The Library

[PatH]

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.

[PatH]

Annie, thanks for unearthing Pedln for us.  I miss her.

You asked about JoanK.  We talk on the phone 3 or 4 times a week.  Sometimes it's just a quick check to be sure we're both all right, but when we get going, we talk for an hour or more.  She is fine, still living in her condo in Torrance (part of Los Angeles).  Her son and DIL are living with her now, working remotely from home, and her daughter and grandchildren (now home from college) are a 5 minute drive away.  So far, no one has gotten sick, and they're keeping pretty isolated except for her daughter, who is a physician.  The daughter and grandchildren are keeping their distance from Joan for now.

A couple years ago, her cataracts got bad enough that she stopped going online, but surgery fixed that.  She hasn't resumed much of her social networking, though.

[jane]

Pat...thanks for the news about Joan!

[ANNIE]

Path, thanks for all the good news about Joan🤓 sounds like she’s doing quite well.  We were always talking about getting together when I visited Torrance but that’s never happened 😢😊

Who else are we missing?

Rosemary, I researched both Glasgow and Ireland and Wales. searching for striking history but nothing popped up.  I had assumed that my great grandmother’s father was a coal miner.  If not, what he doing in Glasgow? Maybe I can dig deeper in the future.

[rosemarykaye]

Hello Annie

I have had a look online myself about whether and when Welsh miners moved to Glasgow, but I could not find anything either. Mullen does sound far more like an Irish name than a Welsh one to me. I found this information about it:

'Last name: Mullen
If English it is medieval and either a topographical for someone who lived at or by a mill, or occupational for a miller. The derivation is from the Norman word moulin, meaning a mill, and usually a water mill. The second origin is pre medieval Gaelic, and as such it may be Scottish or Irish.'

I did also find this very interesting site: http://scottishmining.co.uk/index.html, which has a lot of information and old records and newspaper reports about Polish, Lithuanian and Russian miners coming to Glasgow and also to Leith in Edinburgh (where I normally live) - I had forgotten that the western end of East Lothian (the county to the east of Edinburgh) used to be mining country - and not that long ago, as some of the villages and towns still have 'miners' working men's clubs', although there has not been any mining for some years.

This end of the county tends to be much more run down and shabby than the east end of E Lothian, which is traditionally agricultural land - and has small coastal towns like North Berwick, where property is horrendously expensive, because the area is pretty, the state school has a fantastic reputation, and there is a rail link into Edinburgh in 30 minutes. But the old mining towns are becoming smarter, and there has been a huge amount of building around them to provide cheaper homes for people who can't afford the extortionate prices in the city.

Annie, I will ask my mother if she knows anything about all of this. She is very interested in history, and although she is London born and bred, she was evacuated to a small Welsh village during the war, and still has a great affection for Wales.

Best wishes,

Rosemary

[BarbStAubrey]

So glad Pat to hear news about Joan - we do miss her.

Rosemary, one of the books you are reviewing about nature in the city sounds familiar, but then there are many books on animal life in the city that a group of us were reading about 5 years ago when new comers were having a problem accepting the deer population in our neighborhood - another view of nature is one I am dithering over purchasing but it comes from a different perspective Sources of the River: Tracking David Thompson Across North America by Jack Nisbet  - David Thompson—fur trader, explorer, surveyor, and mapmaker. From 1784 to 1812, Thompson explored western North America, and his field journals provide the earliest written accounts of the natural history and indigenous cultures of the what is now British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

I'm still caught up in reading about system thinking and read last night Zoe MeCey's Think in Systems

Looks like the Jim Crumley book is the BBC Book of the week - and the Joan Smokes by Angela Mayer about Nevada has not been published here - can't find any thing written by Angela Mayer - is she a Scottish author?

Yes, BBC is correct Rosemary - It was Robert F. Kennedy who wrote the message which is a bit longer and he put it on Bill Gates web site where there is a place for messages - similar information has been showing up on other news sources like Financial Times and OAN - also yesterday, video showed how during the week on his way to a meeting Gates had of all things a cream pie thrown in his face on the steps of the building he was entering - haven't seen that kind of behavior except in an old movie... so much is seen through the lens of the globalist versus nationalism which is similar to the Britexit tug of war only the Globalists have an all encompassing view far greater than the EU.  It helps to read UN Agenda 21 and UN Agenda 2030, which on the surface sounds benign until you think through the ramifications - even those who hate Trump are in court over land use in California that is following Agenda 21 line of thinking - Both are available to read on the UN website and there are many youtube analysis of these agenda's.

Just heard from Cody, the grandson in Lubbock who was in the dumps and conflicted what to do since his classes were all online and that is not how he learns best - he decided to as we say 'Cowboy Up' - asked a friend who took one of the classes last semester for help and go for all the tests for all the classes - success - he even aced a couple - he is so pleased he is busting - and now that collage classes open in the Fall with students in class he is not going to do anything this summer but work and get back to his way of learning in the fall. I'm so pleased for him I'm busting.

Strangest day - here we are well into May and a cold front came through last night - sun is out but the Temps are only in the low 70s - I opened doors and windows to air out the house but this seems so unusual along with the quiet - our mayor is attempting in every way he can to defy the Governor and keep the town shut down so we are not yet back to normal - problem is that Williamson County is only 10 and 15 minutes away and south of town the same for Hays county - so there has been a mass exodus for shopping and haircuts etc leaving Austin roads empty. I may join them tomorrow - tired of paying more to have my groceries delivered since waiting in long lines wears me out too much. Paying for gas is nothing in comparison.

