Same with the postman - he leaves any large items on the step, rings the bell but then stands back and waits to make sure we have picked them up. These people are wonderful.

Hope everyone is well?

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20807 on:** March 27, 2020, 06:17:56 AM »

Bellamarie - just saw your post. It is really noticeable how many of our neighbours are turning out their garages or doing DIY - I saw one guy putting up shelves in his garage, and I thought 'I wonder how long his wife has been waiting for those?' - well now husbands are actually looking for something to do, so every cloud has a tiny silver lining!

I totally agree about the small children thing. My friend says it is awful not seeing her little grandsons, but she of course knows that she mustn't, especially as she has had chest problems in the past. The little 3 year old wanted to show her the cress he has managed to grow, but fortunately he can no doubt do that on Facebook or something. We are lucky, at least, to have all these means of communication; they will help to keep us connected and sane, and are especially important for those who live alone.

Have a good day.

Frybabe · « **Reply #20808 on:** March 27, 2020, 10:30:14 AM »

I went to the Weis Market yesterday for just a few things and to see how bad it was. There was rice, but not much. Fresh orange juice and almost all the other refrigerated juices were gone, but there were a few tubs of my brand of margarine, some sour cream, and tons of cream cheese spreads, out of Dannon yogurt and most of the Greek yogurts, but plenty of the house brand and Yoplait, no paper goods, got one of the few boxes of my brand of cat litter left, plenty of frozen veggies (I got two bags of chopped onions), eggs were available at a limit of one per customer. I refrained from going down all the isles and limited myself mostly to the few items I needed. I forgot to check the bottled juices, which were out at my sister's grocery, and forgot to check out the jams and peanut butter. Those last were not on my list. The store was about as full of people as is usual for that time of day. I wasn't interested in stopping at the Giant which is across the road. Weis is a little easier to get in and out of and generally doesn't attract as many people, probably because the Giant got a big head start moving and opening their new Enola store before Weis, who actually announced plans for their site before Giant announced their move. Plus, Weis is a little more expensive on many things.

I've loaded up my Kindle with a few SciFi's I want to read, and downloaded another Audible book. Odd that I have all this time to read. but I have been reading less this week. Which reminds me, the dirty dishes are screeching at me. Must get to that.

jane · « **Reply #20809 on:** March 27, 2020, 10:39:06 AM »

Same kinds of "shortages" here, Frybabe...the shortage of white eggs surprised me. Usually WalMart case if very full. Only thing left were brown, organic eggs at about 3x cost of usual white ones. Probably that's why there were some left.

I'm among those "eating from the freezer" that is loaded as it usually is here when we're going into winter. Now that spring is supposed to be coming...a few buds on some bushes... this is a good chance to eat it down.

I did just print out the request for an absentee ballot for the June election here. We don't have any reported cases here, but it's the unreported/untested ones I worry about, so better to be safe.

Stay safe and healthy!

jane

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20810 on:** March 27, 2020, 02:27:00 PM »

In case you do not subscribe to World Literature Today - this link is to the current issue that includes a wonderful article written by Baret Magarian about his foray onto the streets of Florence during this corona 19 pandemic - I did not know they need approved passes to be on the street. Just scroll down a bit - past the update on postponed literary events.

The Italian Quarantine, by Baret Magarian
Mar 23, 2020

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?e=9acb0e9d39&u=a0afc53ab9b5e9679d45b01e5&id=a01ebfacbb

bellamarie · « **Reply #20811 on:** March 27, 2020, 07:57:55 PM »

Barb, thanks for the link, but I just can't bring myself to read or watch much of this virus. I saw just a few seconds of how I think London was using train rails for transporting patients and it stayed with me too long. I know this is our world reality, but I just can't indulge in reading and seeing it.

Rosemarykaye, yes, I think the "Honey Do" list is in action, for all these guys who never got around to doing things around the house. I think I purchased The Chilbury Ladies' Choir awhile back at my library, when they had their annual, fill a bag of books for a buck sale. I forgot I even had it, til you mentioned it.

We still have shortages in all our stores in my town which is quite large, within just a few miles from my home there are: Home Depot, Meijers, Kroger, Foodtown, Aldi, Target, Menards, Lowes, Dollar Tree, at least three gas stations which sells food items, and yet we can't seem to get toilet paper or paper products. For dinner tonight we had Bambino's pizza, hubby picked it up, there was only one person working in the pizza place, he had on a mask and gloves. When he brought the pizza home, I met him at the back door, with gloved hands he opened the lid of the box, I slid the pizza on my own platter, and we disposed of the box immediately and washed our hands. I saw a doctor on one of the night news shows saying the containers/boxes can hold the virus for a few hours, so don't bring them into your home. A woman said the Fed Ex man delivered her Amazon order, rang her bell and went back to his truck. He saw her come out and told her not to bring the package inside her house, he heard Amazon has infected workers. Geez, I mean what can we trust? I hope all those delivery companies and mail handlers/carriers are wearing masks and gloves.

