The Library

[Frybabe]

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.

Ginny, I still prefer hardcopy for my history books, but I have begun to buy more in ebook form. Those I read on my tablet because it is 4/c and a larger screen, plus I think the artwork, photos, maps etc. look much better on them than my little ereader. Also, I discovered that some of the books on Audible include pdfs of maps, charts, etc. to go with the reading, and you know how much I adore maps. So, it now mostly depends on price, but not for all. There are still a few that are must haves in hardcopy.

[BarbStAubrey]

the price point is another issue - I'm finding it difficult to choose a $36 Hardback over a $9.99 ebook - I do like the ability to underscore certain sentences or phrases and then mark the page so that instead of books with all these papers sticking out I can now have ebooks that can easily be accessed for just the quotes I want to reference.

For sure some of what I call chit chat books or I think it is considered either light read of women's lit - anyhow at .99 or $1.99 on ebook for a night or maybe a 2 nights read sure keeps down my trips to either Goodwill or Half Price especially since Half Price is buying less and less - it appears the Pandemic is keeping readers out of their stores and their shelves are bulging.

I'm finally owning how I miss browsing - browsing in book stores, in the library even browsing while grocery shopping - now its get in and get out with most places requiring masks so there isn't even the uplifting smile from other browsers to make the experience the joy it was. I want it all to be over and it is finally sinking in this may not be over for several more years. Sorting out everything I own as I have been I found many projects to hunker down with and make my home my world. Even my church is filled with tension and division - I'm Catholic - but then it may be all wishful thinking based on memory.

Started Washington Irving's book on old Christmas and this is the start of the his Christmas tale...

There is nothing in England that exercises a more delightful spell over my imagination than the lingerings of the holiday customs and rural games of former times. They recall the pictures my fancy used to draw in the May morning of life, when as yet I only knew the world through books, and believed it to be all that poets had painted it; and they bring with them the flavour of those honest days of yore, in which, perhaps with equal fallacy, I am apt to think the world was more home-bred, social, and joyous than at present. I regret to say that they are daily growing more and more faint, being gradually worn away by time, but still more obliterated by modern fashion. They resemble those picturesque morsels of Gothic architecture which we see crumbling in various parts of the country, partly dilapidated by the waste of ages, and partly lost in the additions and alterations of latter days.

Old Christmas by Washington Irving

He goes on to say,

Of all the old festivals, however, that of Christmas awakens the strongest and most heartfelt associations. There is a tone of solemn and sacred feeling that blends with our conviviality, and lifts the spirit to a state of hallowed and elevated enjoyment. The services of the church about this season are extremely tender and inspiring. They dwell on the beautiful story of the origin of our faith, and the pastoral scenes that accompanied its announcement. They gradually increase in fervour and pathos during the season of Advent, until they break forth in full jubilee on the morning that brought peace and good-will to men. I do not know a grander effect of music on the moral feelings than to hear the full choir and the pealing organ performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral, and filling every part of the vast pile with triumphant harmony.
 

It is already the 5th and tomorrow is St. Nickolas Day - we are on our way - I'm sure hoping TV cooperates and brings us if nothing else some Christmas movies from the past - I'm already skipping the news so just maybe the month will bring some calmness with a bit less tension and stress.

[ginny]

I agree, Frybabe, it's really nice to be able to blow things UP and see them.

In one of our Latin classes we had an interesting article on the Gradual Discovery  of Glasses https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/gradual-discovery-glasses?utm_source=pocket-newtab  with this image: and  you can see here what some people call a Rolling Stone. This is from the mid 1400's and of course you can see how it magnifies,  and I had a fit, saying why did THEY  have this and WE don't?

 And lo and behold one of the face to face students gave me a mysteriously packaged  one at the end of  the year with a very clever tag and a clever text to read, too, and I have it here and really have about gotten to the point that I can't read without it, new lens transplants or not, and it's amazingly useful. Much better than any magnifying glass and stronger.   For any reading in print.

Barbara, what an absolutely beautiful heartwarming  text, thank you for putting that in here! I love it!

[jane]

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[BarbStAubrey]

thanks for the heads up Jane

I thought this was interesting - was not that aware of the spooky stories being a thing during the Christmas season - the link also provides a Christmas story

https://storyoftheweek.loa.org/2017/12/thurlows-christmas-story.html

[Dana]

Thanks to the recommendation of a friend I am reading a totally brilliant and fantastic book.....Lonesome Dove....and also watching the series which completely represents the book....he writes so well, so cleverly, and the story is so compelling and the characters are so real....a top story....goes along with another top story....A Suitable Boy....also brilliantly, cleverly written , a super story about real people in their own time......there is so much bs written about supposedly super books. Recently I almost  read A Gentleman in Moscow (?)....supposed to be good ....I thought it was phoney.  Anyway, that's just the last one I tried that was supposed to be good and that I didn't like.  I never want Lonesome Dove to end.  As the author says, Augustus is an Epicurean and Call is a Stoic.! And Lonesome Dove is really Newt.

