Whisper1(Linda) Thread #5

I'm starting the thread with photos of our new sheltie puppy Lilly. She is a joy, and a burst of energy, at times stubborness and always affectionate:

And, here is a photo of my front garden from Fall 2012

Ahhh Lilly photos! Lovely, thank you!

> 2: the garden looks good, but Fall 2012????

Sweet little Lilly. She looks very cuddlesome! Your plants are beautiful, Linda, no matter what year it is!

Your garden will be very beautiful this fall, Linda! ;-) And Lilly is adorable all the time.

Two beauties - Lily and your garden!

Linda, Lilly looks like a Steiff stuffed toy. She's just so cute. And your flowers are beautiful.

To comment on your last post or so from your last thread, yes, I know the feeling of being overwhelmed with books on the shelves (or floor) waiting to be read. Well, I guess almost all of us do. Sometimes I regret not jumping on the new and popular LT title, but I've really cut back. Now I'm considering restructuring my entire apartment, and it will include changing but probably not expanding my bookshelf space. I will continue to winnow titles and editions, and to use my Kindle for new titles where possible.

Ach, I'm addicted. MORE Lilly pictures, MORE!!!!

I gave up on catching up, so here I am again, turning up at the beginning of a fine new thread with good intentions of NOT GETTING SO FAR BEHIND AGAIN!!!!!
Lilly is a doll!
Hope you're well, Linda.

Congratulations, Linda, on restraining yourself from the book buying, I know only too well how difficult that is! Good luck with the decluttering as well.

Linda congrats on your latest thread...clearly loving your time with Lilly.

Checking in on the new thread before I invariably get behind again!

Hi Linda - Stopped by for a puppy fix. Awwwww..thanks! :)

Adorable puppy; beautiful garden! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Lovely photos, Linda! Sweet puppy and pretty garden!

I am so proud of myself that I got out of the mall today without buying anything from the book store. :) But I bought 3 on Amazon earlier this week. :(

What a darling puppy and a gorgeous garden! So glad that I stopped by!

Thanks to all for visiting here. The end of the semester, a new puppy and the floor installation equate to very little time reading and almost no time on LT. I am frustrated because two of my favorite stress releases aren't on the wheel of time right now.

I'm taking a few minutes between appointments with students to thank all of you for your support and for visiting my thread even though I've been lax in visiting yours.

Lilly is a handful. It is very analogous to having a baby in the house. She needs a lot of attention and close watch. A few weeks ago she was too little to walk down the deck steps and therefore she discovered the slats and popped her way through them in order to get into the yard.

This week she is a bit larger and is more comfortable climing the steps. When we tethered her in the yard, I saw that the leash was long enough for her hop up on the steps and then try to get back through the slats. She was dangling on the leash mid air....What a panic until I could release her.

The tethered cord/leash is now much shorter.

And, alas noting photos of fall 2012 when in reality it was fall 2011 only indicates that I need to slow down...somehow...

BOOK#46

Enchantments by Kathryn Harris

Oh how I loved this book. It was a perfect opportunity to put he stress of the last few weeks aside and to delve into great historical fiction.

Told from the perspective of Rasputin's daughter Masha, the reader learns a softer side of Rasputin. Known as the Mad Monk with a libido, a dirty peasant who helped topple the Romanov dynasty, and a starets who influenced Nicholas and Alexandra in their quest to help Alosha their hemophiliac son, Masha paints a broader picture of Rasputin.

In this novel we learn that he had three legitimate children, one simple minded, one manipulative, and another compassionate and strong.

In this novel, when Rasputin is killed two of his daughters become wards of the Romanovs. Masha becomes the friend of Alosha and as their relationship unfolds, we are privy to the every day lives of the royal family.

As the dynasty collapses and Alosha becomes increasingly bed ridden, there is a wonderfully written insight into the lush life filled with palaces, yachts and Fabrege eggs contrasted with the degradation suffered at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Of interest is the fact that in real life, Masha escaped Russia, joined a circus and moved to the United States.

The beauty of historical fiction is that it opens doors to research truth from fiction. While Masha visited the royal palace with her father, she did not live with the Romanovs after her father died.

Linda, Love the pics of Lilly, keep posting them as you can of course. I understand about life getting in the way of reading as well as checking other peoples threads, it gets frustrating sometimes to not have your stress release so readily available.

Phew thank goodness you caught little miss Lilly in time, so she didn't strangle herself. That would have put me in a panic too.. Glad you have it figured out so she cannot do that again.

Take care stop in and by when you can.. Hopefully things slow down for you soon.

Hi Linda! I'm so happy you have a new puppy in your life, though I know what you mean—they sure are a handful. Lilly is such a lovely name!

I'm sorry to hear you've got too much on your plate right now, though please don't feel at all bad about not being to visit everyone. I'm considerably less busy than you, and now that I've been making sure to do other things with my days than spending them on LT full time, I barely have time to visit just a handful of threads a day and am always woefully behind on everyone. The way I see it, we're just lucky to have this group of wonderful people to keep in touch with, no matter the frequency.