Well, I had to rest my eyes from sewing and reading today, and it's helped tremendously. My niece picked up the fifteen masks I made for her elderly center she works at. She was so happy to get them, she said they have none! My friend who is a nurse, picked up her mask yesterday, told me they are using the same disposable ones over and over, because they have none. She is so happy she now has her own she can launder. I sure hope we learn from this crisis and over stock medical supplies from now on. No worker, especially medical providers, should be without masks and gowns.

Ya'll stay home & stay healthy!

ginny · « **Reply #20812 on:** March 28, 2020, 03:22:37 PM »

Bellamarie, I applaud your efforts to try to help.

Jonathan, yes, it's out, The Mirror and the Light, is touted as the publishing event of the year. I put this in the Latin classes (of course) because of the Latin reference, The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel:

Above: the Tower of London illuminated to show the Mirror and the Light's publication: I believe it sold 95,000 copies in the first 3 days.

"It’s been eight years since the publication of Bring Up the Bodies, the sequel to Wolf Hall for which Mantel won another Booker prize, but we find Cromwell exactly where we left him, in May 1536, at the moment the French executioner has struck off Anne Boleyn’s head with his sword. Cromwell is much taken with this sword: Toledo steel, incised with the words of a prayer. It is only later in the book that we learn the words on the blade: Speculum justiciae, ora pro nobis. Mirror of justice, pray for us. It’s one of many references to both mirrors and light stitched subtly throughout the book, though the title comes directly from a line Cromwell offers Henry,

'Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.'
Henry repeats the phrase, as if cherishing it: the mirror and the light."

I'm about 1/3 through it. Even though I watched the series again first I still need the sort of Cast of Characters she provides in the front and I find myself looking on IMDB to find out who "Rafe" was and who "Richard" was, so I can coordinate the faces I know with these characters, but it's definitely an event in its own right. I'm seeing a new Cromwell and he's kind of hard to reconcile with Mark Rylance at first.

People are complaining about the paper it's written on.

I love the paper. The hardback only has 758 pages instead of the 912 promised, and it's tall rather than fat size, but the paper is lovely and thin, and so the book seems lighter than one would expect, too, although it's definitely not paperback weight. The paper falls like those books you see on Masterpiece Theater moving illustrations. I really like the paper and everybody hates it. Somehow it seems to be part of the package, to me: it also seems old, like some of the thin paged books of my childhood. I did expect a great deal of gilt, etc., on the binding but it wasn't there, a trade-off, perhaps, for the gigantic unedited size of it? Apparently also people writing their reviews don't seem to know what deckle edges are, which it also has, which they are also complaining about, so I stopped reading the reviews of it.

I have gotten interested in Mantel's beliefs about ghosts, and so I have ordered her Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, which looks fascinating to me. Have any of you read it?

The big thing now seems to be Little Fires Everywhere. I have the book but have not read it, have any of you, and if so, do you recommend it?

Welcome, Julie and Haboyer and welcome back, Rosemary!

ginny · « **Reply #20813 on:** March 28, 2020, 07:46:21 PM »

Have you EVER seen anything equivalent to the Toilet Paper Panic? Why? Why of all things, toilet paper? It's getting ludicrous. I was eating lunch in the car Friday, having just been beaten to the last two packages of TP in WalMart when I saw a lady coming out of Walgreens with TP, so I ran over and all that was left was 2 boxes of Kleenexes. So I bought them, and the clerk said they had put up a shipment of TP the night before after closing and it was gone in 3 hours,, (so that woman I saw must have had paper towels, also an endangered species). She said she can't imagine what is going on. What did they do before TP? I said the Romans used to use a sponge on a stick. I thought she'd never get over that one. hahahaa

Today it was sherbet. All, every single container of sherbet is gone, AND the Diet Pepsi. Yesterday there was enough Diet Pepsi to serve a small country. Today there is NONE. This is in a national grocery chain which otherwise looks nicely stocked, except for paper, of course. How does everybody else find these things out?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20814 on:** March 28, 2020, 08:39:55 PM »

Yep, same thing on TP here - still have no answer - it is crazy - some think by buying up all the paper products, that have a shelf life they can resell them for more than what they paid for them - don't know if you watched the TV cartoon King of the Hill but back during Katrina this was happening and they did a program on it with of course Hank wondering, what in sam hill... - now sherbet hmm that has me stumped for sure...

PatH · « **Reply #20815 on:** March 28, 2020, 10:03:07 PM »

Well, we can't use the traditional outhouse solution for TP--the Sears Roebuck catalog. Reading matter and paper in one.

Sherbet would be a bad thing to hoard--fills up your freezer.