[ginny]

Unusual Things We Find Ourselves Doing in the Pandemic #1 and 2:

Is it just me or is anybody else doing something different, finding  a new interest, something different that's suddenly engrossing in this pandemic?  Tell us your quirks, if you have developed any.

1. I've become obsessed with an old solitaire APP, I think it's the game called Las Vegas. I am sure I have played it 1000 times, can't seem to stop. Why? I bet I haven't played Solitaire in maybe 10-15 years. I'm making up for it.

2. The other day I took to a chaise lounge in a quiet room, the old guest room  with a view of the forest, a half of a small Hagen Das carton of Rum Raisin ice cream and Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There and laughed myself silly for an afternoon.   I emerged feeling happy and satisfied.

What's different about that?

 I had read the book twice before this, and I hate ice cream. Never ever eat ice cream. One of my students mentioned trying to find it for her husband, that flavor.  She got the last little container in a nearby city. I read reviews of it: nobody likes the new taste, the makers say they have done nothing at all to it. There it was,  standing alone also at the grocery here last Tuesday. Tasteless,  it really is,  and have not enjoyed a solitary afternoon like that in a long time, so peaceful and enjoyable. What a strange combination.   One worries perhaps one is going around the bend here? Perhaps one is developing a taste for alcohol this  late in life?  Should one worry ?  Why ice cream,  of all things!  Even though I repeat it's totally  tasteless, it sure was a wonderful afternoon.

Are YOU doing or enjoying anything unusual for you lately?

[Frybabe]

I like Rum-Raisin ice cream, but it is very difficult to find these days. I only ever found it sold around here over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. I used to make my own pumpkin ice cream from pumpkin, vanilla ice cream and ginger snaps. Haven't thought of that in a long time.

I am not settled on my next book yet. Still picking around at several that are interesting, but I am not in the mood for just now. I am almost done with the food culture course. Next up will probably be the next in series of the fantasy I started. In the meantime, I couldn't resist getting Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Ginny, I think Audible has Mommsen's too) and Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror. I have Tuchman's book, but it is probably forty years old, in paper-back, thick with tiny print. I am afraid to try reading it because it will probably start coming apart; the paper is so yellowed. My copy of The Name of the Rose , also a thick, old paperback, is in one piece except that the cover needs re-glued to it. The cover must have detached all by itself because I know it wasn't that way when I read it. The Name of the Rose is on my audio wish list. I am getting weird. With all these new books to read, I find I am gravitating towards re-reading or listening to audio presentations of some of my favorites, even if they are not that old.

[ANNIE]

Rosemary, the one thing I know about my great great Grandfather (Patrick Mullen) is that he was born in Ireland and probably in County Cork.  I went to Find a Grave for Glasgow and found a
Patrick Mullen who died there at age 50 and he was a farmer. He’s probably no relative of mine but put him my Odds Box in Ancestry.com account.  His wife Dorothy had no maiden name listed.
Will be back later as I must go dinner now!

[PatH]

Ha!  There's another title with a plant in it.  I have the Tuchman and Eco in hardback.  Too bad I can't email them to you. 

[ANNIE]

Rosemary!  So part E Lothian is agricultural land and the Patrick Mullen I found buried in Glasgow was a farmer so he MIGHT be my great great grandfather! I will see if any of that small family is in that cemetery! Thanks for trying to help me.

Path, I will call my cousin who lives close to Pedln and see if she can find her phone number. I looked online but found nothing.  My cousin a nurse, who is working, gets home around 5pm is 3 hours behind me so I will call her after 8pm tonight.  It would be so exciting if we get a number!

[bellamarie]

Frybabe, that homemade pumpkin ice cream sounds delectable!!  I may give it a try in the Fall time.  My taste buds go wild for pumpkin and ginger at that time of the year.

Ginny, I can't think of anything different I am doing since the quarantine, except of course endless hours of mask making.  People seeing my posts on Facebook have begun contacting me asking for masks.  I am feeling so full of joy with each mask I make for someone, because as I make it, I think of that person and their family.  They are so appreciative, and it fills my heart to the rim. 

PatH.,  I am so happy to hear Joan is doing well.  I was diagnosed with pre cataracts a few months back, but other than needing my glasses for reading, and computer use, I don't find any thing different in my sight.  Far distances, I tested really good.  No change in my close distance from years ago, so my doctor said don't worry.  He said to wait until it's detrimental so my medicare will pay for it. 

Rosemary, No, I have never been to Italy.  It is on my bucket list.  Now, with this virus causing them such devastation, I don't see any near future trips there.  My paternal grandparents migrated from Abruzzo, Italy. A girl can dream!

I am 31% England, Wales and Northern Europe, 26% France, 24% Italy, 14% Germanic Europe, 2% Spain, 2% Ireland and Scotland, 1% Baltic.  So, I guess my big question when my results came back was, where on earth did my maternal grandparents get the information they were Indian?  My mother's sister's children and grandchildren have also done the Ancestry.com DNA, and likewise, their results showed NO Indian heritage.