Hugs to you my dear!

I'm working with my new camera. I hope this comes thorugh.

one more try

Awwwww sweet Lilly!

The pictures in 23 and 24 are coming through for me!

The baby analogy is so true, for any baby animal! And it can be quite an adjustment from an older dog, because they are so needy of your attention and care. Soon, SOON, the semester duties will be over and you can relax with your baby at home and find a little time for other activities.

Precious puppy! Beautiful child!! Linda, I'm wishing you time to enjoy both.... Meanwhile, I'm happy to read a good review of Enchantments - sounds --- enchanting.

Nice review - sounds like one I would enjoy. Lilly just keeps getting lovelier! That is quite the scare you had with her, glad she wasn't hurt.

Love the pictures of Lilly!

Nice review of Enchantments. The book is now in the BlackHole.

Lovely photos! Dog, child . . . and are those the new floors?

Lovely photos Linda. I wish things would slow down for you and give you more time for the things you love.

Those are such adorable pictures! She's such a cutie.

Linda--- I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures.. :) Lilly is so cute, so is the child in the photo :)

Oh what lovely photos, Linda! And I'm glad you enjoyed Enchantments (darn touchstone won't work for me...). Since you've read a lot about the Romanovs, was it more enjoyable to know the truth vs. fiction? Or could I (who knows very little) be able to follow it without a problem?

Hoping that you had a good day. Give Lilly my love.

Ohh Lilly is just adorable!! I love shelties!
Such a pretty fluffy puppy

I agree with phebj in post 7 that Lilly could be the model for a Steiff stuffed toy. I checked to see if they made one....they don't. You should send them your pics to inspire them!

Great pictures, Linda. Those are two beauties in Post #23. Thank goodness, you're a good Mom and rescued Lilly before the situation reached dire straits! Puppies like crawling babies know no bounds. I hope life slows down for you soon and that some lazy days of summer are in your future.

Oh Lilly!
How cute!
congrats to you Linda, I hope she brings you much laughter and joy :)

Stopping by to wish you a great weekend!

I LOVE the Lily photos, Linda! She's so adorable ... actually so is the very pretty child holding her in one of the photos. Who's she?

I miss having puppies.

Cute pup and child! Is that your new floor?

Onto the wishlist for Enchantments! Nice review.

HI to all

The pretty child holding LIlly is my nine year old grandchild. Lilly continues to be adorable and a hand full.

The floors are not ours, but ours are similar.

Thanks to all for visiting here. I'm not getting a lot of reading done in May. I started different books and only finished two:

BOOK#48

Random Acts of Kindness An Illustrated Celebration

When I was very young I wondered how "older" people became so cranky and so disenchanted with life. Now that I've crossed the threshold of becoming one of the "older" people, I sometimes marvel that it is a miracle if, after weathering so much, we don't naturally become cranky.

After a post Christmas crisis with a few of Will's family members from his father's side -- those on his mother's side are lovely, kind, sensitive and considerate -- I realized that I no longer want to be around nasty, negative people. I felt abused and beaten down, and after tolerating this behavior for far too long, I said enough, and now I refuse to be around these two incredibly unkind and wicked folk.

When I found this book, it seemed to be just what I needed, ie, a reminder that there are many who are kind and dare to pay a price for their kindness. And, I do firmly believe that there is a price we pay if we are kind and sensitive.

At the risk of waxing philosophically, I'm going out on a limb to say that far too often in life it seems that the negative, snippy, back stabbers blithely go through life without paying a price for those them harm.

While some of the quotes and stories in this book are trite, there are gems of wisdom scattered throughout. In remembering those who have helped me along the way, I quote the following:

"One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay "in kind" somewhere else in life."
Anne Morrow Lindberg

"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people."
Abraham Heschel

Linda - It's so very nice when you find a book that feels like just what the doctor ordered. Glad you found one. I agree with you - life is too short to spend with people that you know will only upset you. I have some family members that I do the same thing with. I'm just not up for drama that has only mean spiritedness behind it. The title of your book reminds me of a funny story. A few years back there were a group of us that were reading the same book together and so we were meeting to talk about our progress and share out thoughts on what we had read. AN older couple was leading the group discussion, and we always started off by going around the circle and sharing what had happened since we last met - joys and concerns, that type of thing. When it was the older lady's turn she announced that she had decided to make a difference in the lives of her neighbors and friends by committing random acts of violence. Our mouths fell open as we stared at her, wondering if she was serious because she had been complaining about her next door neighbor at the previous two meetings. Complete silence. "What?" She asked, "I thought you'd be excited that I was doing something instead of just complaining." Turns out she meant to say "random acts of kindness".

Mamie
That is so darn funny that I'm laughing right out loud!

There seems to be a common thread throughout our group of those who have family members who harm and hurt, and, many of us have now decided enough is enough.

I very much appreciate your comment re. drama that has only mean spiritness behind it. That fits the bill re. Will's two family members.