Frybabe · « **Reply #20816 on:** March 29, 2020, 06:18:43 AM »

My BIL is lactose intolerant. Sue could not find any lactose free ice cream the other day. She ordered online an Irish butter she likes instead of just picking up another brand here. Now it is hung up in Brooklyn for a while, where, she hopes, they are keeping it cool. She has no idea when she will actually get it now. The steaks she ordered online from a company she regularly shop at came in okay. She also has taken advantage of the restaurant delivery services in the area. Of course, this does not stop her from going to the grocery store. She has been in three times to my one. Nevertheless, like the rest of us, she is rummaging through her freezer for more or less neglected/forgotten items that need used up. She loves to cook (and eat) but she was never much for experimenting. I, on the other hand, often experiment with combinations and substitutions.

When I hit the grocery store on Thursday there were no paper products on the shelves. I did not linger in the store, but did manage to get in and get out with the three items I needed, plus two or three other items. A lot of people, I hear, are washing down everything they bring home. I didn't do that, but did stay away from much handled products like produce, where people like to pick up and inspect before they buy. Anyway, the cats and I are good for a while before I make another foray.

Governor Wolf expanded his stay at home order to several more counties the other day including York and Lancaster. York is just below Cumberland County where I live. George is planning to head back up state again later this week leaving me to go feed his cats again. Almost nothing keeps him in one place for very long. I am not so much worried about the cats as I am about him possibly picking up the virus and dragging it back and forth with him. It appears that, like the plagues of old, people are coming up to their camps and hunting lodges to get away from the bad areas, and of course, have dragged the virus with them. Well, enough of my concerns and frustrations.

I went nuts on Friday and downloaded two SciFi short story anthologies from the Free Library of Philadelphia, and three more SciFi novels from Amazon. Two of the novels are ones I read before and want to read again. I also downloaded Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin. I crime mystery, is won the 2019 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. At the moment I am reading one of the anthologies and listening to Great Mythologies of the World from Great Courses. I am hoping for a dry enough afternoon tomorrow to mow the front yard. I really need the exercise. Stay safe everyone.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20817 on:** March 29, 2020, 09:23:12 AM »

Hello everyone, from a rather cloudy northern Scotland.

Ginny, my friend read the new Hilary Mantel as soon as it came out, but she said that although it was good it was 'a bit depressing'. She is now cheering herself up by reading Agatha Raisin books (!)

I have indeed read Eight Months on Ghazzah Street - it was many years ago but I still remember it because I loved it so much. I don't know if I would still like it now, but I would say it is definitely worth a read (and it's not very long). I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.

Frybabe, if George were doing all that gadding about here he would probably be stopped by the police. They are really cracking down on anything deemed 'unnecessary travel' - though of course 'necessary' hasn't been defined, so it's been left up to each police force to interpret, which has led to a lot of variation. Apparently most are still OK with parents rushing to collect their children from universities. My husband says that cannot be high risk provided you do not keep stopping at places en route, but since all of our cafes, etc are now closed the only place you could really stop would be a supermarket or a pharmacy I suppose. He had to stop on the way back from collecting Madeleine as the oil warning light came on in his car so he had to fill it up. But that's all he stopped for. I guess it might be different in the US, where distances are much greater - for us even Aberdeen to Edinburgh is only 2-3 hours, Dundee to Edinburgh about 90 minutes.

I have been having a discussion with a friend about the fairly recent TV adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock v the old film. I seem to have been in a minority of people who enjoyed the new version, which I really loved. It seemed to me to address themes of women's oppression and of being born in the 'wrong' time - if the film touched on them, maybe I was too young to notice (I saw it when it first came out, and I did love that too.) And I thought Natalie Dormer was just brilliant as Miss Appleyard. The TV version got so much flak here for not being like the film, but what would have been the point of that? It was a new, fresh, interpretation. Same as the Gary Oldman version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was different from the original BBC adaptation; in my opinion they were both outstanding, it's not a competition. (Though having said that, the old TV adaptation of Brideshead was, I think, slightly better than the film - but that was mainly because the film was too long.)

Have a good day everyone, and stay safe,

Rosemary

Jonathan · « **Reply #20818 on:** March 29, 2020, 02:46:17 PM »

Aren't we living through a strange time. Following the progress of this strange plague. Overwhelmed by the news coverage and the massive journalism it has generated. And what impressive efforts being made to contain it'

But I've still found the time, Bellamarie, to finish the book we're reading. I never thought a book such as this could have a happy ending. So much thievery and immorality, with the heroine contemplating the probable outcome: life in prison, death by hanging, or transportation into penal servitude in a distant colony.

But it's enough to say one's sorry and be penitential and then be rewarded. This is not a Crime and Punishment story. In Moll's case, crime does pay. Good for her. She's a sweetheart.