How was everyone's Mother's Day considering the quarantine?  I had just finished watching live streaming Mass with my hubby, in my pjs, when I heard a car horn.  My hubby opened the door and my kids with all the grandkids were outside in their cars.  I ran up, changed into my jogging suit and came outside.  I have to tell you, I had NO idea how emotional it would impact me.  I literally began crying, they all got out of their cars, self distanced and we visited with each other.  My granddaughter Avery brought their new Australian Sheppard puppy and she ran straight to me and started licking my face.  My granddaughter Kenzie the oldest and Zoey the youngest were throwing me air hugs and kisses.  We are a family that celebrates everything together, has cook outs throughout the summer, and go out to dinner often, go to all the grandkids sports, so this being away from each other has taken a toll on us.  As I am sure all families are feeling.  I was so grateful to have their visit.  The rest of the day, my hubby and I watched some of my dvr shows, and just relaxed.  It was cold and rainy, so I cuddled up with my dog Sammy on the couch.  Today is another cold, cloudy day.  I'm beginning to wonder if we are ever going to warm up. 

Off to spend the rest of the day with my sewing machine! 
Stay safe and stay healthy! 

[ANNIE]

Rosemary, I have a few facts concerning my great great grandfather, Patrick Mullen, who was born in 1820 in Ireland
His daughter, my great grandmother, Anna Mullen,  was born in Glasgow in 1845. Her brother, James, was born in Glasgow in 1847.

[ginny]

My mother was a McNairy. Just putting in my own oar, so to speak.

 hahaha

Talking about the late Charlie Wendell a while back, who sponsored a discussion here years ago on interesting bits (articles) in the news and talking about the ramifications, I've put in three links this morning to three super interviews in the Movies and Books Into Movies which some of you might like to see.

One is the famous  TV debate between Boris Johnson and Mary Beard, on Greece vs Rome: which one is  the most important to us today. You might not think that would be interesting. People who have seen it are still talking about it years later.  One is on Historical Fiction and is a lecture by Hilary Mantel, author of the Cromwell books called "I Met a Man Who  Wasn't There," about why you should not "write what you know," and the responsibilities of writing historical fiction. The  third is a good natured  hoot, featuring Robert Harris, who writes many popular books on many subjects, the latest his  Cicero trilogy. Lots of laughter, good stories.  He speaks on  writing Historical Fiction, why you write it and the importance of research, and is  interviewed by Dr. Peter Jones, Classicist. Then of course there's  the big question: why did he put  words in Caesar's mouth in his book at the moment of Caesar's assassination which Caesar did not say....the interaction between the two men is just priceless.


Charlie would have loved all three of those, I thought perhaps you might be interested, too.

[PatH]

Bellamarie, it's remotely possible that we're related, since my paternal grandparents came from Abruzzi too.  I know almost nothing about them, so it would be impossible to track down.

In contrast to that lack of information, on my mother's side, I can go way back, as far as 400 years in some cases, to East Anglian wool merchants and French Huguenots fleeing persecution.  My husband added German and Scot to the mix, so our children are what one of them calls Euromongrels.  She's the only one who's been tested, and there were no surprises.

[rosemarykaye]

Good evening all,

I don't know where today has gone - or rather, I do, as I spent several hours in bed this morning reading the first of the books Saraband sent me. It is The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange, the one about the woman who was kidnapped and sent to St Kilda in the 1700s - I decided to start with this one as my mother asked to read it after me, and it is far more gripping than I had expected.

Sue Lawrence is a very good writer, and this is a fascinating story. The main character, Rachel, is married off to a Lord, her family being grateful that he seems not to mind about the terrible scandal that occurred a few years back in her own family. Of course she hasn't been married that long before she realises that her husband only wanted her to provide him with an heir. She becomes an alcoholic (though he and his friends are just as bad - but in those days excessive drinking was seen as normal for men of his class, whereas women were supposed to be well behaved at all times), then discovers something potentially explosive about her husband's private life. This is why she is kidnapped (with the help of the truly obnoxious Lord Lovat) and taken first to the remote Monach Islands off North Uist, then to St Kilda. The way I have described it makes it sounds terribly melodramatic, but although it is certainly a fast-paced plot, it is a great read - and is based on a true story.

Bellamarie - how lovely that you managed to see all your family safely on Mothers' Day. Unlike yours, my family does not meet up that often, but I am really missing seeing my children now. I talk with my daughters more or less every day, and message my son and daughter-in-law frequently, but it will be good to see them once all of this is over. By the way. what are 'DVR' movies?

Annie - I asked my Mum, and she said she thought miners moved from Glasgow to Wales, not the other way round - but her computer is out of action at the moment, so she will do some more research once she has it back.

[That was another thing that took up a lot of my day - I contacted the computer shop in Haddington, where my mother's sheltered housing is, and found that, although the shop is closed, the owner is still doing repairs behind closed doors. He operates a good system, whereby he gives you a time slot for dropping off your equipment, which you leave in the storm porch between the outer and inner doors of the shop. He then looks at, and hopefully fixes, it, and delivers it back to your own front door. I have used this shop before and they are always excellent. It is only 2 minutes drive from my mother's housing, so one of the housekeepers is going to take it in for her, hopefully next week. Mum really, really misses her desktop computer, so I am hoping this will solve the issues with it and she can get back online. (She does have a tablet but she doesn't use it much.)]