Thanks for stopping by!

In all the many books I've read in the past few months, I remember a few quotes that I wrote down because I thought they were words that I wanted to keep active within me. I don't remember which books I got them from.

Dear God, Before I ask for anything, I want to thank you for everything.

Do not resent growing old...many are denied the privilege.

The first makes me want to remember that God doesn't always give us what we ask for but I believe HE knows better than I what I need and the second that even if my life isn't the most perfect, at least my life is good - filled with love, family and great friends. Others aren't as fortunate.

Re:44. Quite a Freudian slip!

Hi Linda. Just stopping by to say hello.

HI Cheli, Judy and Tad. Happy Sunday morning to you.

BOOK#49


When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

A friend continued to tell me how much he thought I would love Sedaris' works. He was right! If you are looking for an incredibly well written, laugh right out loud book, then this is for you!

I loved it!

Waves --- Linda.. Hope youre days is filled with pleasurable moments and big smiles..

Glad to hear you're getting some laughs in along with all of the stresses in life. :)

Hi Linda, I just read and reviewed a book called The White Russian. It is set in St. Petersburg in the spring of 1917, just days before the revolution broke out. It's a historical mystery, but goes into quite a lot of detail about the politics and general feelings of the Russian people. Roni reminded me that you are very interested in this time period, so I came by to tell you about it. I loved the book and gave it a 4.5 star rating.

Good morning, Linda! Hope you have a good day today!

Hello to all

Judy, thanks for information regarding this book. I've added it to my TBR pile.

What a day! A student was slated to take a test. My co-workers and I found her in our library, on the floor after suffering an epileptic siezure.

I spent five hours with her in the emergency room. My heart goes out to her. This is her second episode within a week.

Her parents were flying home to PR and were unreachable. She was very calm all things considered.

She has a history of siezures, but they are occuring more frequently.

She is one of my favorites and I am very concerned about her. Stress exacerbates her condition and the end of semester craziness, combined with her type A personality equated to a not-so-great day for her.

She was diagnosed a year and 1/2 ago and has experienced 10-12 episodes since then.

Oh, that is tough to deal with. It's the uncertainty, as much as anything, I think - you never know if you'll be ok or completely out of control. Poor kid.

OH my. Prayers for her and you both! She's lucky to have you while her parents are out of place.

So sorry to hear about that, Linda. It must be really distressing to her and her family.

How fortunate that student had you there Linda to fill in for her parents. I LOVE David Sedaris, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is my favorite.

Sorry to hear about your student. That's so kind of you to stay at the hospital with her!

Linda - That must have meant so much to her to have you with her at the hospital! What a kind heart you have to wait with her for five hours.

It was quite a blessing to be with her. She is a very special young lady and I'm quite fond of her. When she asked for me I felt honored!

BOOK#50


Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie

I read many books regarding Russia. I'm fascinated by this incredible country. Published in 1967, Nicolas and Alexandra by Robert Massie seems to be the definitive book by which others are measured regarding this subject.

Massie is an incredible writer. His images are crisp and clear. The reader can feel the icy cold winds of Sibera, can almost taste the delicacies served at the grand balls held in the Winter Palace and can also have a sense of silently watching the Royal family in their daily lives as the clock ticks toward the inevitability of their death.

I felt like an observer, peering into the large windows of the palace as I watched the shimmer of the jewels and felt the texture of the jewel-laden gowns of the aristocratic women as they swirled around the golden dance floor, arms on the handsome Russian soldiers. Then, I was transported to the hovels of the Russian pheasants and felt the abject poverty and hopelessness.

Massie paints a lovely and tragic portrait of the couple, so in love and so doomed. Never wanting a leadership position, Nicholas was a terrible manager. Better at wearing a military costume than actually strategically planning a war or leading his people, this inept Tsar didn't have a clue how to rule.

Massie's major point is that had it not been for the agony of Alexi's hemophilia, had it not been for the desperation of Alexandra which led her to the mad monk Rasputin, the downfall of the Romanov's would never have occurred.

Throughout 532 pages, Massie enthralls the reader with the history and life of the vast country of Russia. Brilliant, poignant, never boring, this is a must read for anyone interested in Russian history.

Linda - Gave you a thumb for your excellent review, and added it to my WL. I really enjoy reading about that period in history, and Russia is indeed fascinating - so very different from our own history.

Linda, sorry to hear about your student's seizures. Bless you for being there for her!

I'm so glad to see you enjoyed Nicholas and Alexandra so much. That one is on my ultra-memorable, all-time favorite list.

Have a great day!

Linda, popped over to see what people have been up to and what they've been reading. Congrats on your adorable fur baby! What a cutie!

I read Nicholas and Alexandra a long time ago and I think I want to reread it. Glad you liked it.

Well! Hello Linda!
I missed this new thread...sorry!
VERY cute Lilly pictures! Knowing Shelties as I do, I know she is a handful! I also know she's cute enough to get away with almost anything! ;-)
It was very hard for us to go from geriatric to pediatric Sheltie. They do calm down a lot - but it takes time.