PatH · « **Reply #20819 on:** March 29, 2020, 10:32:02 PM »

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Jonathan. I'm still not done--I'm reading it on my laptop, which I don't much like, and it slows me down. But I remember the ending.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20820 on:** March 30, 2020, 02:05:32 AM »

I'm reading the most amazing book - I thought it was to be a novel - instead, it is a found manuscript written by a Celtic Nun before and after she converted to become a Christian nun - OH frybabe you would love this book after reading Mabinogion and the Irish connection - its like furthering the connection but not filled with all the traditional Irish myths.

The nun writes in the years 500 = I have learned so much and barely finished - not chapter but get this the first Interruption - oh yes, and frybabe - pigs - men who raise pigs appear to be those at the bottom of the social rung. And yes, her father has pigs but her mother is something else again... quite wonderful...

Reading just this section and I've looked up tons - the person who put the nun's work on paper and describes where it was found, briefly refers to the connection the Irish had with Wales and mentions St. Patrick whose prayers are called Breastplate (new info to me) and goes on to mention St. Bridget as does this nun in her diary/journal.

When I look up St. Bridget, whom I had heard of but did not know her story it turns out St. Bridget and St. Genovefa of Paris are the two women credited with building Christianity in Barbarian Europe - however, from what I am reading, Barbarian used to describe most of Europe's people was a Roman definition that really does not fit our mental picture of a Barbarian. Example the Visigoths were considered Barbarian and yet they had the first written law and written Constitution.

An interesting tidbit - she describes her mother as dying from worms and an elder nun dies of worms - The young new woman to live on the grounds of St. Bridget in these small stone huts called a clochan, big enough for one, lite by one candle, the new Sister Aillenn seems to be mad and Gwynn thinks maybe this new nun has worms

looked up and sure enough death from worms seems to be what people believed to be the cause of most death and there is some reason for that belief - Here is the story of the medieval Irish Folk Medicine that to this day is part of casual Irish speech.

http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/culture/talk/myths/worm.shtm

The translation is marvelous - almost musical - I have the kindle version and any Celtic word is explained in a pop up - evidently this is the only manuscript from a religious written in the Celtic language from that time in history - all the others from before, like St. Patrick, during this nun's time, and a 100 years later, are written in Latin.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun
https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Pagan-Nun-Kate-Horsley-ebook/dp/B00B1EEYF6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LGK2UZXIEMZI&dchild=1&keywords=confessions+of+a+pagan+nun+by+kate+horsley&qid=1585547426&sprefix=confessions+of+a+pagan%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-1

Frybabe · « **Reply #20821 on:** March 30, 2020, 06:52:14 AM »

I imagine, Barb, that given the hygiene (or lack thereof), and eating meats not fully cooked (especially Pork) there worms were quite common. Think tapeworm and trichinosis for a start. I sometimes wonder the ancient Hebrews and Arabs recognized the danger of eating pork without knowing the true cause, but realizing the pigs eating habits could be to blame. I think many cultures recognized an association between scavengers and disease. Close enough for the times. And, maggots. Oh yes. Wasn't the deliberate use of maggots to clean out dead flesh in a wound or an attempt to stave off gangrene at one time common?

I just double checked on the status of PA's travel ban in and out of the state. It only applies to commonwealth employees and those traveling into the state for commonwealth business. It does NOT close the border to all except essential travel like I thought. That explains why I haven't heard anything regarding checkpoints, etc. I don't know what the individual counties are doing regarding their shut downs. There are still a lot of people who think this is, if not an outright hoax, then at least a gross overreaction. You can bet the data miners are having a field day checking out not only the physical movements of people, but the spread of information and disinformation regarding the virus. Some of their charts are up on YouTube showing the spread and extent of COVID-19 around the world, and comparisons between this and other pandemics/epidemics.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20822 on:** March 30, 2020, 08:31:43 AM »

Hi everyone

Last night I started reading Jennifer Ryan's 'The Chilbury Ladies' Choir' and so far I am really enjoying it. It is set in 1940; the vicar has just decided that the church choir must close down as it can't possibly continue with no men.

I must say I thought it would be a very 'cosy' tale about a village (which would be fine with me just now) but it's much more than that. I'm 100+ pages in (it's a real page turner) and there's already plenty of intrigue and bad behaviour - though what it is focusing on, I think, is the way women's roles changed in the war - even in small country villages. Women who had been told their place was to keep quiet, smile sweetly and marry well started to realise that they didn't have to do any of these things, and what's more that they could do anything if they tried, there were very few things that only a man could achieve. But the writing is not preachy at all, the story flies along and the characters are interesting and quirky.

I don't know why I am finding it so easy to concentrate on reading when so many other people, who are usually so much better at this than I am, are struggling - maybe it's just me behaving like an ostrich, but I am only too happy to escape into another world. And the sun is shining here, so my daily walk should be lovely.

Have a good day all,

Rosemary

ginny · « **Reply #20823 on:** March 30, 2020, 10:59:49 AM »

Rosemary, that sounds really good! I just spent yesterday afternoon (see Movies Into Books) in a small English village vicariously and enjoyed it tremendously.