I think you might be able to trace your great grandmother through the National Records Office here in Scotland (https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/) - I don't know much about it, but I have a friend who is researching her own family tree, and she sometimes comes down to Edinburgh to use the resources in there. I could ask her about how to do it remotely. 

My daughter has finally found my copy of Daisy Miller and is enjoying that. I am looking forward to discussing it with her, as I think it raises a lot of issues about women's autonomy, or lack of it, in those days, and also about how Americans were seen in Europe (Daisy is doing the Grand Tour with her mother and brother.)

Have a good day everyone,

Rosemary

[nlhome]

I have been reading Gutsy Women by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, and it seems to be the sort of positive book I need right now. Unfortunately, I have it via Overdrive, and life got in the way of my reading, so I had to request it again and it's back in the queue. It's a popular book. So looking for something to fill my reading time on the "available now" list, I found The Circular Staircase" by Mary Roberts Rinehart. I thought I had read it before, but it is not familiar, and I'm enjoying this old mystery.

We have sunshine today and a more positive forecast, after snow showers on Mother's day and a hard freeze the day before that. It will be a great day to spend outside.

[bellamarie]

PatH.,  I absolutely LOVE the idea we could be remotely related in some way, knowing out paternal grandparents migrated from Abruzzo, Italy.  Just looking at the pictures in this link makes me want to visit the region. https://www.google.com/search?q=abruzzo+italy&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS722US722&sxsrf=ALeKk00vFfOclUF28rFn2VYJV_kz6b0SNA:1589392442776&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=PZA7AzZGV41mWM%253A%252CIWUHyK4Rv582IM%252C%252Fm%252F0kn68&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kT_TLyCQ8yGFr5aoH9Hj1CHnWfj6A&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiG-NaftLHpAhVCXawKHVhoDiUQ_B0wFHoECAUQAw&biw=1229&bih=578#imgrc=4UrWnafMr8o-0M

I am able to trace my mother's side of the family so much easier than my father's.  I have more relatives on my mother's side who have also done the DNA with Ancestry.com, and most of her relatives were from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan.  My father's side migrating from Italy, has proven to be very difficult. I would be thrilled to just learn the true original spelling of our last name. 

Rosemary,  my DVR movies are those I tape and watch at leisure.  I rarely ever watch any show in real time.  I love being able to fast forward through commercials, and parts I am not interested in.  It's a bit like speed reading, you don't need to read or watch every part to get the gist of what is happening in the story line.

nlhome, we have sunshine and warmer temps today as well.  Hubby and I sat out on the patio watching the birds at the feeders.  Oh how that sun felt great on my face. 

[Fran]

Hi, I have not seen any messages since May 13, perhaps it is my
I-Pad? Can anyone reply to this. I so enjoy reading all your comments.
Hopefully I’ll be in contact again.

[bellamarie]

Fran, good to hear from you.  I was concerned as well, when I checked in and did not see any posts since May 13th.  It seems they have moved the discussion over to the Movies & Books Into Movies section.  Not sure how we got moved, but you can click that section and find the recent posts.

Are we no longer going to be having our daily discussion in this Library section?  Can someone please let us know. 

[PatH]

Bellamarie and Fran, sorry you got confused.  The discussion hasn't moved, it's still going on here too, you just happened to hit a stretch when a lot of people were mostly watching movies, so they posted in Movies and Books into Movies.  This is still the basic spot.

There's also a small amount of conversation in the science fiction section, but I think Frybabe and I are the only fans.

[PatH]

I'm finding it hard to settle down to reading, which is silly, since I have the time.  After the remarks about titles with plants in them reminded me of The Rose Rent, I decided to reread some of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, of which it's one, but I haven't gotten far enough to comment yet.

[Fran]

Bellamarie and Pat appreciate your response. Looking forward to all your
Interesting comments.

[PatH]

It's good to have you here, Fran.

[bellamarie]

PatH., Thanks for clarifying, the discussion rooms. I can't also check in every day, but I do enjoy reading all the posts and chatting with all of you.

I too have had a hard time settling into reading.  I did start an Elin Hiderbrand book titled The Island.  I leave it on my bedside table and read a little bit before dozing off.  I can't remember the last time I actually sat and watched a movie.  My hubby goes down to his man cave/tv room and watches movies, but I can't get into watching any. 

[nlhome]

I found some old Ellery Queen mysteries on Overdrive, and that type of old mystery appeals right now. I tried hard to read something by Kim Vogel Sawyer, but she just does not appeal to me.

[PatH]

Nlhome, I used to love Ellery Queen's mysteries, haven't seen them around for years.  I'm glad to know they still have appeal.

[rosemarykaye]

Good morning everyone - I was only not posting because everyone else seemed to have disappeared!  I was beginning to wonder if I'd somehow offended you all!

Here on Deeside it is a fine sunny day. Yesterday was beautiful, and I did a very long walk (around 3 hours), extending my usual route, and came across some woodland that I had not previously explored, so I sat down on a tree trunk for a while and had a lovely call with my younger daughter Madeleine while watching the bees and birds in the sunshine.

Since i started reading Bob Gilbert's wonderful Ghost Trees I have really started to open my eyes to the nature all around me. He writes about the plants and wildlife of Poplar, the London district in which he lives, and finds so much there that most of us would probably miss. He also tells so many interesting stories about the history of plants and of people, and of the area itself - of course it has a very long one and has seen many different uses over the centuries.

