Paul C with books and more in 2014 Part 24

I want to jump ahead to the next World War so to speak.

This month sees the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings. I can hardly conceive of what those servicemen must have felt like waiting to disembark into a fusillade of nightmarish proportions. Our generations must remember and give thanks to their bravery.

World War Two Poetry is perhaps not as celebrated as that of WWI but there was still a lot of very good stuff written during and after the conflict.

This is from Stephen Spender

The Conscript

On the turf’s edge – grass flashing like a knife –
The conscript stands above his native city.
He sees the sun’s last rays before that night
Whose tunnelled dark will swallow up the life
He’s known, to thrust him on the war tomorrow.
He gazes on a sky that shows no pity.
The sunset builds the furnace of his sorrow.

The violence of tomorrow seems so real,
Discipline that will take him so defined
The evening is the buried life he feels
Turned yesterday already in his mind.
The sun, now sunk, belonged to a gold past
The happiness of childhood left behind
More shining by tomorrow’s bitter contrast.

But now, beyond the rising star, appear
The armies marching to an earlier war.
The skeleton who strides last strikes a drum
The conscript’s soul is summoned to his eyes.
‘Father,’ he cries, ‘Father, Behold, I come!’

2014 Reading

January
1. A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe (1966) 150 pp
2. Touch Wood: Poems and a Story by Dannie Abse (2002) 88pp
3. My Antonia by Willa Cather (1918) 248pp
4. 77 Dream Songs by John Berryman (1964) 84 pp
5. Novel on Yellow Paper by Stevie Smith (1936) 252 pp
6. The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak (2011) 191 pp
7. The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith (1892) 171 pp
8. Fools of Fortune by William Trevor (1983) 207 pp
9. Collected Poems 1951-2000 by Charles Causley (2000) 421 pp
10. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War by Christopher Clark (2012) 562 pp
11. Landscape at the End of the Century by Stephen Dunn (1991) 94 pp
12. North From Rome by Helen MacInnes (1958) 394 pp
13. Dream Work by Mary Oliver (1986) 89 pp
14. David Golder by Irene Nemirovsky (1929) 159 pp

February
15. Sleeper's Wake by Alistair Morgan (2009) 179 pp
16. Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E Feist (1982) 485 pp
17. If This is a Man by Primo Levi (1947) 179 pp
18. The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes (1957) 54 pp
19. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (1930) 248 pp
20. Gossip From the Forest by Thomas Keneally (1975) 236 pp
21. Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner (1898) 256 pp
22. Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg (1916) 80 pp
23. Legend of a Suicide by David Vann (2008) 228 pp
24. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (1886) 63 pp
25. Life Studies by Robert Lowell (1959) 95 pp
26. Therese Raquin by Emile Zola (1867) 194 pp
27. The Song of the Cold by Edith Sitwell (1945) 110 pp

March
28. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman (1962) 524 pp
29. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (1894) 140 pp
30. The First World War: A Miscellany by Norman Ferguson (2014) 182 pp
31. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (1992) 320 pp
32. The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton (1911) 132 pp
33. Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household (1939) 182 pp
34. Chamber Music by James Joyce (1907) 39 pp
35. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865) 124 pp
36. Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (1956) 57 pp
37. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy (1979) 568 pp
38. The Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes (1985) 199 pp
39. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923) 115 pp

April
40. Train by Pete Dexter (2003) 280 pp
41. The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems by W.B. Yeats (1889) 64 pp
42. The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins (1970) 182 pp
43. Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy (1871) 407 pp
44. Carrie by Stephen King (1974) 242 pp
45. The Less Deceived by Philip Larkin (1955) 33 pp
46. Once by Morris Gleitzman (2006) 163 pp
47. Transformations by Anne Sexton (1971) 113 pp
48. Sula by Toni Morrison (1973) 174 pp
49. A Season in Hell by Arthur Rimbaud (1873) 100 pp
50. Laidlaw by William MacIlvanney (1977) 283 pp
51. Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan (2004) 293 pp
52. Women by Charles Bukowski (1978) 291 pp

