Member: Sakerfalcon

I sing in my church choir, too, although we are a small group of women (we can't get enough men to commit to rehearsal). I helped form the group, so it's a big part of my life.

The urge to clean things is dying down, in part because most things are now Clean Enough, and in part because my back has informed me that it's Had Enough. Today I'm just sort of lazing around, although I still have to clean the kitchen some and clean cat boxes.

I have my herbs planted now -- four different mints, four basils, three sages, and I've added lavender to a bed I'm trying to get going (when I have a regular house with a big yard, I will have a hedge of lavender and a hedge of rosemary -- in Florida, I had a small hedge of rosemary along the front walk, and it smelled wonderful every time the wind blew through it. I have a huge lemon balm growing in back, and I'm thinking of using some of it to make tinctures or maybe even some lotions if I get ambitious.

So has spring shown up over there yet?

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 11:02 am (EST) on May 16, 2013

Spent Saturday helping some friends move into their new house, and since they had rented the truck, they helped get my piano out of storage and into our house, so I have my piano again! Now, to get it tuned and start lessons again. I have a keyboard, but it just is not the same.

It's raining all the time, it seems, and when it isn't raining it either just finished raining or is about to rain, or it has cleared up enough to make one think it won't rain only for clouds to gather again. Charleston is quite different from the upstate area, which is near the mountains/in the mountains of the Appalachians. I've only been to Charleston a few times and that years ago. Upstate is much more pleasant most of the year. This year it's been much, MUCH cooler than in previous years. I took advantage of a break in the rain to get some herbs I'd bought planted. Basils and mints and sages. I still have some to plant but I ran out of potting soil for a few and others are going in the ground, which is too wet right now.

I've also been spring cleaning everything, although I never seem to get caught up. Front porch yesterday. Today, kitchen (again -- I swear I just cleaned the kitchen! and I haven't cooked anything! Of course, my husband cooks but does NOT clean).

I can't stand earbuds, so I have some over-the-ear bluetooth headphones that I like very much, but usually I just have a speaker working. I listen as I'm going to sleep most nights, I listen instead of watching TV -- heck, I even listen occasionally while I'm reading! (playing only stories I know well). I grew up reading with the TV on, so it doesn't bother me over much. But I like listening while I'm knitting or cleaning or anything like that. Some books, though, I not as good in audio books. I know what you mean about reading speed, which is why I am always doing something when I listen,

RIght this minute I have Puck laying in the upfolded "pocket" of my t shirt because she likes to nap in my arms while I'm online and it's hard to type and hold a kitty at the same time. She's willing to compromise. I should just make a sling for her. She's mostly asleep, on her back, her head leaning on my forearm, her paws twitching a little. ADorable. I'll hate waking her up when I have to go downstairs.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 12:59 pm (EST) on May 8, 2013

Cats and books go together. People who don't like cats or dogs always seem a bit sinister to me. ;)

It's being spring here, too, but atypically for my experience of this part of the country. Then again, we had the 5th anniversary of our move here yesterday, so I can't claim long experience. It's been chilly and we've had a lot of rain which moves in and stays for a few days, just pattering down softly and steadily. I was raised in Florida, where the rain comes in hard, pours like crazy, and then moves on to find something else to do while the land steams and swelters behind it.

I'm still plugging away at Excession, but when I'm not reading, I'm listening to the audiobook versions of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King. They are great fun and I enjoy the narrator, Jenny Sterlin. Do you listen to audio books? I can't manage every book that way -- some books just are better in print and sound ridiculous or confusing read aloud. But mysteries, romances, and lighter books work nicely in audio versions.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 12:54 pm (EST) on May 2, 2013

Yay for going home.

I spent a lot of time as a kid visiting my grandmother in North Carolina, in the mountains. She was about 1/2 a mile from a rail line and I remember listening to the trains and seeing the lights in the distance. It was compelling and evocative. This close up thing is for the birds -- and yes, we get some VERY long trains going by here. I'm pro-rail transport (I'd love to get the long haul trucks off the road), but not quite so close by. I often joke that we live on the "wrong side of the tracks" although in this particular area I don't know of a "right side".

Oh, I just got from the university library a different translation of The master and margarita, and a companion book. I plan to read those over the summer and see if I can get a little more from the experience. I just felt like I missed soooo much when I read it, and I liked the book enough to want to get another look at it. The different translation/translator might also prove interesting.