[ginny]

 I love that, Dana! Have not read either of those, Lonesome Dove or A Suitable Boy. I have A Suitable Boy but never really made an effort at it.

Yesterday I had a really nice day.  I sat and read all day, something I haven't had the time to do in more than a year. It was cloudy here and cold and I put on that DISH TV a the recording of a  big fire  which snapped and popped and roared (because I was too lazy to go out on the porch and drag in the real wood) and I SWEAR it made the room warmer. hahaha I kept jumping up to see i f there were a chimney fire when it roared.

I read Christmas Crimes at Puizzel Manor for about the 100th time, in one sitting, totally untroubled by the extremely difficult puzzles, absolutely none of which I could begin to solve and it did not bother me  a bit.

I'm going to see if I can find another Simon Brett this Christmas,  he's smart.

But today The Lincoln Highway came in the mail,  and for some reason it's in big print. I am sure I did not order it that way, but it's paperback and it's by  Amor Towles (the Gentleman in Moscow) which I did not read so I'll see what I think of his prose this time. I've heard a lot about  it and even though Steinbeck did the genre with his Travels With Charley, In Search of America,  which I really liked, I thought I'd give it a whirl.  Despite its size because of the  Large Print, I don't think it will take long.

What's everybody reading?

[Tomereader1]

Ginny, I had read "A Suitable Boy" a short while back, and sorry to say, I can't remember a thing about it.

What I'm reading now is "Uncontrolled Spread" - - Why Covid-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic by Scott Gottlieb, MD (former FDA Commissioner).  It is rather dense and slow-going, but I can't put it down.  To read about the useless internecine battles between CDC, FDA, HHS, WHO, the T Administration, is frustrating and maddening, to say the least.  Basic question is:  Will government act to prepare us for the Next One?
I know this one sounds like a "downer", but it should be required reading.

In between chapters, I'm reading "Tidelands" by Phillipa Gregory.  Piqued my interest in the 1600's English Civil War, which I know very little about.  Maybe I'll know more when I finish the book!  LOL

Hope all is well with you, Ginny.

[ginny]

 I'm good, hope you are! And VERY glad to see you, Tome!! Where have you BEEN?

Sounds like a great book to me!! So much goes on we have no clue about at all. It's a miracle any of us are alive.


You sound like me with the Suitable Boy, I'm the same way, it seems.

I've seriously gotten into bird watching, a sure sign of age.  Did you know they make a bird feeder which automatically shuts when a squirrel sits on it?  True!   That's an idea whose time has come. I never thought to be a bird watcher but boy there are so many  pretty ones here. And I mean I'm sitting here, so one eye can watch while the other types.

[Tomereader1]

Ginny, golly, I have been right here, just reading posts. Not much happening in my life worth writing about. Have been maintaining my "be safe, stay healthy", wearing my mask, distancing, hand washing, etc.  Will be contacting my doctor to see if she thinks I need to get the Booster shot.  I think it will be January before I actually need it.
Worried about this new Omricon mutation.
So, never fear, I am here, just watching, reading posts (bingeing on my BritBox channels--Wow!)
Again, Happy Holidays to you and yours. 
Joanne

[ginny]

I'm so glad to see you back!

Oh MAN don't you love  Brit Box? And for some reason now Amazon Prime is appearing (along with Netflix) on DISH so I can see my shows on a bigger screen than the computer screen which is really nice.

What horrific tornadoes yesterday! They seemed to cut through right where some of our members here live. I  hope we're all safe, golly moses what awful destruction. Frightening!!

I agree on the masks, and I am sometimes the only person in the stores wearing same. I got the Booster as soon as it was available but am surprised to see the Pandemic over when the facts seem to be saying the  opposite. SC does not as yet have the Omicron, and even the supermarket took down the mask signs. I notice the employees are wearing them, though, and me.

Friday in the 2nd supermarket I went to, behold, a mask less person was coughing up a storm into her hand, which hand  then moved to touch everything in sight. She seemed quite ill, I am sorry for her but...it  sounded like a serious disease to me, and that store not only delivers free, it will carry it to your car at no charge.  No mask, no nothing. Nothing. There are plenty of other contagious diseases out there, including what I hear is a very nasty flu locally....Somehow we seem to have lost concern for anybody else.