I have Nicholas & Alexandra to read. Glad to hear it was good! Moving it up.

I have to laugh at Loki.
He gets his supper every night at 5:45. Usually when he is done I start our supper.
Lately after he finishes eating, if I don't make a move towards the kitchen by 6:00, he will come over and act like he wants me to do something.
It finally dawned on me that he wants me to get going and start our supper! Why? Because he always gets a small treat of veggies when we are through eating. He wants to herd me in to get the process started! LOL!

Just stopping by to say hi, Linda, and get a puppy fix. Lilly is too cute and I'm sure she is quite a handful!

Hi Linda, like Terri, I read Nicholas and Alexandra many years ago. I loved it and in fact, I believe this was the book that started my interest in the fate of the Russian Royal Family, and the revolution itself.

Hello to all and thanks for visiting. Life is so darn hectic right now and I appreciate your visits even though I haven't been on LT a lot and haven't visited a lot of threads lately.

Lilly is a handful. Will had an appointment in Philadelphia. He left the house at 11:00. I came home early from the office in order to be with Lilly. She as in the cage for four hours. Alas, it caused so much stress for her to be alone that she was sick for a great part of this evening. Finally, she calmed down.

I feel like I'm raising a child all over again.

Caludia, you are right about Shelties. They love to herd. Will and I often laughed at the fact that when walking Simon, inevitably we found ourselves in a tight ball. He gently herded us throughout the walk until we finally noticed that we were his sheep. Your story re Loki is a delight!

BOOK#51


Toxic People Decontaminate Difficult People at Work Without Using Weapons or Duct Tape by Marsha Petrie Sue

This was an interesting read. While I don't have toxic people in my work place, there are a few relatives who are very toxic. I now stay away from them. However, as the author notes, when dealing with toxic people in the work place, unless you leave your job, you are stuck dealing with them.

Categorized with catchy names, the author notes the following types of toxic people:
The Steamroller - These are the ones who win by intimidation. They love to control others by subtle put downs. Snake like, they are fast to attack and easily angered. Their snarkiness pays off and having people like them isn't an issue.

The Zipper Lips -- rarely, if ever express opinions. Creating an atmosphere wherein others feel angry at their lack of involvement, the zipper lip controls by the fact that no one can blame him or her if things go wrong.

Others include the backstabber, the know it all and the whine and cheeser....

In previous work environments, and in my personal life, I've experienced the back stabbers. I loathe their manipulative behavior. I really don't invest energy any more in trying to figure them out, ie what happened in their childhood that made them this way. I simply stay the heck away from them.

While this was interesting, I cannot recommend it. I found the authors solutions to the toxic people seemed to be too passive.

I never would have thought of the "zipper lip" as a toxic person. That seems like an odd judgment of a person who might just be insecure or overlooked.

There are toxic people everywhere, not just in the workplace. I had belonged to a small ladies group at my country club for 4 years and then the "steamroller" came along as the President of the group and promptly pushed me out. She had intimidated so many of the other ladies, so that they didn't put up a fight at her plans, but I have never allowed some one else to tell me what I can and cannot do if I disagree so I dropped out of the group. I didn't want that "toxic" effect on me. I didn't need it. I still see my friends just not in the same environment as she is in.

Hi Linda, I love all the pictures of Lilly. I hope things soon get easier for you as term ends and Lilly starts to settle down.

Hi Linda,
I just realised it has been a long time since I have visited. Silly how someone drops off the radar like that. (sorry)
I hope life is treating you well, and that beautiful puppy of yours is filling your house with laughter and fun!
Toxic people in the workplace, I have come across a few of those and thy really make life hard. My partner has too....it was part of the reason he left his last job.
Bye for now :)

One of the books I've been picking at for the last few months is called Toxic Criticism. Sounds like it fits right it with your latest read. Hope you don't need to use your new skills overly much!

BOOK#52

A World Away by Pauline Francis

Set in two worlds, Plymouth England and Roanoke Virginia, Nadie is a native American who was kidnapped and taken to England. Learning strange customs and ridiculed by some, she is drawn to Tom, a local blacksmith who falls in love with her.

When given the chance to return back to her land, Tom decides to accompany her. Set against the tragedy of the first settlers in the New World, this book is a great way to open doors for YA to learn about history.

Hi Linda - Just found your thread again, I'm so used to everyone using that continuation feature I suppose. Love the photos.
I also read Nicholas and Alexandra many many years ago.

Hi Kerry

I'm so very behind on checking threads. What a year!

For some reason the continuation feature isn't working for me.

Happy Spring To All!

This is a photo of the sand cherry tree in our back yard. It is lovely during spring time.

How beautiful!

Oh, what a beautiful cherry tree Linda!
I hope you're having a good day.

How did I miss this? Not caught up.. but the new pics are gorgeous!

hugs

beautiful spring pics, I must post some autumn ones just to confuse the senses :) Both are such beautiful times of year.