MAY
53. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (1951) 222 pp
54. Never Go Back by Lee Child (2013) 519 pp
55. Renascence and Other Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1917) 44 pp
56. In Praise of Older Women by Stephen Vizinczey (1965) 223 pp
57. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (1954) 156 pp
58. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (1999) 288 pp
59. Satan Says by Sharon Olds (1980) 72 pp
60. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (1940) 312 pp

June
61. Strumpet City by James Plunkett (1969) 549 pp

Best of 2014

Fiction
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Thrillers/Sci Fi/Fantasy Etc
Magician : Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
Laidlaw by William McIlvanney
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Poetry
Touch Wood: Poems and a Story by Dannie Abse
77 Dream Songs by John Berryman
The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes

Non-Fiction
The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War by Christopher Clark
If This is a Man by Primo Levi

CURRENTLY READING

READING PLAN

150 YEARS CHALLENGE

STATESIDE CHALLENGE

CATEGORY CHALLENGE

TBR RECORDS

MARK'S AMERICAN CHALLENGE

OTHER LISTS

Hi. waves

Happy New Thread, Paul! I agree that being a part of the Normandy invasion must have indeed been the stuff of nightmares.

>13 Ameise1: Barbara, you win and for all your wonderful contributions and graphics I am glad too! Please PM your address and I'll pick out a book for you and get my pals from Book Depo to send to you.

>14 scaifea: Thanks Amber. WW2 impacts our lives far more directly in many ways than WWI but I haven't seen too much of it in LT this last month or so in truth.

>13 Ameise1: Was a bit quick but now I make it properly: Happy new thread and thanks a lot:-D

I made it here before 50 posts!

>16 Ameise1: Nice one Barbara. I have a fondness for balloons and horses.

>17 luvamystery65: Hahaha Roberta. I am a wee bit more pedestrian these days. I went up to Ipoh (two hours North of Kuala Lumpur) for a tender interview for a new shop office development of 72 units there. I have been told unofficially that our tender offer was the lowest and the interview went quite well. We will find out next week whether we have won the project or not.

Wow! That's quite a thread topper / attention getter up there Paul :)

Two of my sons are veterans, as was my dad and stepdad. Thought provoking.

>19 mckait: I also had uncles and a grandfather in the war in various capacities. My maternal grandfather was in a reserved occupation as a coalmining deputy and their dauntless courage help turn the cog on the wheel to victory.

I think WW II had a huge effect on all the families who contributed fighters, and all the families who were touched by the conflicts. Much of what we are today was forged in that war, sadly. I know my family still shows lingering impacts from my father's service with Eisenhower in England just before D-Day. He died very young (54) and the U.S. Army declared his death service related. It devastated my brother who never really recovered. Sigh.

Thank you for the poetry. It does capture the feeling landscape in a way entirely different from traditional fiction or nonfiction prose.

>21 maggie1944: Thank you Karen. World War Two is far more raw isn't it as our experiences are so much closer to us - literally still in living memory for some. It was also more clearer drawn. There was much less talk about the futility of war in the full knowledge that, come what may, Hitler had to be defeated. I am proud of my country and its then dominions and colonies that we stood alone against Hitler and without our stoicism at that time we would have all been under the heel of the jackboot for some time to come.

Poetry cuts to our core in a way that is far more difficulty accomplished by prose.

Congrats on the new thread and the eye-catching topper, Paul.

My dad's a WWII veteran, too - Navy, near Japan. A friend's father captained one of those landing boats at Normandy and survived. My wife's uncle helped liberate one of the concentration camps. Remarkable what servicepeople, and those supporting them, did in that war.

Just saying hello Paul.

Hope you get the contract, it might help pay for Yasmyne's prom:)

Happy new thread! Glad I caught it early on, i've been terrible about keeping up with threads lately.

I'm editing this because I forgot to reply to your message on poetry on your last thread. (shame on me) I will have to post some of my favorite poems then! I hope you're prepared, because there are quite a lot of them.

>23 jnwelch: Joe, I had an uncle captured by the Japanese and he hated everything about the Land of the Rising Sun. It is remarkable what people went through.

>24 calm: Hahaha the more contracts the better with my lot to pay for!