I am literally turning into Mr Monk. I understand that old show has become a big hit in the pandemic, and it's now appearing on many outlets, and as Jane said earlier all 8 seasons are on Amazon Prime (which I can now see in large size. I need a daily dose of Mr. Monk. hahahaha

[ginny]

I forgot to also mention I'm still  reading Dead Wake by Eric Larson at night, only a few pages at a time but it's absolutely fascinating,  Larson is a great writer. I may even someday get to his Devil in White City if this keeps on. The title is off-putting but I do have the book, strongly recommended by my DIL.      And then there's the Splendid and the Vile.

I also started The Body on the Beach by Simon Brett. I really like Simon Brett's The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor (which I have said a million times), so tried the first book in his Feathering (name of British village) series:  The  Body on the Beach in one of those kindle samples (really like Kindle samples) and am getting the first two of his Feathering series. It took many pages for him to get to the main character, unlike the norm, lots of description of the place,  and it's a village on the coast of Britain, our heroine has moved there, but it's odd, odd. Little ....are they foreshadowings?  I think it's intended as a cozy mystery series, but there's always that little Brett twist...lurking...so far I'm enjoying it very much.

What's everybody reading?

[jane]

I'm trying out some new-to-me HEA novelists since I joined Kindle Unlimited for .99 for 3 months.  That was just too cheap to pass up and perfect for the cold winter months up here in the rural north.

I'm also allotting out my Mr. Monk viewing...and seeing quite a few I'd not seen before. 

Our hospitals are still full of covid and other "nasties" according to the reports.  I do see a lot more people (yes, older ones, for sure and some younger women with small children) wearing masks now.

jane

[Tomereader1]

Jane, "HEA novelists"?  I don't think I recognize that abbreviation!  LOL.  I don't recognize a lot of stuff anymore !!

[Frybabe]

Tomereader, HEA stands for Happily Ever After. I think they are all romances, but I am not sure.

I haven't been reading anything worth noting. Just on the last book of another SciFi series that is kind of interesting, and I like the characters, but don't care too much for the direction it went.  I am still listening to Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan but have paused it for a few days. It isn't one of my favorites in his Elan series.

[ginny]

Great minds run together, Jane, or I flatter  myself, but I also just did the Kindle Unlimited thing. I also did the Audible thing after holding out and I know I won't keep both of those  up. But for the ability...when my car totaled itself last December by taking off down the hill into a tree, my new car does not have a CD player. In the hope that someday I might again get back to Europe I thought to try to improve my Italian and if I have those on Kindle they will play in the new car, so I am now enjoying once again language tapes.

 ( I dislike the new tapes,  I learned more on the Old Berlitz Learn in Your Car things, the new Learn in Your Car series are not as good).  However I guess if I HAD learned well in the car in the first place, I would not need the new tapes now, right?

At any rate, with my Kindle I am reading a short book about the "Pandemic new trend" cruising in small luxury ships (which I have absolutely NO desire to even contemplate) told from the point of view of a man hired as lecturer and his son whom he could take along (11  years old). It's quite interesting, very short.

A shipboard lecturer to the Rich and Famous is treated quite differently than you would expect. He also talks about Dubai, which he said is not fueled by oil as so many think, and while there is a quite  small Muslim population, the bulk of people there are rich Ex Pats. Isn't that interesting?  He's a world traveler and I'm enjoying his exotic places which I have absolutely NO interest in ever seeing, in fact they make me tired reading about them, he's got the touring energy of the Energizer Bunny, but that just shows me how narrow my perspective is and how old I really AM because I'm not going to Dubai, Singapore, etc. I actually wouldn't go if it were free, but I would do the Roman  ruins of North Africa, if I were able, in a heartbeat,   which seem to be opening back up.

He also decries  ship excursions and says why. I kind of agree with his viewpoint on them, having done both.

At any rate, it's escapism and an interesting point of view. Armchair kibitzing and opinions from me. hahaha

Frybabe,  what would you say is your all time favorite Si Fi book if you could ONLY list one? If you could ONLY read ONE, which would it be?  It seems the ultimate escape book to me, and I'd like to try the genre again?

[Frybabe]

Separating me from all but one book in any genre would be extremely difficult for me. But since it is only one, I can narrow the field considerably because I would not want one that would leave me mighty irritated that I can't read the rest of a series. So, after some consideration, I would have to say Way Station by Clifford D. Simak. Civil War vet becomes a way station administrator for aliens traveling through. Netflix announced plans to make it into a movie, but they apparently found "better" things to do because they have yet to do anything with it.

Are you surprised that the book I chose is not a space based science fiction novel? 

[ginny]

 I'm surprised that I never heard of it. Or the author.   BUT I have a little bit left on a gift card so I ordered it in paperback from Amazon to give it the best chance instead of on Kindle. Because of the pandemic I don't use the library any more.