Zeus, by the way, is back to his usual devilry. He's chasing the cats around the house and digging socks out of the laundry, all normal for him. Just in case you have the wrong impression, the cats LET him chase them. This morning, our eldest cat, Bea, sat at the top of the stairs and just glared at him in magnificent superiority, and he was scared to pass her. He kept barking at me to come "save" him so he could get to the stairs (literally, he'd come into my office and bark until I got up to see what he wanted. Bea was just a cat loaf on the top stair, pretending he didn't exist.)

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 8:04 pm (EST) on Apr 30, 2013

I remember when we stayed in London, the B&B we were in was an old Georgian style house up near...Nottinghill Gate? I think? Anyway, we were weirded out the first night because even though we were on the 3rd floor, we kept hearing this loud noise and feeling this rumbling. We were two days figuring out the house sat right over the underground line and we were feeling the trains going by.

Now I live just a few hundred yards from a freight train line. Laws here require that when trains approach a spot where a road crosses the tracks -- especially if there is no guard rail -- the train must blow its horn a couple of times as it approaches. Well, we are just across the street from two such intersections, there's another less than a minute away, and two more in the other direction. Soooo...we always know when the train goes by. And there's usually one around 1 am every night. Sometimes 2 am. It makes the whole building shake.

I'm making more headway in Excession, so the reading thing is improving -- that, or there are fewer fascinating chickens and squirrels and butterflies. But it does take forever for all the pieces to start fitting together, doesn't it? And I feel like just as I am getting into the story and am "seeing" it rather than reading text, the section ends and we switch to another of the points of view and I'm back to reading text. Still, I'm curious enough to be looking at reading other Culture novels.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 4:16 pm (EST) on Apr 30, 2013

Sounds like an interesting pile! I'm trying to get my head back around to reading some of the books I have started. I have a book on "mind blindness" -- basically, why some people can't interpret the actions of other people, while most of us can to some degree or other -- a number of fiction works, and a couple more nonfictions. And I still haven't pulled Excession from the back seat of my car. I'm a very bad reader this month. I'm going to blame the pollen in the air :) South Carolina, especially this area right in the foothills of the Appalachians, is notorious for pollen.

Zeus is doing fine and dandy now, eating everything he gets near (which isn't always a good thing) and while his energy flags more quickly than usual, he's just as eager to play and walk and get into trouble!

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 1:13 pm (EST) on Apr 26, 2013

Well, had a bout of Serious Dog Illness over the weekend which took up all time and energy and attention. Zeus is recovering now and all looks great, but it was a rather exhausting weekend. I took Excession in the car to read at the vet hospital but was too worried to read. I think it's still in the car so I'll have to go fetch it. And the late nights/early mornings blew up the sleep schedule, so I slept for about 12 hours monday night/tuesday morning, but that has settled. Now starting all over to get back on schedule. Thanks for asking!

So what did you get from the library?

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 11:45 am (EST) on Apr 25, 2013

Got a little bit more read last night, but I'm having sleep problems and so passed out before I could get far (just through that first banquet with the Afronters) and then slept about 14 hours and STILL feel sleepy. Bah. Mucking with my reading schedule, all this sleep.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 1:52 pm (EST) on Apr 18, 2013

We have a bit of the chase and smack around here, too, and a lot of wrestling.

Good luck on the reading!

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 3:06 pm (EST) on Apr 16, 2013

She was too cute NOT to find a home that day!

I couldn't live without a pet of some sort. Right now, we have 1 dog, 5 cats, 2 fancy goldfish, and a very mean bird. The bird -- Sweetie, although she's not -- belonged to my dad and when he died I knew no one would take her (he had other birds but we found homes for them). I'm the only person she seems to like and even so, she only LIKES me -- she will still bite hunks out of my hand given a change. The cats won't go near her and she thinks she can eat the dog (she barely 12 inches long from beak to the end of her tail -- LITTLE bird).

I'm ridiculously fond of my goldfish, though. Wanda and Willy. They are lovely, but they are a lot harder to keep than you'd think. Fancy golffish -- the ones with the large graceful fins -- require a lot of tank space, which is why we only have two.