Ooooh, lovely! I like the birds in the first picture, too. Charlie and I are really enjoying having our new bird feeders just outside the living room window, and we've had some cardinals come for a snack, which was great to see.

Linda, love the trees.. Absolutely gorgeous. I got my garden planted and am planing to plant my newest flower garden this weekend, I may just have to share some pics this weekend that is if I spend any time inside at all.. :)

Linda, the puppy is ADORABLE! I've been out of touch here for awhile (vacation and busyness got in the way of LT for some time), so I'm just now catching up. They can be a handful, so such a great addition to a family all at the same time! =)

And your spring pics are lovely. I'm hoping that now I'm slowing down a little, I can get to digging in the gardens of my new place and get some plants and flowers out. I'll try to get pics up as I go along.

Linda - your photos reminded me of the family home in England growing up and made me pine for the return of seasons into my life. Have placed A World Away onto the hitlist and thanks for continuing to introduce new reading material into my already overcrowded book world!

Thanks to everyone for visiting here. As I've posted on various threads, work is very consuming right now. I'm not able to keep up and I'm also weary of the treadmill. I'm cranky and out of sorts.

Lilly is adorable, snarky and spunky. She consumes a lot of energy, but it is time well spent. I forgot how needy puppies are. Will is a BIG help. I am in his debt. I am the one who wanted to puppy and he is the one who is handling most of the burden because I'm working long hours.

I have little time for reading. The good news is that because of all the long hours at work I'm not visiting bookstores or going online to purchase more books.

Hugs to all,

Linda - Just stopping by to let you know that you are in my thoughts. Sorry life is so busy for you right now. I hope that things slow down for you soon, and that you will be able to enjoy a well earned rest. Hang in there.

I am happy that you have a puppy... and happy that Will stepped up for
so much of the puppy duty! Only two years and she will calm down :)

Not buying new books.. there is a plus side to that! There will be more to choose from when you get back to it :)

Hi Linda!!! long time no see! Hope your workload eases up soon. I nice lounge chair, Lilly and great books are just what you need. Gentle hugs sent your way :0)

Yeah, Kath is right about that one. Two years for a puppy to slow down a bit.

Please don't work so hard and so much - unless you get enormous satisfaction. Nothing is worth wearing you down to the nub. Take good care of yourself and enjoy!

Two years? Oh, Yikes!!! She is a snarky handful.

BOOK #53


Pearls of Wisdom A Harvest of Quotations From All Ages by Jerome Agel

I'm too weary to read anything in depth. I pulled this book from my office shelf. It contains some quotes that resonate, but overall many are very trite.

Here are those that I like:

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars"
Charles Beard
"To get nowhere, follow the crowd"
Anonymous

"Anyone can be polite to a king, but it takes a civilized person to be polite to a beggar"
Anonymous

And, my favorite quote in this book is:

""
"Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box"
Italian saying

Keith and I love your pictures of Lilly! And I'm glad that you enjoyed Nicholas and Alexandra. Just like "The Other Terri," it's one of my all-time favorites.

I used to have a large sign over my desk that said "Avoid Toxic People." It's been my words to live by ever since.

Hope things are well for you!

*smooch*

Linda on a fly past to wish you a very happy weekend.

Linda - Just stopping in to wish you a lovely weekend. LOVE those quotes, by the way! My favorite is: "To get nowhere, follow the crowd."

4 weeks!

Spraying weary be gone all over your thread. Have a wonderful weekend!

"Weary be gone" --ooh I need some of that.

In fact, it's why I pop into your thread for a bit of refreshment from your flowers, books and puppy. Thank you for sharing all of them.

I like your favorite quote from that last book, Linda!

Wishing you rest and refreshment this weekend.

I have to thank Will for a lovely day today. We visited Doylestown, PA, about an hour and 1/2 from our home. The weather was incredibly beautiful. We found a lovely informal dining establishment and sat outside drinking wine from a local winery and enjoying nachos. Then he humored me greatly with his patience as I spent a long time in a used book store on Main Street.

I was surprised because even the new books were marked at a very low price. There were two floors filled with books. The book store is in an older home with twists and turns and beautiful staircases. I only bought four books and was proud of myself.

It was a very relaxing day. We also visited the Doylestown Library and then ran out of time and could only see a small part of the Michener Art Museum.

I particularly liked the blue in this painting



http://collection.michenerartmuseum.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=1543;...

Sounds like a lovely day, Linda, one I'm sure you deserve. Yay to Will!

What a perfect sounding day! I am glad for you :)

And the painting is beautiful! It takes my mind wandering....

Linda, your day of relaxation sounds wonderful. Books and art shared with someone you love...just what you needed after the crazy days of work you've been having.

I love the positive affirmations you've been sharing. And I'm so glad you have the lovely Lilly in your life. Keep those pictures coming!

Glad you had a good day out Linda. The blue in that painting is very striking.

What a lovely and relaxing adventure you had. So glad it turned out to be full of good things.

Sounds like a wonderful and peaceful day. Thanks for posting the image of the painting, that blue is stunning.