But I've been thinking about that question as well, as to what I would answer. If one could only recommend ONE book to a person what would you recommend? That's a hard one. You'd have to eliminate the Bible, or any  religious book, so other than that choice, assuming that the Bible or religious genre was a given as Book #1, what would be Book #2?

And then you'd have to indicate the circumstances. For instance is this the ONLY book you ever will have forever more? So that you  would need to read it again and again? Or is this just ONE Book you recommend that...I guess..is  the best book you can think of at the time?

I think that would make a difference in the selection. It's an interesting question. The bird sitting here on the bush looking in would like to know an answer too. It's a VERY big robin.

[BarbStAubrey]

OH my that is a question isn't it... At first I thought of the longest books ever written and then I thought why - why am I choosing one - will I be in the Wilderness or a deserted Island or what - why one book other than a religious book - because if I am never going to have another book and I am in an environment where there are no other books than I need a 'how to' book how to take care of myself in whatever the environment - then I thought, wait a minute - if it were a flood or some other natural disaster what book would I grab - and for that I had an answer -

The book I would choose may not be as long or as instructive or as psychologically deep with lots of metaphors or as funny, which was a path I took trying to figure out a book I could laugh out loud reading but it had to be - I could not conceive of the idea of being without my Grandmother's book that she gave to me when I was 10 after she finished reading it, saying to me, this is about a real German, Count von Luckner the Sea Devil - this would be during WWII in 1943 when German's were looked down upon and we only heard of bad Germans, not yet even the nightmare camps - attempting to choose one book would be painful not also grabbing the few books I have that were my mothers when she was a child, although I would try.

I'm wondering if this question hoped to learn the book we each believed to be the best or if it was to show the kind of book we prefer - obviously books held and read by family elders is more important to me than the story told in a book or the instructions given or the problems to be solved or the emotion touched over and over with each reading - or maybe it is the emotion touched as the memory of my Grandmother and her pride in what was good, noble and just during a conflict that seemed to produce more who were brutal and full of self-importance over others.   

[ginny]

Thinking about our Jane this morning as we all watched the weather last night in horror moving across the Midwest, reports of two tornadoes on the ground where Jane is.  I hope everybody HERE and in those areas affected are safe and OK!

Barbara, what an interesting book. No, there's nothing behind the question  (which was mine) but curiosity. Frybabe has been alerting us to SciFi for some time and I thought I'd try one that she would recommend. That led to the question which seems to be more interesting the longer you think about it.

What an interesting book you chose, and the reason why is, too.

I can't decide for my own choice   There are too many jostling each other for first place. Maybe we need to narrow the parameters and have more choices. Like one book if you could have no other, other than the Bible, etc., to read for the rest of your life? The world has ended, you get one book.

The best mystery? The best contemplative book? The best.....

If you could have no other book for the rest of your life, what would  it be? My knee jerk first thought to be honest was The Remains of the Day. But then how many times could you read it again? How about my book of Shakespeare's plays (all of them)? 

But how about the book you once thought was the best in the world (Arrowsmith, haven't read it in 50 years.) The book you quote the most (A poem: The Ancient Mariner) . The best poem  you ever read: A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes, closely followed by Mending Wall, Robert Frost.

I mean there are too many good ones!! Sherlock Holmes, the complete set in one volume.

Maybe the question should be if you had to make a Library for yourself as the world was ending what 5 books would be on the shelf?

Maybe Ages and Stages, ONE book from your childhood, one book from  your....teen  years, I mean...all these books keep barging in front, and demanding to be heard, some of which I have not read for  half a century. Which ones stand out?

[Frybabe]

I thought that would be a hard one to answer, Ginny, because I would have to consider the individual to whom I am making the recommendation. But, everyone has to eat so, how about a basic cookbook? My old Fanny Farmer book was a go to for many things. It was only a paperback and eventually fell apart, the newer versions "modernized" the recipes and dropped some. Big bummer. To me the first one I had was my bible for making lots of things, but especially, pie dough. As long as I followed it faithfully. I got great crusts. All of my cookbooks are old. I have no idea what I would recommend now.

I do recommend books or series to my BIL in North Carolina. He is a big Science Fiction fan. The last I recommended was a series which he tore through just as I did. Mostly I just describe books that I am reading, like here, in case someone is interested in the topic or genre.

BTW, Ginny, Way Station reminds me a little of the Twilight Zone stories. I did consider Ursula le Guin's The Disposessed or The Left Hand of Darkness, H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy or its contemporary remake Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi, and Jack McDevitt's Eternity Road. I chose Way Station because it is a somewhat unusual, contemplative story and worth many reads. I've read it twice and intend on reading it again.

[Frybabe]

Uh oh, more thinking. I'll have to think on the additions, but one contender for a post-apocalyptic world would be Jack McDevitt's Eternity Road. It isn't a book filled with mutants and destruction, but a hopeful trip across the continent to find a fabled repository of knowledge.