And I'm so glad to find somebody who liked Mantel's Ghazza Street, I'll read it next, as I have gotten to a very exciting part of The Mirror and the Light. I have heard the best way to read The Mirror and the Light is to pair it with the Thomas Cromwell by Diarmaid MacCulloch which is new, and is supposed to be the definitive biography.

I have the MacCulloch and it's wonderfully and engagingly written, but it's different, a different voice, and I don't want to read it at the same time, because the Mirror and the Light has kept me busy, looking so much up (quick: what is a black jinney, what is an arras, who is the Earl of Surrey again, how is he related to Norfolk, and who is "known as Reynold" but that's not his name?)and what, by the way, has Castle Howard (of the first "Brideshead Revisited" movie fame) to do with Thomas Norfolk...that I am looking forward to MacCulloch's own voice. and the scholarly truth--though I understand that Mantel is in accord with him---later.

Barbara and Frybabe, I often wonder how any of them lived!

bellamarie · « **Reply #20824 on:** March 31, 2020, 12:08:45 AM »

Jonathan, I can't believe you've finished Moll Flanders already.
Joan, I too am still reading it on my tablet, which I prefer books to online any day.
So Jonathan ends with calling Moll a "sweetheart" I can't wait to see how, or what, brings him to this conclusion. I have such mixed feelings with her behaviors, decisions, and her constant mea culpas.

Frybabe, I too would be concerned about George bringing back the virus, after going out and coming home.

Rosemarykaye, I found my book The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, and once I finish Moll Flanders, I will give this one a try. Good to know you are enjoying it.

So today Michigan's governor made the decision to end the school year due to this virus, and will allow all Seniors who were on the path with their grades to graduate, they will be given a diploma, children in grades K-11 will also go on to the next grade, provided their performance was on the path to succeed. I am assuming Ohio will be announcing this same decision in the next few days, since President Trump felt the need to extend the quarantine through April 30th, and reassess things. I trust he was strongly advised to extend the date, by Dr. Deborah Birx, Alex Azar, health secretary chair of Trump administration’s Coronavirus Task Force, and Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to whom they all seem to defer.

I plan to place a food click list tomorrow with out Kroger store, it will be interesting to see if they are able to fill everything I will need. If not, then my hubby and I will venture out to a Foodtown just across our state line, who seemed to be well stocked. I'm good on toilet paper, my son bought me a twenty-four pack and we already had a six pack. I've never had so much TP in all my years of marriage raising three children, and my in home day care with six kiddos. I am going to sew the last dozen of masks tomorrow, and then I will have to decide if I am going to try to order more fabric, and find elastic, to make more.

Ya'll stay home and stay healthy.

ginny · « **Reply #20825 on:** March 31, 2020, 10:05:31 AM »

Toilet paper! The funniest thing I have seen lately is an ad on Amazon for a 27 pack of Scott (1,000 sheets per roll) toilet paper, condition: Used. When you click on "details" in astonishment, it reveals that means that the packaging is damaged. There's a warning posted from the people who make Scott tissue whoever they are, that they are not responsible for any product they don't sell unless it comes directly from them.

In other words, could this be one of our hoarders was reselling and taking advantage of the Prime free to ship it free? I don't know, or how any of that works, tut this morning it has been removed. (or sold). I wish I had taken a screen shot of it, it was hilarious.

PatH · « **Reply #20826 on:** March 31, 2020, 01:59:07 PM »

Bellamarie, I think extending the restrictions was absolutely the right decision to minimize human death and suffering, and probably the least bad economic choice too. I would be willing to bet all the people you named agreed with it.

Good for you, sewing more masks. I've read that finding the elastic is the snag.

Maryland schools have been closed for weeks, and are now starting remote classes. The delay was to get internet devices to all the students who didn't have any. And our governor has put some hefty social distancing restrictions in place. It's been over two weeks since I've been closer than 6 feet to a human, and my social life consists of chats with neighbors while on walks.

Ginny, used toilet paper! You gave me my morning laugh with that one.

PatH · « **Reply #20827 on:** March 31, 2020, 02:08:43 PM »

Rosemary, the old TV version of Brideshead Revisited is the 1981 one with Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews? I thought that was an absolutely brilliant job of reproducing the spirit of the book, perfectly cast, too. Of course it's easier to do justice to a book when you can take 11 hours, or whatever it was.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20828 on:** March 31, 2020, 02:39:48 PM »

Good evening everyone - I am just back from my walk around the fields and lanes. Quite a few cyclists out but we all kept our distance.

Bellmarie - my daughter’s friend is a hospital doctor in north London and she thinks our lockdown will last till at least mid-June. However, I did read that the social distancing may be starting to work, so that is good. It is certainly being observed around here, but I still see pictures of people crowded onto the platforms at London train st stations - I feel very sorry fo them, as I am sure they are not choosing to go to work. Some will be ‘essential workers’ but some will just have really unreasonable and unaccommodating employers. Also the train services have been cut back to dissuade people from travelling, but in the cities it just means the people who do have to travel are just crowded into the remaining services.