In between that i am still trying to sort out my mother's computer - it went to the shop yesterday but the guy called me this morning to say he has run every test they have and he can't find any faults. He thinks it has maybe just expired through old age. He has a new one (built in their shop) that he could sell to her, and he is super helpful and reliable so I trust him completely - also as he is so local to where she lives, he would be able to deal with any issues very quickly. He will transfer all her old files, install new security, etc - but first I have to persuade her that the purchase would be a good thing. Wish me luck!

I notice that many libraries are re-opening in the US. There is still no sign at all of that happening here. I do understand why, but it is sad to see them all closed - apart from the books, they provide a social place for people to go, especially older residents.  It is the 'social' elements of life that we are all missing I think. Many of my oldest friends live just a few minutes' drive from here, but we have not met for months now, and of course I also have not seen any of my children or my mother for over 2 months. But this will pass, and in so many ways I am so lucky. I must say I am very glad that our First Minister is apparently going to allow golf courses to reopen next week, as I don't think I can stand much more of my neighbour whacking golf balls at the foottball size net they have erected at the end of their small garden. I would think that golf courses are pretty low risk, and for many people in Scotland golf is a second religion.

I planted out the last plants that were still waiting yesterday - lemon balm, oregano and geraniums. Apart from the seeds I am attempting to bring on in my little greenhouse, I have nothing else left until the garden centres re-open.  The garden is looking quite good now, with everything starting to grow quickly, but my clematis Westerplatte did not do well at all - since I planted it a few weeks ago, all the leaves started to die back - I assume this is the dreaded clematis wilt, so I have cut it right down to the root - advice seems to be that it may well still grow back next year, so I will have to wait and see. The other one, clematis montana, is looking great.

I hope everyone has a great day,

Rosemary

[ginny]

I am not really sure why anybody would think we had "moved" any discussion anywhere, but for the record, when we do that we shut the previous discussion down and put a link to the new one, so no one need worry they are missing something.

Perhaps people have nothing to say on ancestry issues? Or whatever topic is being enjoyed on a particular day? This is a catch all say what you will discussion.

And if you have nothing to say perhaps you don't want to spoil the fun of those who do, so you say nothing, while being fantastically  interested all the while--it's just that you have nothing to add at the moment.

We have, and have always had,  many subfolders here in the Books, and Jane on her own is trying to entice folks into them by her Newslines  ads on top of the pages, and it seems to be working.

Perhaps we'd all enjoy looking in at and supporting  some of the sub folders today, such as Mysteries, Non Fiction, Fiction, Sci Fi, etc., and  Books into Movies which has been expanded to include TV, etc., since we're all shut in. I guess in a way we should not mention here anything that could be covered there, but that's always been an issue. I think each has its place.


That said, I'll address something Tomereader brought up in Books into Movies, and having addressed it there, will put today's new stuff here,  and that's a series she was watching about the Tudors (see Books into Movies for the link). The presenter of the series is an historian named Tracy Borman, whom I had never heard of,  and I'm well into her book now on Thomas Cromwell, the third I've read after Hilary Mantel's and continuing with   Diarmaid MacCulloch (even now I can't spell his name, I have no idea how that poor child learned to write his name)...and it's really been a revelation to me, in the way she writes.

I can't get over what a contrast it is to the Mantel, which is, after all, a novel. And a great one. This one, while reading like a novel,  really well written,  quotes this or that person, the same cast of characters. but this time they are speaking on their own,  in their actual words quoted, about the character, saying things not in the Mantel,  and the effect is very different. For some reason this makes you feel you know him better, you understand what's happening better, or at least I do.  I'm learning a lot.  For instance, his father was a lot more than a blacksmith.....So bottom line, for those of us  fascinated with the Tudor period,  as many people are, Borman is a great one to read, and her style can be read free on Amazon in those Look Inside things which I absolutely love.

[ginny]

And this is apropos of nothing, but Frybabe, going WAY back there, and picking up an old theme, was your Nightmare Teacher experience in  PA by any chance?  For one fleeting moment I thought perhaps the same Horror had migrated PA towns. You are right,  the public schools  seemed to have no control over them then. That's a lot of power to give somebody all day long over a child with no supervision. I note that Rosemary also posted some incidents as well, why is it always the creative arts that these people like to stomp on!

Rosemary,  you did not comment previously  on  your Latin teacher! But quite a few of them were something else back in the day and  SOME of them were legendary dragons. It's such a shame because that's one subject that ...well let's face it.... WHAT  subject flourishes under such treatment? None.

Still Latin is such a joy it's almost a sin to ruin it.  My first Latin teacher, a saint, had to retire and in our second year I got one of the Horrors who put shy little ugly inch- thick glasses  me in the front row and stood over me and screamed., literally SCREAMED  "Non Audio!" (She couldn't hear me).  I have no trouble hearing her to this day.  As you say There were so few controls on teachers in those days, no monitoring of lessons and no procedure for complaints.   Hard to read Caesar who normally is a true delight,  under such conditions. But today in 2020  this could not happen, at least not here. And that's some comfort.

Speaking of the PA NJ area, where is Mabel? I haven't seen her here in a long time,  nor Hats. They and I are from the same old stomping grounds, I think I'll write them both. Let's have a sort of Homecoming here and see where everybody is and how they are holding up in this pandemic.