Oh, I like the five book bookshelf. Still a bit narrow for me, but hey, what books would I take if I could only take what I could carry, or had very little room to fit in? Thinking!

[jane]

I'm safe and no damage to my house or neighborhood as best I can tell.  Still very windy here.  I think one of us is from Wisconsin, so hope she is safe, too. Drop in temps from 70 yesterday to 29 this morning. 

jane

[ginny]

I sure am glad to see you, and that you are OK! The films of it are awful and here they mostly come at night and you can't see it coming.

  They are saying that "tornado alley" is moving East.  What a horror they are. Just a horror!

[Frybabe]

Just a note for anyone using the Overdrive app. Overdrive is discontinuing their "legacy" app as of Feb 1922, and will completely drop it by the end of next year. They are in the process of moving everyone over to Libby by Overdrive. As far as I can tell, you can still only get Libby through the Apple Store or through Google Play.

[ginny]

I don't have that, but I do have to say that the kindle unlimited has allowed me to read a lot of things free I would not have, and I'm enjoying it. Am reading one on a waiter to the rich and  "shameless," as he calls it, and one on touring France, neither of which I might have paid for and both of which are so far, interesting. I worked as a waitress after school after hockey and on weekends, and it has given me a lifelong over-tip reaction in restaurants

So many good things to read, so little time.

[ginny]

I'm beginning to see why the waiter  book is free,  hahaha. It's beginning to fizzle out with me. Lots of celebrities, not at their best, perhaps, but so far treated with kindness. Lots about how much power the waiter has...er....? Huh? People don't realize how MUCH power the waiter has.

 I never had any.

I thought the whole schtick  of the snooty Maître d' thing was long past. Of course this book WAS written before the Pandemic.  And it deals with very expensive restaurants. I wonder if anything has changed?

I have to say that watching that second series on Youtube of the Savoy Hotel in London and the entire restaurant with all those Michelin stars they brought in as a....I guess publicity stunt..... kind of put me off that sort of thing.  It  sold out, but it featured live ants as part of the menu.  I mean a live ant is a  live ant, available in any back yard. One has not cultivated (as you can see) a fine palate. One is a philistine in that area. At least the service and personal attention at the Savoy do seem nice.  But again, surely everybody likes to be treated with respect?  One would think the hoteliers and restaurants would be glad to see anybody at this point, carrying live ants or not.

I am really surprised at the impact of Covid on businesses here. Another branch bank of our bank has closed, just overnight. Bang, no warning, no  ATM, either. And it's a BIG Bank. We have to drive quite a way, mileage wise,  now,  if we need to physically go to a bank.  Overnight you might say a new world has emerged.

Ah well, one can still retreat into books.

On the mundane home front, quite happy with the new squirrel proof bird feeder. They can't get up the pole to start with and if they do, it closes its little doors and they can't clean one out of feed. The happy part is the birds are sloppy feeders and the squirrels are happy to run about under the feeder and eat, so it's win/ win for everybody and everybody is happy.

[BarbStAubrey]

The pandemic is pushing more and more connections with a hand held computer devise - banking as we knew it appears to be a thing of the past - even receiving the most unusual these days, a paper check, can be deposited without filling out any form or driving to a bank or even walking across a room - just take a photo and off it goes - paying the grocery bill without a credit card but taking funds directly from your bank account is simply swiping your hand held phone devise on the tech equipment installed at the check out counter - and if you check yourself out it is simply the pressing of a few keys - they still have not figured out how to program these devises to shine your shoes or iron the tablecloth - ah so I guess the best we ever got in that department was a dishwasher.

Another phenomenon I'm seeing is not only is a huge percentage of the work force working from home but many, especially women are simply quitting - they are staying home and raising their children without the added expense of childcare or after school care or a 'working' wardrobe or the cost of commuting and cost of meals or extra time to fix, pack and bring their lunch - they realize all the costs associated with working was not adding that much to their life. I think women have now attained enough power that it does not take a significant job to prove themselves and they can be the meaningful partner in a marriage and the family is not as inclined to treat her as a doormat so this change to becoming an at home Mom is not bringing women to the place that in the past was almost a stigma to be an at home Mom. 

And then on top both men and women in their late 50s and early 60s are retiring - again the benefits to working were not outweighing the benefits of downsizing and doing the things that in a few years where they would have retired but their body would be older and health could be an issue and they no longer have a responsibility of children to even live where their children could attend the best school, left and right I'm seeing friends of my children all retiring and moving into smaller homes. 

And so yes, Ginny, I agree, lots of change - there is probably many more we are not yet conscious of - I know I have not been inside a grocery story in over a year - Last time I went i was exhausted after walking up and down those aisles and then having to backtrack since they move things around - I know... I could take one of those electric car like things but having the groceries delivered beats that loss of dignity.