Perfect! A lovely day filled with what you love - and relaxing!
Happy for you :)

Yes, it does sound like a lovely day! I'm jealous of the bookstore visit...

Linda, sounds like you had quite a lovely day. :) I am jealous, you can go to my thread and see what I have been working on in between work for the last week or so.. It is nice with the hard work I have but in but not really relaxing, and not much time for reading.. LOL.. Glad to hear you are getting a little relaxation time and Hope little Lilly was a good girl while you were on your trip.

Sounds like a perfect day! That bookstore sounds heavenly. And kudos to you for your restraint in only buying 4 books!

Hi Linda, I enjoyed hearing about your lovely day in Doylestown. I had an aunt whose husband used to take her on "Mystery Tours". She never knew where they were going, only that she would enjoy a nice day out with a romantic lunch somewhere. Your trips remind me of her.

Hi Linda,
I have heard puppies are hard work, but that once you have done the hard yards you get a lovely compliant creature! Good luck with the puppy pre-school :)

Hello to all and thanks for visiting here.

Work continues to be consuming. I leave for New Orleans next week and while the students are excited, I'm wondering how I'll have enough energy for the duration of a four-day conference.

I've done very little reading this month. Reading is such a pleasure and escape from stress. But, June is just around the corner and life should even out then when I hope to read a stack waiting for me.

I so appreciate the kindness of those of you who are loyal visitors even though I haven't spent much time on LT these days to visit your threads.

BOOK#54


Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

In this story there are two young girls, one rich and one poor, one with abundance and wealth and another with a family barely making ends meet.

Ivy June is chosen as an exchange student and stays with a wealthy Lexington Kentucky family, in return the wealthy child stays with Ivy June's poor, coal mining family.

In the end they discover the similar bonds that hold them together.
While the plot seems trite, somehow in the hands of this gifted writer, it works.

BOOK#55

In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw

Daniel and Luke are the same person residing in the mind of a multiple personality. While at first the writing was good, and in the beginning the story line was well developed, 3/4 of the way through the author seemed to feel the need to mesh a credible tale with unnecessary sex, drugs and violence and from there the book went rapidly down hill.

I finished the book in a few hours and was left with the clear thought that there were oh so many better ones waiting to be read.

Hi Linda--I lost you for a while, it seems. What a sweet puppy! I can so relate to your feelings of suddenly having a new baby (because of my own puppy, who needs a level of constant supervision for which I was not completely prepared). Our little one does seem to be settling down a bit-- how old is Lilly?

Books look good...
Sending energy in case you can tap in :)

Anne, Lilly is now 13 weeks old. Shelties are highly intelligent and thus she remembers things. I made the mistake of taking her for a walk via another neighbor's yard in order to go from the back of the house to the front. Alas, she remembered this and now tries to sneak out of the yard using this path.

Kath...I certainly feel your love and energy..coming back to you as well.

#119 -- It's funny how they latch on to things, isn't it? When I moved to my current apartment, I had to do some re-house-training with my Sophie. I tried using treats as a reward, but found that she's actually more motivated by play time. One day, after she had successfully done her business, I brought her in, gave her a treat, and then played with her laser pointer (she likes chasing the speck of light it makes). The next time she went outside and did her business, she came inside and stared meaningfully at the table where I had put the laser pointer, completely ignoring the treat I was trying to reward her with! To her, playing the game was the reward, and it only took one instance of the game happening after going outside to link the two in her mind.

Stopping in to say that I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend!

Oh no! Clever puppy with an escape route!
Sorry :P

furkids are so smart :)

Hello to all. I'm heading to New Orleans for a five day conference with students. It should be a good experience. I like this group of young ones very much!

I feel so out of touch with all my LT friends. May is a blur. June should be better after I return from New Orleans.

I appreciate the posts and the patience!

Thanks!

Have fun in New Orleans, Linda!

We'll be thinking of you while you're away. Have a great trip.

Linda, thinking of you and hope you enjoy your trip. May has been a blur to me as well. I have not gotten any reading done this month it has been extreamly busy. However I have been enjoying myself and will return to reading soon. I am still hoping to catch up on reading and hoping to still reach my goal.. I feel so far behind. Hope all goes well and Hugs. :)

Have a great trip, Linda.

Have a wonderful time in New Orleans, Linda! Take photos. ;-)

I hope that you and your students have a great time in New Orleans again this year, Linda! I'd love to hear where you stayed and which restaurants you visited.

Hope you are having a great time !!!

Hello to all

Thus far the weather in New Orleans is amazingly warm but not exceedingly hot or humid. We ate at Pat O'Brien's last night for dinner and Mulates today for lunch. Some of the students tried fried alligator. I noted that there were many pieces left on the plate and I can assume it wasn't something they were overly excited about. We walked around Bourbon Street last night and the students who were never in NO thought it an exciting and lively place. We found a courtyard wherein older folk were playing some great jazz. The students thought it was "neat!"

This is a great group of students and a wonderful conference. I admit though that my energy is compromised and it is very draining.