[Dana]

I had a marvellous Latin teacher.  I was into classics anyway, thanks I think to Charles Kingsley's The Heroes, read at an impressionable age when I found it my grandmother's bookcase. But this guy, my teacher was just so dynamic, you could never be bored in his classes, he read bits of the Lays of Ancient Rome to us, made up lists of Latin tags, played word games, you know, what English word comes from this Latin one and vice versa.  He did things that would not be politically correct today tho, like poke you with a long pointer if you weren't paying attention. But he never used the strap.  (In Scotland then, teachers had the belt thing and you could get strapped for stuff (on the outstretched hand).  Girls were often offered a choice....lines or the strap....in my class at least it was the thing to do to say I'll take the strap in as cocky a voice as possible, sticking out your hand with a sort of flip.....!.  But, anyway, the best teachers never needed to use it...
In my last year at school I chose to add Greek, I had a little spare time having sat my "highers" at the end of my 5th year. So he taught me Greek too.  At the end of the year we translated Hector and Andromarche on the battlements of Troy which he thought was the greatest of poetry.

[Frybabe]

Yep! It sure was, Ginny, right here in Central PA. I think he was the only real horror. There were a few who sometimes got into a bad mood and showed it, but nothing like the eraser thrower who blew his stack complete with read face and shouting to go with the flying erasers. On the other hand, I can remember one who was strict but fair-minded. I had him for PA Civics and several history classes. Another memorable teacher wanted to be buddy, buddy with the students and let the guys distract her with talk of road rallies (she had an MGB and participated in some of them), and other car/race discussions. It truly puzzled her why the students were not doing well in class, especially when they got to pick which Shakespeare (her specialty in advances studies) plays to read.

I had a problem with Windows on my new machine (major GRRRRRR!). It kept going to a blue screen and rebooting no longer than five minutes apart. I discovered that there was an update that was trying to download apparently got hung up. I put it on pause and the problem stopped. When the pause was up, it started up again. So, yesterday I started to try a solution that I found on the Windows site. Well, I got into the menu I needed to be in, but then discovered the update finally downloaded without me doing anything else. Go figure. In the meantime, I still haven't had any luck fixing my laptop.

Today I cleaned up my computer desk, taking the upper shelves off because they were just junk catchers and I need the desk space. This morning I hooked up new speakers. Next will be adding my new desktop document scanner to replace my old copier/printer/scanner that is taking up space on the floor.  After that, all I will need to do is see if I can't get my old HP going again (the hard drive died). and get another monitor so that this one can go back to the old machine.

Nothing spectacular going on in the reading department, just continuing on with the fantasy series I am listening to and reading some more SciFi.

[PatH]

At the end of the year we translated Hector and Andromarche on the battlements of Troy which he thought was the greatest of poetry.

It's great even in translation.  I envy you, being able to read the Greek.

[Dana]

it's funny Pat, because after a year of Greek I obviously didn't know nearly enough to do it.....so I guess he must have done most of it....but I don't remember that! 
When I took up Greek with Seniorlearn I did not remember a thing but we had the most marvellous book and the teacher (Barbara Patla) was very  helpful and I was totally gung ho and now after a lot of years I can translate it.  The internet makes learning so much less of a hassle too.

[bellamarie]

Rosemarykaye, 

I was only not posting because everyone else seemed to have disappeared!  I was beginning to wonder if I'd somehow offended you all!

You could never offend anyone.  It seems a few of us were a bit unsure where everyone went.  With the world being in a topsy turvy state, I didn't know what to think.

I wish you luck in getting your Mom to accept the new computer, sounds like she has little options, since hers has expired.

Frybabe, don't you just love organizing and dealing with computers, printers, scanners and fax machines?  I was making a poster board for my granddaughter's upcoming graduation from high school and went to print some pics, and lo and behold, I got into the twilight zone of wifi connections, and my computer not recognizing my HP printer.  After teaching, updating and repairing computers for sixteen years, you would think I would be patient enough to figure it all out.  I think at my age, I just don't want to deal with issues like this, but I finally got it all to work, and she loved the poster board with all her pictures on it!  Good luck!

Rosemarykaye, the clematis is a very difficult plant to start and keep going.  I paid a lot for my first one, only for it to die before it even got started, I called the greenhouse and they said they could not refund or replace it, even though I only had just bought it days before.  My second one, I bought at Lowes, and they DO stand by their perennials for a year, as long as you have the receipt, it got started, flowered, and then died off, they did replace it.  The third one has proven to do well, this is the third year, and is full of buds about to open.  Yours may come back next year, fingers crossed.

Ginny, good to know Jean is attempting to get us to use the sub folders.  I usually only have a limited amount of time to check in, so I come to The Library because it has so many various topics.  Like Barb mentioned awhile back, it's the place to feel like we are sitting at a cafe, with friends, discussing what ever comes to mind, along with our books we are reading.  I'll try to be more mindful of the other topic folders.

I rarely watch any movies anymore.  I was hearing today on the news how people actually prefer staying home watching movies in their pjs, snuggled up with their spouse or pet, rather than go to movie theaters. Between this virus, and people liking the comfort of their own homes, Hollywood may become a thing of the past. Netflex, Hulu and all the other options are doing to the theaters, what Amazon, Ebay, and other online shopping sites have done to the shopping malls.  With this being said I have to share this post I saw on Facebook today:




I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad, as he had to transfer some money. I couldn't resist myself & asked...