[Frybabe]

I pretty much agree with you there, Barb.

Ginny, I use Libby/Overdrive because I can borrow audiobooks and  e-books that are not compatible with Kindle, there are a few that I want to read that are .epub which are not compatible with Kindle, and I can borrow books that are not on the Kindle Unlimited list.

I am starting a nonfiction called Gladius by Guy De le Bedoyere. It is about the life of the everyday Legionnaire as described by various first person accounts, letters, tombstone inscriptions, and the like. This is one I would have to pay for if not for it currently being in FLP's listings. I have also started listening to a new Michael J. Sullivan book in the Elan universe called Theft of Swords. I must still have a half-dozen of them to go and he is still writing them. Lastly, I am half way through the second of Evan Currie's Archangel series, Archangel Rising.

Oh, I am sooooo addicted to books and reading.

[ginny]

 Books are wonderful, aren't they? It's just finding (or so I find) the RIGHT book. Maybe it's age? I mean you pass the point, surely where coming of age books have any appeal. Why IS that? Been there done that?

I can see now why Ella Gibbons always preferred non fiction. THERE is something perhaps one has not done which one can enjoy reading about and possibly relating to OR learning something.

Frybabe, I  like Guy De le Bedoyere, but I have not read any fiction from him, so let us know if it's useful or enjoyable so we can pass it on or read it ourselves?

Barbara, yes.... dignity. I admire somebody wanting to retain some, as there is quite a bit surrendered,  isn't there? Yet we're the same person, surely. I get called "hon," a lot.

Ages and stages.

I had the BEST day  yesterday. I had sprained something  apparently in  my  knee, all swollen,  so had to sit all day (much better today)  and watch and listen to  the (recorded) fire on the tv and read, what a lovely day that was. I am reading that Big Book of Christmas Mysteries from Barnes and Noble in paperback (and it's BIG)  by a million authors..although to be honest, a "Big Book" of anything does remind me of my childhood.

But it is writing of the old style, lovely lovely experience. Crackling fire, I swear it's warm, ahahaha a good book, a fire, escape. Life is good.

[Frybabe]

Ginny, I don't think Guy De le Bedoyere has written any fiction. I have his Defying Rome: The Rebels of Romam Britain in print but have yet to read for some reason, Praetorian in e-book form (read) and now Gladius which I borrowed. Praetorian was interesting; Gladius promises to be the same. I remember De le Bedoyere from the Time Team series.

[ginny]

OH, it's non fiction? I'll be darned.  I thought he was emulating Goldsworthy, and starting a fiction series. Well then, I especially want to know if it's useful.

There is one question, the second half of an old question unresolved, concerning that that pike of wood (not the weapon called "a pike," ) but that piece of wood carried by every soldier in his back pack    We know that that piece of wood, or stake if you like, shown in the middle here  was used in constructing the top of the ramparts of  the Marching Camp they built every day when they stopped,  but it doesn't seem to be known  if they retrieved it or any other piece from that camp when they moved on....

It certainly would make sense to remove anything needed for the next camp? But did they?

If  he happens to mention it, I sure would like to know it.

[ginny]

And from all of us here on SeniorLearn, our best wishes to each of you for a Merry Christmas tomorrow, no matter how you choose to celebrate it, and we hope that we all can look forward to a return to a Happy and  "Normal" New Year in 2022!

What's that  wonderful old quotation?

“Heap on more wood! - the wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will,
We'll keep our Christmas merry,  still.”

The best of the season to you all!

[BarbStAubrey]

Take off Ginny on quote for our Christmas 2021

“Turn on the AC! - the sun is a grill;
But let it sizzle as it will,
We'll keep our Christmas merry, still.”

Shorts and Tshirt weather with a lush laze on the patio sipping coffee or coke. Very high 70s or low 80s for the week - except there is rampant ceder fever with heavy ceder pollen exploding from trees and carried on the slightest breeze it would be ideal.

I must say the Downton Christmas show that I did not run out to see in theaters and waited till it did not cost an arm and leg to rent on Amazon, came across surprisingly well on PBS tonight - when I finally saw it as an  Amazon rental I was disappointed. I thought it did not carry the depth of the episodes during a typical season but either my expectations have been adjusted or there was more there than I originally thought, I did enjoy the Christmas show and saw each character working through their issue - as usual grand dame, dowager countess Violet (Maggie Smith) elevates the entire show and downstairs Anna as well as Mr. Molesley ran away with their performances. Perfect Christmas night show - I also thoroughly enjoyed Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar 

[ginny]

Barbara, how clever, what a hoot! Love it!