Tomorrow our publication representative is taking us to dinner at Emeril's. Saturday night we dine at The Commodore. Then, home Sunday.

I'm a tad stressed because Will tells me that Lilly is a handful while I'm away and is barking a lot. I hate that the responsibility is on his shoulders so soon after we acquired her.

Darryl, each year I return I am amazed at the progress post Katrina!

Very little reading in May and I miss it!

BOOK#56


Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

This is a compelling book about many things, primarily about the belief system regrading who we are and how that molds us. When confronted with a different reality, life changing events occur. Trudy's mother is dying and while they were never close, she must now make accommodations. Years ago her mother escaped Nazi Germany, fleeing with Trudy. Their means of escape was via a SS guard.

Believing she is the child of that guard and hating her mother's choices, Trudy feels tremendous guilt. Learning the reality of what her mother did in order to save them shifts Trudy's paradigm.

While I can guardedly recommend this book, I note the caveat that the ending was disappointing and not well developed.

Checking in to see when you will be back home - looks like Sunday. Your students are so lucky to have you!

Those Who Save Us has such a good premise; it's too bad the ending was a disappointment. I have looked at that book several times, but I think I will pass it up for now - thanks for your review.

Take care and enjoy Emeril's!

oh! Emeril's :)
Hope to hear a full report.. have fun!

Hi Linda, I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip to New Orleans. I know that is one of your favorite places to visit. My daughter and SIL are going there a week from today. It will be Lori's first time back there since we went to the World's Fair in the late 70s.

I'm sure Will and Lilly are doing fine. It gives them a chance to bond, though they'll both be wagging their tails when Mama gets home. ;-)

I'm anxious to hear about The Commodore! At the last book fair I attended, I picked up an older cookbook by the owners, and it sounded really yummy. A lot of history too. Next time I see you, I'll have to bring it for you to look at.....

We had such a wonderful time at dinner last night. I sat with the "adults" and the students were at another table. It felt like they were banished to the Thanksgiving card table.

I looked over and wished I was with them. They were laughing so hard that they were holding their sides. This is such a wonderful group. I've become very attached to them.

The food was good and expensive. Our rep. paid the bill, but still, somehow my pragmatic mind rebels against paying $49 for a small slice of steak.

It is unseasonably unhumid today with a slight breeze...it is a lovely, lovely day.

The closing ceremonies begin soon and then we will go to the riverwalk for lunch and come back and plan the book for next year.

I'm up at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to catch a shuttle for an early morning flight from here to Philadelphia.

Lilly is problematic and is barking a lot. I need to find an open space for her to run when I return from NO. I think she needs a lot more exercise. We are also having difficulty training her. She pees outside and comes right back in and does the same. Keeping her in the cage works temporarily but still there are a lot of accidents.

I so hope that the summer will afford more time for me to post on the threads. I truly miss everyone.

Donna, there is a safer fell to NO this year than previous years. Interesting that you note the World's Fair, that was my first time in NO.

Happy Day to all

My husband has been taking my mom's Sheltie out for walks after dinner and he barks at every single dog he comes across, while the Golden Retriever just kinda looks bemusedly on.

Happy Saturday, Linda... glad to hear you're enjoying yourself in NO.

>138 Whisper1: paying $49 for a small slice of steak.
What??!!?@#?!?

Eek, I think I just became a vegetarian.

Wishing Luck with Lily... Time and patience will win the day..

The steak was probably only $10 - the name on the door was the other $39!

Glad you're enjoying New Orleans, Linda. Sorry that Lily is giving you problems at home.

Safe travels!

Sounds like you're having a great time in NO, if tiring. We have an Emeril book here somewhere- I used to love his TV show when we lived in NY.

Oh Linda, sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I have been so so busy and have been finding homes for 2 of my fur kids.. :( So I am down to only one now.. I have posted some info on my thread if you're interested. I sure hope you can get Lilly on track. I am sure you know this it takes time. Thank you for the card, I received it and it made me smile. Thanks for thinking of me. :) Gave me a little boost during my recent loses of furkids. Next week my step daughter is moving out :( Sigh.. So many losses in just a short time.. I shall survive..!!! Again, I am so glad you are having a wonderful time :) Hugs and Luck for training Lilly.

Hope you are enjoying your last night in New Orleans! Have a safe trip home tomorrow!

Linda - you are clearly having a great time in New Orleans with your young team. Enjoy the rest of it and have a safe trip home again.

Hope you are safely home by now, with Will and Posey both delighted to see you.

Dropping in to say Hello! Glad you're having fun on your trip!

Sounds like you had a delightful time in NO Linda. I don't blame you for wanting to be at the table with the young rowdy people who were having such fun. I've never been to NO but I imagine like every large city, restaurants take advantage of tourists.

>138 Whisper1:: Linda, maybe we rubbed elbows at the New Orleans World Fair. I was the harried mother herding those three cute blonde kids around!