''Dad, why don't we activate your internet banking?''

''Why would I do that?'' He asked...

''Well, then you won't have to spend an hour here for things like transfer.

You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy!''

I was so excited about initiating him into the world of Net banking.

He asked ''If I do that, I won't have to step out of the house?

''Yes, yes''! I said. I told him how even groceries can be delivered at the door now and how amazon delivers everything!

His answer left me tongue-tied.

He said ''Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who knows me very well by now.

You know I am alone...this is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time, it is the physical touch that I crave.

Two years back I got sick, The store owner from whom I buy fruits, came to see me and sat by my bedside and cried.

When your Mom fell down a few days back while on her morning walk. Our local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where I live.

Would I have that 'human' touch if everything became online?

Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer?

I like to know the person that I'm dealing with and not just the 'seller'. It creates bonds of Relationships.

Does Amazon deliver all this as well?'''

Technology isn't life..
Spend time with people .. Not with devices.

Writer: Unknown

This made me think of my hubby, how every day he finds a reason to go to the store, bank, car wash etc.  He was a letter carrier on the same route for forty years, every time we went to church, all his patrons that were members of our church stopped and talked to him as if he were their family.  I teased him all the time, and said I never knew how he ever got his mail delivered on time, with all the time he took to talk to his patrons every day.  Some were elderly, and my hubby was the one person they knew they would see daily.  Since he retired, he still walks our dog every day, I tag along most of the time, but you can bet the days I don't, he has a new story to tell me about so and so, in the neighborhood, he chatted with. 

Sorry my post is a bit long today, like my hubby, I know I can come here daily or when I find the time, and find you all here.  And yes, when a week had gone by, and there were no posts, I was concerned.  You all have become a part of my communication since I retired, and the virus has kept me quarantined.  Good to know if we ever "move" rooms, it will be posted. I don't know Greek, about Greek, but I love hearing all about what you all know.  I've learned a bit of Latin from my hubby, but it doesn't really matter if I know some or none, it is nice hearing the enthusiasm those of you who do know it, share with us who don't.  Speaking of being concerned....I wonder how Jonathan is doing. 

Ya'll Stay Safe & Stay Healthy!

[BarbStAubrey]

Well this is the longest I have been able to sit - folded a pillow so it is like half a donuts and I can sit on my upper thighs. - no reading and no movies to talk about - just a lot of pain meds and sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, with a daily foray to my email and facebook -

Great news - if like me you get a tummy ache and bloat if taking more than one aspirin or pain med I found something that works better than aspirin or even Alive - called 5-Lox Inhibitor - the recommendation is to take it with Cox-2 but I substituted it by using turmeric- but the 5-Lox Inhibitor is fabulous. Probably why I had no headache yesterday - the pain meds give me a headache on top of being unsteady and taking short short steps. Trying to wean myself to one pain med but if I take it going to bed I am concerned about getting up at night so I took it about 8: and here I am up at 4: in the morning when most of the relief reached its time limit - I'm hoping the pain is such I can just take the 5-Lox - as Lucia would say, we shall see what we shall see...

My neighbor's youngest, now at UT has mowed my lawn since he was 12 - asked him to drive my vehicle around the neighborhood since it has been sitting for so long and last week when I drove the battery was not cooperating when I turned on the key - he also took out both garbage pails for me - this is the week for recycle that is such a behemoth of a container that in the best of times it's a challenge to get to the curb. Evidently he has a few out of town friends who were all sharing a condo near campus staying with him and his family and so he has not been totally wiped out by the shut down - his Dad and older brother have been on a job all this time down in Uvalde so having a house full of young men was good for his mom who had a stroke 2 years ago and is still not 100%

Finally since the electricity was knocked out by the storm I was able to bend to open drawers in the frig and sure enough nearly all the fresh produce had gone bad including some nice sweet potatoes - ordered delivered some lettuce, tomatoes and berries but did not replace anything else till I can stand long enough to cook again. sheesh I got real down yesterday and today feeling like an old lady - hate this hate this hate this - at least it appears no nerve damage affecting either leg so that is great.   

[Frybabe]

Gosh, what interesting  posts to read this morning.

Barb, what the heck happened; I must have missed something a while back. I am glad you have some help and hope you get better soon.

Bellamarie, I didn't know Clematis is hard to grow. My one and only clematis was a Nelly Moser and it grew well. It was out at the end of the driveway, climbing the lamppost. It was surrounded by Iris of dusky maroon falls and yellow upper petals.  Our red soil was very acidic (4.5ph, if I remember correctly).

I am glad I am not the only one who no longer wants to deal with issues like flaky computers (and other things). I thought I was just getting lazy. When things open up here again, I think I will take the laptop up to the local computer repair place and, if he can get it started again, have him install Ubuntu on it. Hopefully I can fix the old HP myself, assuming it is, in fact, the hard drive that went.

You brought back memories of our mail man when I was a child. He was a war friend of my dad's so we took to calling him Uncle Harry and would often accompany him on his way up our street. Imagine the mailman walking up the street with a bunch of kids trailing behind. He never minded or had a cross word for us. I never forgot him. We moved to another town about 10 miles away when I was about 15 and didn't see him again until many yeas later I discovered he had become the postmaster. It was a thrill for me to stop by and say hello to an old friend and congratulate him on his promotion. For his part, he was surprised and thrilled to see again one of the Hillside Street posse all grown up.