I haven't seen Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar, it looks great, however.  I did see a Christmas Monk where he had to play Santa Claus. hahahaaaaa Love that show.

But I was sad not to be able to see Scrooge with Alistair Sim and then lo and behold they ran it non stop late Christmas night, and I was able to see the Marley part and then tape it, and it's the old black and white one from 1951.  I was so surprised (!!??) to see how young Alistair Sim looked..hahahaha I recall him as an old man. Humbug. He was only 51 years old in 1951 and looked it, guess HU has done the aging?

Everybody looks like a teenager to me now.

But  I know this bunch of readers has received or is busy ordering  some great reading!! I know I am, what a pleasure this morning. Like a  kid in a candy shop, choosing from those gift certificates.

What new things have you embarked on?

For my part my grandson had given me  Tales of the City by Maupin, which I have always heard about but never read, so have started on it:  so far, so good. My oldest son and DIL gave me The Vatican: All the Paintings:  The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and Other Artifacts about the art in the Vatican (since I still can't go) and in it have finally found out the name of this artist: (Melosso de Foril from the mid 1400's) and the story of his incredible frescoes such as this one: that are just standing there, a whole wall of them, in the Vatican Museum, from a church which was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1700's. The written descriptions there  there are not over informative.  They are spectacular and I now know the story of them. I didn't know what they were or who did them.  It's a priceless book and is available in paperback, too, from Walmart online, believe it or not. The hardback and case must weigh 20 pounds.  It's a feast  in every sense of the word.

It's actually nice to know what you're looking at. It would be ideal in kindle so that you could whip it out when standing there. WILL we ever stand there again? That's the question, one is not getting any younger here. One actually does not have to go now.

 Am reading daily now that Big Book of Christmas Mysteries which is organized by genre, and I'm finding that I really like rediscovering Robert  Barnard ( who is mostly on kindle but has some you can hold in hand) and Catherine  Aird  (who appears to  be only on kindle, but I'm glad to have her, and am starting on her The Calleshire Chronicles)... Isn't it funny how a certain type of writing appeals more than another?  I've not read them and  I am not sure what her books are classified as, cozy mysteries? Anyway, I like her writing style. I miss that type of writing.

We set a record Christmas Day, it was 71 degrees. Unheard of. I am not sure what this means but it's kind of odd and scary. Did any of you have a White Christmas?

Did any of you watch the Queen's Speech? I thought it moving and can't now get that hymn out of my head.

What's happening where you are?

[BarbStAubrey]

Grandsons all gifted me a book -
Chris loves this series and thought I would also... The Terminal List by Jack Carr -

Then from Cody, who knows my concern with the church Hierarchy there is... Finding Viganò by Moynihan...

From Cooper, his twin brother who knows I love Irish writers... The Shortest Day by Tóibín - 

From Cade, who has spent a several months in Mexico and knows how my living so close I choose to get my news from Mexico as well as, about half our TV stations are either from Mexico or Spanish speaking and so I received from him...Fire and Blood A History of Mexico by T.R.Fehrenbach -

And finally, like the Imp he can be, Ty gave me to laugh out loud...The Little Old Lady Behaving Badly by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, in addition to A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier, about a women after WWI who lost her man and joins a group of women who needlepoint kneelers for the local Cathedral.

Now when I'm tuckered out from sorting, tossing, boxing I have a newly created library of paperbacks to read when I'm recouping in my corner of the sofa.

Frybabe this may be of interest to you - clearing out the kitchen drawer holding my paperback cooking books I found those I collected during my travels - I usually pick up a cookbook of local foods rather than other souvenirs easily found for tourists - At one time I visited Cardiff and picked up by Sian Llewellyn Customs and Cooking from Wales - the author thanks a Mr. Degwel Owen, head of the Department of Welsh at Swansea College of Education for the Welsh Translations into English. Among several traditions written about that take place this time of the year he explains Plygeiniau...

"On the borders of Clwyd and Powys especially in the Tanad Valley it is traditional at Christmas time to hold a particular type of Christmas Carol service - This is known as the Plygeiniau. It consists of male singers going from church to church during the season. At each church they render unaccompanied performances of carols in Welsh."

"A custom associated with the Christmas season is the collection of New Year gifts by children. This is known as Calennig. While the custom is of course widespread, in Glamorgan it took an interesting form. Fruit such as apples and oranges are decorated with springs of holly and with raisins and studded with grains of oats. Three wooden skewers are fixed on the fruit to form a tripod stand carried by the children who sing traditional verses. The following are English examples of what they sing:

"The snow lay on the ground, the star shone bright When Christ our Lord was born on Christmas night." 'Twas Mary, daughter of Holy Ann That brought him to this world, our Lord made man' "She laid him on the straw at Bethlehem, The ass and oxen shared the room with them."