I just had an email from Tesco saying, amongst other things, that the panic buying is now more or less under control and they expect to have all of their shelves fully stocked over the next few days. My daughter in Edinburgh told me that Lidl has now introduced a queueing system to limit the the number of people in the store, so she said when you do get in (she had only to wait 5 minutes) it’s a lot calmer inside than it was.

I hope you enjoy The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir as much as I am.

Rosemary

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20829 on:** March 31, 2020, 02:45:05 PM »

Pat - yes, that is the Brideshead I meant, it was wonderful and I have watched it many times on DVD - though I was not allowed to watch it when it first came out as my mother did not approve of it!!! My favourite scene is the one in Venice when they throw open the shutters and see the Grand Canal before them.

The later film was not bad at all, but as I said, in my opinion it should have been cut by at least half an hour at the end.

My elder daughter works in a big London school (though thankfully she’s working from Edinburgh just now) which specialises in music. They have a huge number of peripatetic music teachers, and not surprisingly these poor teachers were in a panic about losing all of their income - but the school has managed to set up online teaching even for these individual instrument lessons, and Anna now says at least 80% of these lessons are being delivered remotely. The head has even praised the music department for leading the way in distance teaching.

Best wishes,

Rosemary

bellamarie · « **Reply #20830 on:** March 31, 2020, 06:35:08 PM »

Teaching music classes online, how wonderful! My friend's 4 yr. old son has been in speech therapy, and lo and behold, his therapist is doing online speech class with him. Isn't it just simply amazing what we are accomplishing, during this crisis.

I have tears in my eyes, an old grade school friend of mine, who I have not seen in over fifty years, saw my masks I just finished on Facebook. I mentioned I am out of fabric and elastic on my post. I just received a huge amount of fabric on my front porch, her hubby drove it down to me from my home state of Michigan. It is Michigan football helmets! Oh how generous of her to give this to me, so I can continue making masks. If need be, I will make cloth ties instead of elastic. Americans are the best!! Oh sorry Rosemarykaye, I am sure Londoners, are as well.

Gosh, quarantined through mid June? Oh I sure hope not! But we will do what is best, to save lives. I really am not having such a bad time, keeping busy, and my grandkids have been face timing us, to cheer us up. My Avery, who is a Senior snapchatted me today to show me a new addition to their family, an eight week old, Austrailian Shepard puppy. A female, and we were trying to think of some cute names. Avery said she likes, Oakley. This is going to keep their family happy and busy. Her maximum weight will be 25 lbs. She has beautiful blue eyes. I can't wait to hug that little gem.

Ya'll stay safe & healthy.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20831 on:** April 01, 2020, 05:31:38 AM »

Wow - in the middle of my reading The Pagan Nun I got an offer to read for free a choice of 5 books from Simon and Schuster - I chose the first in what will be a series - The Deep State - wow - amazing does not work nor astonishing, just wow - non stop edge of your seat espionage - many spots too close to truth so I had to remind myself this was a novel - my word -

A young women escaped poverty and too much responsibility for siblings after her mother died in West Virginia by joining the army - while serving she graduates a 2 year collage and is a champion boxer - she gets out after her time is up and 15 months later is in Washington DC where stuff happens - senators, CIA, FBI, White House staff, current and past presidents, on and on with some startling plot twists-

The Author created quite a character that I can see how following her will be a successful series. He knows how to choose punchy adjectives, verbs and adverbs that make the story come alive so that I was seeing the action as if I was in a movie or at least seeing it played out in an action comic strip like we used to see in the newspapers - He sure knows his locations including Killeen Texas where she is stationed while in the army. The negative was the platform the book was made available - almost switched to the Kindle but did not want to spend $10 since this 'Glose' site provided by Simon and Schuster was free.

And so back to 5th and 6th century Ireland after spending a few days in the 21st century US.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #20832 on:** April 01, 2020, 06:30:32 AM »

Bellamarie - don't worry, although I was born there I certainly don't see myself as a Londoner now - I have lived in Scotland longer than I lived in England! And Scots are great too. Our First Minister put out a plea for volunteers to do things like collect housebound people's regular medications, shopping, etc and the response was staggering, so many people wanting to do what they can.

And in my local pharmacy window I saw a notice from a 16 year old schoolboy, who said 'since I am now off school indefinitely I would be very happy to do housebound/older people's shopping, gardening, etc for free, just call me.' Young people get so much unfair criticism, and the vast majority really are great. And as one of my daughters pointed out, it is not people in her generation (she's 25) doing all this over-buying and hoarding, it's the middle-aged (NOT all of them of course!) who seem to think buying a year's supply of loo rolls and pasta will somehow keep them safe.