Ginny, I think of  Steph and MaryPage on occasion. Steph would probably raise an eyebrow or two to learn that I am actually reading/listening to some fantasy now, and enjoying it. She left to pursue other interests. Both MaryPage and Eloise were mainstays in the non-fiction section. MaryPage has not been active on Seniors and Friends since last July, either. I vaguely remember something about MaryPage a good while back, but I don't remember what.

[rosemarykaye]

Good afternoon all,

Firstly - Barb, what on earth happened to you?  I do hope you are starting to feel better, whatever it is.

Bellamarie, thank you so much for your kind words, and for the information from you and from Frybabe about clematis. I have had them in other gardens and they have been fine, but it was not me who planted those, they were already there. I will wait and see if the Westerplatte one comes back next year - thankfully the other one is still doing well. It is very annoying that your garden centre would not refund the cost of the one you had - I think ours would, though I don't know about B & Q, and they are the only place you can buy plants just now. They are a huge hardware chain, many people will not buy plants from them because they are not locally grown, but mainly brought in from the Netherlands and other countries. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but the issue is that they are often not suited to our Scottish climate, so you need to look the plant up before you buy it - and at the moment you don't really have the luxury of popping in and out every 5 minutes.

I too feel like The Library is our online coffee shop, I look forward to seeing what everyone is doing or thinking every day, you are all such great company.

My mother's computer saga continues. My husband spoke to the guy in the shop, and they felt the issue might be with one of the other parts - eg screen or keyboard - (which the guy had not asked to be taken in). Then I got David to call my mother, and she now says the whole problem was with the mouse!  I know she did not say that when I spoke to her!  But she is 92 so she is doing pretty well to use a computer at all. Now David thinks she may just need a new mouse (I suggested that to her many times but she did not agree..) or that the shop should just do a 'factory re-set' in case there is some quirk in the software. Like many of you, I could not care less about how computers work, I just want them to do what i want them to do! So we continue to try to get this fixed, but the guy is only working Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the moment.

In the meantime I finished my Ghost Trees book this morning and it is definitely one of my books of the year so far, so much to think about.

I decided I needed a light quick read before the next review one, so I started GM Malliet's In Prior's Wood - it's her series about an Anglican priest, former spy and amateur sleuth, Max Tudor. Unfortunately, although the series is apparently award-winning, when I began to read this one I remembered what had irritated me about the last one I read. The author is American but has lived in the UK in the past, and although the book is set in England and published by a UK publisher, all of the spellings are American and - worse - many of the expressions are just not what an English person - in particular a rather upper class Englishman - would ever say. The plot isn't bad but I am starting to see only all the things that are wrong about the writing. Also Max is now married to Awena, who is a Wicca (?sp) and Perfect In Every Way. She is so goody-two-shoes that I want to scream.  And they now have a 2 year old who is also Perfect - he can be handily and uncomplainingly left with various helpful villagers whenever Awena needs to potter off somewhere, he is fine in her rather alternative shop full of crystals and suchlike (when my son was that age he would have broken anything that was in any way breakable, just out of sheer curiosity). When they have someone round for dinner, he goes to bed with no problem at all, and before that, while giving him his tea, Awena manages to cook up three course meals (on the AGA of course) in which everything, from the wholemal bread to the preserves, is made by her own fair hands. I have almost finished the book, and I will carry on as some of the other characters are much better, but I really do not know how these books win prizes.

Bellamarie - I understand the point of the post about the man's father wanting to go to the bank (or wherever) to see people he knows, and I do agree that shopping is a social event, but I feel that here in the UK there are now very few places where people have that kind of connection. It's not just in cities - in fact, the smaller shops there may actually be places where people do still recognise one another - but in the country, which still has this aura of idyllic village life - many villages and small communities simply do not have any shops or pubs any more, and many of the properties in the more desirable areas (perhaps especially in the south of England) are either second homes used only at weekends or are lived in by people who work in the city and don't interact much with the rest of the residents.  The exceptions - at least in Edinburgh - are the local libraries and the charity shops. I really do think the latter have become the new community centres (so many council centres having been closed down to save money). When i am browsing the books, I so often overhear people - especially older people - chatting to the staff, who really take the time to get to know them. The same is true in some libraries, though the council has a habit of rotating staff around the branches, and you therefore don't see the same people that often. Even though I am at the moment using the two small grocery shops we have locally, they are both mainly staffed by a rota of students and teenagers - they are all friendly and helpful, but they change so often that you would not really know them, nor they you. Back in Edinburgh the only place where I feel I have a relationship with the owners is my favourite cafe.   Maybe things are different in the US?

I have booked a slot to see Jim Crumley (Scottish nature writer) reading from his latest book at 1pm, so I had better go and see if I can get the technology to work!

Have a good day everyone, Rosemary

[PatH]

Frybabe, we had a conversation about Mary Page in April; that's probably what you're thinking of.  Go back 2 pages, to page 524, and you'll find the bulk of it in posts 20937 and 20947.

[PatH]

Jonathan hasn't been onsite since May 12.  That's long for him; he usually peeks in occasionally even when he's not posting.

Hey, Jonathan, are you all right?