 

There are two more about New Year's customs that I will type out the copy in the next day or two...

Here is a short recipe for: Caws Pompiwn - in English Marrow Cheese - first I had to find out what is a marrow -

A marrow or marrow squash, is a green, elongated, mild flavored fruit that resembles a zucchini. It may come in slightly different shapes and sizes such as oblong, oval or globular, and may grow anywhere from nine inches long to 18 inches

I'm thinking of trying this using a zucchini since I have never seen a marrow in our grocery stores.

Marrow Milk Cheese salt and pepper Peel the marrow and cut into chunks. Remove all seeds. Boil with salted water until tender. Drain and place in a fireproof dish. Cover with grated cheese and brown under the grill

Instructions say nothing about the milk but I bet the cheese is mixed with milk to make it like a sauce when it is grilled or maybe just cover the chunks of marrow in the fireproof dish first with milk and then the cheese. I think I will give this a go next time I shop for veggies...

Frybabe do you have any info on the kind of cheese that is popular and would be used in Wales?

[Frybabe]

It has been good while since I thought of Welsh cheeses. I used to order some from a place up near the Hudson River in NY for Mom. The only two I remember are Tintern cheddar, and a cheese curd the brand of which I can't remember. Mom was very fond of cheese curd. There were several other varieties of specialty cheddars I bought too. Many of the cheeses were local or regional made. I do remember on that was infused with mustard seed but don't recall the name. I have no clue what is popular with the locals over there. My sister and I have lost touch with our relatives and Mom's friends a long time ago. Now you have me on the hunt. That is another thing I lost track of, the name of the shop in NY. There was a well known cheese shop in Bethlehem (PA), but unfortunately it burned down. George liked to get Esrom from there. To me the stuff was just as stinky as Limburger. UGH!

I remember Mom used to frequently make Welsh Cakes, Welsh Rarebit, Bubble and Squeak, Shepard's Pie, and Yorkshire Pudding. Of course I stopped making and eating Yorkshire Pudding when I cut out eating fatty meats. Pity, it is one of the food may for the gods, IMO.

Okay, a quick search shows that several sites, Archive and Open Library included, have the book but it is listed as limited access. Another few sites are offering pdf, Kindle (mobi?), and epub versions if you join up (for a fee). Now that last is interesting. Interesting that these offer Kindle versions, but Amazon does not have the book listed on their Kindle site. I think I signed up for Open Library a few years back, but haven't been on the site recently.

Barb, I think marrow and zucchini are essentially the same thing. I didn't know that until I looked it up.

PS: My latest Welsh book acquisition is The Strangeness That Is Wales (Jack's Strange Tales Book 3) by none other that Jack Strange who takes his name seriously. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Couldn't find the book for Kindle but did find it at Amazon for a penny - shipping is usually 3.98 and so add a penny and for essentially $4. you too can have a copy of Sian Llewellyn's Customs and Cooking from Wales

I wonder if the cheese from Mexico would be closer than our American Cheddar - the Mexican cheese is a bit softer, defiantly whiter and melts well since most Mexican recipes call for melting the cheese.

Found on Amazon The Strangeness That Is Wales - it is available on Kindle - sounds interesting and also sounds like it is written in a light hearted way - I've my pile for now but on my saving for later list...

[BarbStAubrey]

Ok here we go with another Welsh custom celebrating the New Year - Dŵr Dydd Calan

"At new year, at three or four o'clock in the morning, boys carrying a pitcher of cold spring, freshly drawn, water visit the homes of those in the area. This custom is traditional in South Wales, especially in Pembrokeshire. The boys sprinkle water on the hands and faces of everyone they meet. As well the boys carry twigs of box, myrtle, holly or other evergreens. Every room of every house they enter is sprinkled with water and if they cannot enter, the doors are sprinkled. In Pendine, Carmarthenshire is practiced on the OLD New Year's Day."

'Before the Gregorian calendar was adopted by Britain in 1752, the New Year began on what is now the 12th of January. The people of the Gwaun Valley still celebrate the old New Year's Day. Hen Galan, on that date. In the morning children go out to collect the traditional New Year gifts and in the evening there are parties to celebrate the beginning of the year for the inhabitants.

In Tenby, Dyfed, it is traditional for children to sprinkle passers-by with fresh raindrops from twigs or bushes or holly.  It is thought the custom originated in pre-Christian days but by mediaeval times the practice was associated with Christianity and the Virgin Mary. '

Another simple recipe

1 large fresh salmon Salt 1 lemon Wash fish in saltwater Place whole in salted water and bring slowly to boiling point Simmer gently allowing 10 minutes per pound Serve cold with a mixed salad.

 

[PatH]

Where does the lemon come in?  Give people wedges for sprinkling, or add juice to cooking water?