My younger daughter called me yesterday evening to tell me that Lidl had a whole stand of garden seeds, so she is very kindly sending me 2 or 3 packets. I've not grown annuals from seeds for many years, but at the moment I have the time and plenty of pots, so I am going to give it a try - I would like some small things to fill the spaces round the perennials and shrubs. I have a big book from the library 'The RSPB* Book of Wildlife Gardening' - i was reading it in bed this morning, and trying yet again to persuade my husband that a perfect lawn is NOT something to aspire to & definitely not something to pour fertiliser all over. Not sure when or if I will win that one!

Lots of birds on the feeders this sunny morning - mainly blue tits, of which we seem to have many in the neighbourhood. I let Gracie, my Siamese, come out into the garden with me - she is normally a house cat but this garden is small and well fenced, so at her age there is no chance of her escaping. She was amazed (and, i think, a bit scared) when she saw the birds close up - they were totally unbothered by her, probably never seen such a weird cat!, And of course I kept a close eye on her and brought her in when I returned to the house. She is so funny when she puts her dainty little feet on the damp grass, then shakes each paw in turn as if to say 'what on earth is this?'

There were ducks on the stream last night - a mallard and his mate. My husband also told me that he witnessed the guy next door bringing out a ladder and getting his wife to hold it still while he climbed down into the water to retrieve the golf balls that had ended up there - he is a mad keen golfer so has been trying to practice his swing in the garden! He has put up a net so they don't come across to us, and I see now he has extended it to cover the spaces between the slats of the fence at the end of his plot - I suppose he doesn't want to risk a regular paddle.

I hope everyone has a good day and is staying safe and well.

Rosemary *(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, although they now care for all wildlife)

Jonathan · « **Reply #20833 on:** April 01, 2020, 05:39:19 PM »

'Isn't it just simply amazing what we are accomplishing during this crisis.'

You're so right about that, Bellamarie. So much is being done by everybody to cope with the crisis. And you are a shining example of concern and action. Good for you.

I just had to get out today for some groceries. And it was made almost a pleasure. Everything was very orderly at the supermarket, with fresh fruit and vegetables, and well-stocked shelves. But it meant getting up very early. Shopping for seniors only, between seven and eight.

Can't you agree that Moll is a sweetheart? She has had so many readers for three hundred years. And then, she did have five husbands. And such honesty in telling her story.

bellamarie · « **Reply #20834 on:** April 02, 2020, 12:27:26 AM »

Jonathan, NO way am I ready to agree Moll is a sweetheart. I just finished reading where she got an innocent woman killed, due to her passing off stolen fabric. That my friend is NOT sweet, it is horrific. She has cost a lot of pain for those who have come into her life, family, friends, and strangers. Nope, sorry, nothing sweet about her, as yet.

I am getting overwhelmed with requests for my masks from friends and family. Luckily, my neighbor gave me some fabric she had brand new from quilting, and the other neighbor wanted me to make her family twelve masks, so she bought 3 yards each of a white fabric, and a pretty blue pattern, along with bias seam tape I can use for ties. I am going to drop off a few masks to the Pro Medica site tomorrow, and they said they will have some elastic for me. So, it looks like I am back in business!

Rosemarykaye, I have grown Morning Glories from seeds for the past couple of years, and they do beautifully. My daffodils got hit with a snowfall a week or so ago, so they came up a bit droopy, and a few crocuses popped up today. I absolutely love gardening flowers, you make me want to get out there and get my hands in the dirt, but we usually wait until Mother's day in Ohio, to plant, just to be safe. My hubby gave me a miniature rose bush for Valentine's day, and I can't wait to plant it. Enjoy the fun of watching your flowers grow from seed.

We get a pair of mallards every year that mate, preen and sleep in the water, on our in-ground pool cover. I have so many pictures from each year. One year the female laid her eggs across the street under the neighbor's bush. One Sunday morning I glanced out my bedroom window, looked down, and saw the mother duck, and a string of little ducklings following behind her crossing the street. I knew right where they were headed. Yep, straight into my pool, only the cover was off, and we were planning a cook out with friends, we ended up spending the entire day, into the dark of night trying to get those baby ducklings out of my pool. All the neighbor guys came over with one idea after another, until the one with the huge net ended up falling face first into the pool, net and all, with the ducklings scattering all over the place. The mother duck was sitting on my pool shed watching and squawking. She swooped down a few times, letting us know to leave her babies alone. Long story short, we ended up luring the mother duck into a cage we placed in the pool shed, and finally got the babies out of the pool, close to midnight.

Our friends live in Michigan with a pond behind their property, so they took them and released them into the pond. My friend called me the next morning, and you will not believe what she told me, the male duck found them and was swimming with them in the pond. Did ya'll know, mallards mate for life, so no matter where they are if separated, he will always find her. I video taped all the shenanigans the guys attempted through out the day, and we laughed endlessly watching it.