You're welcome to vicariously enjoy my cats via pictures, though :)

I've only been to London once, and that for only a few days some years back. It was incredible. I didn't see nearly everything because I was sucked in by the British Museum. I spent far too much at the bookstore there and had to ship the books home. We stayed mostly near Hungerford at Littlecote House. It was like staying in a house with all my favorite characters from books.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 9:30 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2013

I'm posting comments as I read along (one of the things I do miss from GR is the ability to post reading status. Often I'd make notes for my reviews later, or just comment to others reading the book along with me.) so maybe we can play a little "What do you think?" as we go.

I also came close to adopting a kitten today -- cutest little black and white cow spot kitten just flirting away. It's adoption day so I know she'll get a home, but even my husband was just "She's so cute! She's SOOOO cute" and I pulled HIM away.

*sigh* cute little cow kitty.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 12:42 pm (EST) on Apr 13, 2013

I was very virtuous this week -- I looked at the used book store and just kept right on driving! I'm not sure how many times I can do that, but, I managed it once!

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 1:56 pm (EST) on Apr 11, 2013

Well, I'm going into Discovery of Witches with low expectations -- I'm thinking I'll save it for when I go up to Maine for vacation, as it seems perfect for sitting by a lake waiting for the sun to go down. I don't want to think too much :)

This is going to be FUN!

I am now about to construct Mount TBR -- all the books I have that I would like one day to read, but haven't managed to get to yet....

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 11:11 am (EST) on Apr 10, 2013

Yes, I have a list on Club Read 2013. I was thinking I'd either duplicate it in SF or possibly split out the SF/F books so as to keep on topic -- haven't made up my mind.

Which ones are on your TBR list? We could always try to read them more or less at the same time, so we could talk about them.

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 9:08 am (EST) on Apr 10, 2013

Thanks, Claire!

I was very careful NOT to dive into your library too deeply last night because I feared the same thing. I'm thinking of adding a collection called "Mount TBR", which will be all the books I'd LIKE to read one day, but I'm not making any commitment to it! The mental image of a towering peak of books...seems appropriate. Also, frightening.

I hope to have many interesting conversations with you. I went through your thread last night, which is what lead me to looking at your library. You seem an interesting and intelligent person, and I need more of those in my life!

Sherri

posted by Murphy-Jacobs at 8:56 am (EST) on Apr 9, 2013

Oh, wonderful!

So pleased it arrived before you went away.

Dee

posted by Soupdragon at 5:05 am (EST) on Feb 6, 2013

Hi Claire,

Just to let you know that I finally got to the post office today and Guard Your Daughters is now on its way.

Dee

posted by Soupdragon at 1:40 pm (EST) on Feb 4, 2013

Hi Claire,

I've finished Guard your Daughters so will be able to post it soon, though maybe not next week as it looks like being pretty hectic!

You are welcome to keep the book as even though it had a lot of charm, I don't think I'll ever feel the need to re-read it.

Dee

posted by Soupdragon at 4:11 pm (EST) on Jan 19, 2013

Thanks Claire. I'll let you know when I'm posting it!

Dee

posted by Soupdragon at 3:59 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2013

Hello Claire,

Sorry Addall wasn't any help but I will certainly pass Guard Your Daughters onto you when I've finished it. I'll let you know after I've read it whether I need it back again or not! It will help it move up the TBR pile actually. I have so many books that I want to read but Guard Your Daughters really should be at the top of the list.

I love the writing in The Dervish House but am finding it a slow read. I started it yesterday and spent much of the day reading it and am still only on page 70. I'm hoping that when I get used to the characters and concepts I'll get a bit faster, I'm having to do a lot of concentrating at the moment! Funnily enough I usually like books written in the present tense though I know a lot of people don't.

I noticed you had a copy of The Eclipse of the Century and wondered if you'd read it yet? It was one of my favourite books of last year.

I'm very much hoping to make the next meet-up and it would be great to see you there. I should hopefully have the book read and posted to you before then, though. I don't think I have your address so PM me with it and I'll let you know when it's in the post!

Happy new year!

Dee

posted by Soupdragon at 6:59 am (EST) on Jan 4, 2013

Let me know how you get on, Claire. I have my fingers crossed for you, too!

posted by Soupdragon at 11:49 am (EST) on Dec 19, 2012