Welcome home. It sounds like you had a delightful time. Just be glad you weren't paying for that steak. What really peeves me is when those expensive restaurants don't even include a house salad with the entree. I'm an Applebees kind of girl.

Just keeping up, my friend :)

I'm breathless with all your traveling and working and Lily-training! I hope that you have gotten some real rest since your return from NO. I know you need it!

Sounds like a wonderful New Orleans trip, and wishing you the best of luck training Lily. (When you find out how to keep her from barking, please let me know. I'm at a loss myself!)

Thanks to everyone who visits here. I'm home and exhausted. It was a tremendously wonderful trip. Here is one photo..more to be posted tomorrow

At the New Orleans River Walk with students (I'm the older person in the middle)...

What older person? Looks like a bunch of kids to me!

>156 ronincats: lol, too right!
That set has got New Orleans written all over it, it is how I imagine it anyway, glad you are safely home

Great pic, and I agree.. If I were to come across that pic in some random way..it would suggest NOLo to me :)

Oh, I'm glad you had a good time in New Orleans - I haven't been there in a good long while, but loved it when I was there.
Here's hoping you can find a place (and the time) to give the pup a good workout every day - that really helped for us when Tuppence (a border collie) was a puppy.

Nice photo! So glad that you had a good time and that you made it home again safe and sound. Hope you are having a great week so far.

Yay! Glad to see you, and glad that you had a great time. Hope you can get a little relaxation time in soon! Take care of yourself. :) *smooch*

Loved the New Orleans photo--hope there are more to come!

Hi Linda!
So happy for you being able to enjoy your NO trip. I think you held up quite well between two youngsters in the pic.

Lilly is giving you a run for your money ;-)
I do remember when we first got Loki I kept saying to Ron
"I just want him to pee outside and eat inside!"

He was difficult to housebreak (probably cuz he was 6 mos old already?) and whenever he went outside he was constantly eating everything in sight - rocks, grass, sticks, bugs... and icky etc. (Not that interested in his food in his bowl!)
It was very frustrating at times transitioning from our well-trained geriatric Sheltie to our new spastic pediatric one.
I was just thinking a couple days ago how it's so nice to have Loki understand our ways now that he is grown up.

Good luck with Lilly. She will come around :)

Good morning, Linda! Glad to see that you are safely home and had a good time. New Orleans is definitely a place I'd like to visit some day.

Will and I took our grand daughter Kayla to Ocean City, NJ for a few days. It will be good to sleep in my own bed tonight, though I admit that I miss Kayla terribly after spending three days and two nights with this delightful child.

Not much reading these last few months...ugh.

Welcome home, Linda! What good grandparents you are!
And the NO picture is fabulous - you slim little thing, you!
I've never asked, but I assume that you're a 12 month employee? If not, happy vacation coming up! I'm guessing that the more time you spend with Lily at this point, the better dog she'll be.

Hi Peggy
Yes, my position is 12 months, but my vacation time is very lucrative .

Having fun with students in New Orleans:

Ok, obviously the above photo is not of Lilly...It is a photo of me in New Orleans with the students..

Here is Lilly in the garden:

BOOK#57


Life really got in the way of reading during the months of May and June. I feel so darn frustrated. I managed to read a small gem:
Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha by Janine Fraser

This lovely book tells the story of Sarindi from Indonesia whose mother is very ill. In a culture filled with superstition, Sarindi looks for a cure in signs. When his lucky bird and his lucky marble do not assist him in making his mother better, he visits various religious structures.

Praying and lighting candles in a Catholic church does not help. Visiting a Jewish rabbi does not net the desired result. Rubbing the statue of Buddha does not assist him, until a wonderful, kind man talks to him and discovers his burden.

The kind doctor travels home with Sarindi and cures his mother.
Sarindi discovers that his love for his mother and all the various prayers together help.

Turnabout is only fair...since you visited my thread. There's way too much to "catch up" to..give me time. I will say i love the look of your new Pup...i was adopted by a young Ginger tom Cat last November...and i love him to death (sometimes literally...he is a biter)

The Kathryn Harrison from waaay up top..is one of my favorite writers..i haven't read Enchantments yet...but loved Poison when i read it...years before LT

Take care.....

Hi Linda - good to see you back. Hope life eases for you now.

Lovely Lily picture:)

Great photos as always. Glad you had a nice time with Kayla :)
I love the pic of Lily, and I am sure she is glad to see you back home with her :)
I hope things go smoothly with her continued training :) She is a little beauty.

Awesome Photo's Linda.. :) Glad to hear you are back and everything is going okay for you . Glad to hear you had a wonderful time in NO :)

Love the photos, Linda. You surrounded by your garden of students and Lily surrounded by a garden of flowers! So sweet! Your book review is good - sounds like one I should check out. I have never heard of it before.

Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing Sunday.

Waving hello on this gorgeous Sunday morning!

Good morning, Linda. Was Lily excited to see you home, and has she settled back into training routine? Enjoyed the new photos.

Where else would a Lilly be, but in a garden? She's so sweet ;-)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/138286

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