Barb, how fantastic you were chosen to read the books, and The Deep State, sounds intriguing.

ginny · « **Reply #20835 on:** April 03, 2020, 12:13:37 PM »

Speaking of books I'm now half way through Mantel's The Mirror and the Light, it's quite a book. Having seen the movie Wolf Hall, I see and hear Mark Rylance as Cromwell and he and this Cromwell I'm looking at are not meshing well. This Cromwell is different, harder, and so is Henry VIII, they are both changing as they age, which I suppose is normal. As most of us know how this is going to turn out, perhaps that's intentional, after all he was the despoiler of the Church, but it's a HECK of a book, almost poetic in places, and for an historical novel, this is one which is spot on the real history, so you come away feeling more informed on what happened.

When it gets too intense, I'm also reading on Kindle the biography of Andrew Cuomo. I got interested in him with his TV reports and his beautiful relationship with his younger brother. I read an article on him in Vanity Fair and he's actually quite interesting as a person, in unexpected ways. For one, he's a clean freak, to a fairly extreme degree, was married to Kerry Kennedy and hated the Kennedy Clan get-togethers, ( and I understand he's not alone in that, I seem to recall Jacqueline Kennedy had no use for them, either), it's just quite interesting, so far, and so is he.

Jonathan · « **Reply #20836 on:** April 03, 2020, 03:44:11 PM »

So much to read. Thanks, Ginny, for your take on The Mirror and the Light. I'm looking forward to a good read.

You've got me rereading Moll Flanders, Bellamarie. She did some terrible things; but she was such a penitent sinner along the way.

But first the cheerful, optimistic, glossy inserts that came with my newspaper. One an invitation to go travelling. To see the 'The Gems of Paris; or the Washington, DC Blossoms. The other, a lot of good news about The Future of Medicine. A good chance I'll live to be a hundred. First, the armchair travel.

Rosemary is doing such wonderful walks in Scotland. So I took my Epic Hikes of the World off the shelf and, sure enough, there are some glorious hikes there. One, called The Ring of Steall looks stupendous . Can't wait to walk it.

No, I'm not blind and deaf to what's going on around me. Stay healthy, everybody.

PatH · « **Reply #20837 on:** April 03, 2020, 04:00:59 PM »

What, Jonathan, you're not going to take a cruise? If you come here to see the cherry blossoms, you will find some of the nearby Metro stops closed, some streets blocked, and officers trying to shoo people away, in an effort to enforce social distancing. Fortunately, all I have to do to see a cherry blossom is look across the street, where there are several.

bellamarie · « **Reply #20838 on:** April 03, 2020, 06:33:36 PM »

PatH., Oh how lucky you are to be able to just look across the street to see cherry blossoms. My daffodils are absolutely beautiful today.

Jonathan, I am not so sure Moll Flanders has been truly sorry for anything. She seems to use her mea culpas just to give herself a little less guilt, each time she commits a crime, or almost gets caught. If you are truly sorry, you repent, do penance, and avoid the temptation of sin. As soon as she gets past her guilt, and the fear of being caught passes, she is right back out there committing more crimes and framing others. How does a penitent person go into a flaming house, searching for the family's heirlooms to steal, while they are in the house that is on fire, needing to be saved? She used the reason for stealing to help her get by, but once she had more than enough money saved up, to live comfortably, she still would not stop. I can't wait to get back to the book, these masks have taken up so much of my time.

President Trump has announced we should all consider wearing a cloth mask, when we venture out, my hubby looked at me and said, "You were ahead of the curve, knowing people were going to end up wearing the masks outside." I spent the entire day, ironing, measuring, and cutting masks. Tomorrow I will begin the sewing. I have enough supplies to make at least 200 or more masks.

Ginny, so you are reading about Andrew Coumo, he certainly has been in the news the past few weeks, good, bad and ugly. I was appalled to hear he used millions of dollars that were meant for preparation for something like this, instead it went to companies that went belly up.

We are in some sad times, but then Americans are strong and caring, and we will get through this. Seeing the USNS Comfort ship arrive in the Harbor, gave me chill bumps.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #20839 on:** April 03, 2020, 08:14:20 PM »

What a day this has been - sky so low and so dark, pouring rain all day and cold - really for us cold - last week in the 80s and 90s and this week in the lowest of 40s - thank goodness I shopped yesterday - I waited in line and it was overcast and chilly but nothing like today - it looks like a poster for something awful occurring that goes hand in hand with every site I usually enjoy where today everyone is complaining about something, someone, what other's are doing - trying to stay positive with compassion is at my breaking point - and so... tonight I watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - haven't watched it in years and looking at the trailer this is perfect - forgot about the children hidden and captured to be hidden - there may even be a message here of how to handle all the negative, fault finding, finger pointing vibes that I am convinced are rampant because people are bored and forgot how to enjoy hobbies or family projects - so Chitty Chitty Bang Bang it is...

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