>25 Thebookdiva: We do have these period Abby. I have had a couple these last few months and am getting up to speed again slowly after a period of too much travelling.

70 years since D-Day. Respect to those who landed in Normandy to fight fascism and racism.

>27 goonergirl1982: Indeed, Rosalind.

Congrats on the new thread. I, for one, say, "go for it!" when it comes to your daughter's prom dress. You've worked hard for your money and are generous to so many of the people in your real and virtual life. We all have our own areas of excess. If yours is making your daughter feel happy and loved as she prepares for a special occasion, so be it.

Update on Posting League

Overall posting compared to this time last year is up by 10.37%.
Last year there were 187 threads with more than 60 posts and they generated 101042 posts to 10 June.
This year the 187 top threads have generated 111519 posts with 186 above 60.

Here are the top 187 threads this year so far:

1 Paul C 6319
2 Richard 5837
3 Amber 5187
4 Mark 3943
5 Joe 3661
6 Mamie 2878
7 Julia 2531
8 Diana 2271
9 Katie 2202
10 Suz 2004
11 Ellen 2000
12 Darryl 1919
13 Kath 1889
14 Morphy 1612
15 Barbara 1606
16 Megan 1474
17 Ilana 1444
18 Roberta 1391
19 Rhian 1330
20 Marianne 1306
21 Tina 1231
22 Connie 1223
23 Roni 1196
24 Caro 1180
25 Terri T 1151
26 Linda (Wh) 1130
27 Stephanie 1106
28 Abby 1101
29 Lucy 1096
30 Cee 987
31 Donna 983
32 Lori T 973
33 Bonnie 970
34 Paul S 968
35 Liz 964
36 Judy (DQ) 934
37 John 906
38 Ape 897
39 Micky 847
40 Mary S 845
41 Nora 843
42 Jim 838
43 Kerri 829
44 Lori K 821
45 Peggy 806
46 Jeff 803
47 Carrie 762
48 Gail 761
49 Karen 744
50 Joanne 708
51 Foggy 691
52 Anne AMQS 623
53 Susan 621
54 Lynda 613
55 Qebo 582
56 Nancy 578
57 Linda (Lay) 553
58 Pat 530
59 Reba 527
60 Amy 520
61 Laura 494
62 Madeline 488
63 Heidi 483
64 Linda P 482
65 Beth 474
66 Heather 472
67 Erik 425
68 Ursula 420
69 Kerry 398
70 Sara 396
71 SuziQ 394
72 Tam 392
73 Valerie 390
74 Rhonda 383
75 Faith 378
76 Marie 364
77 Tui 360
78 Mary B 340
79 Cheli 337
80 Genny 337
81 Jenn 329
82 Becky 325
83 Bekka 325
84 Kriti 324
85 Swynn 323
86 Leah 322
87 Charlotte 320
88 Nathalie 314
89 Janet 296
90 Rae 283
91 Jennifer 282
92 Chelle 272
93 Melissa 269
94 Jean 263
95 Kim 262
96 Glenn 257
97 Kathy 252
98 Calm 235
99 Gerard 232
100 Cushla 229
101 Fuzzi 218
102 Shelley 216
103 Carsten 214
104 Stasia 214
105 Zoe 213
106 Terri Toef 207
107 Rachel 205
108 Tina Tutu 205
109 Nina 201
110 Piyush 200
111 Meg 199
112 Judy (ff) 190
113 David 189
114 Kerry CDV 189
115 Markon 182
116 JustJoey 179
117 Bryony 174
118 Karenmarie 163
119 Evilmoose 160
120 Walklover 155
121 Laura Lyco 154
122 Paws 153
123 Cindy 152
124 Luxx 150
125 Lois 145
126 AnneDC 141
127 Alex 140
128 Emilie 139
129 Steve 138
130 Hannah G 134
131 Monica C4 132
132 Lisa 131
133 Aruba 125
134 Laurabrook 120
135 AndrewR 118
136 Becca 115
137 Cariola 114
138 Kmartin 114
139 Yoyogod 106
140 Britt 105
141 Persephone 105
142 Blue 104
143 Susanna 104
144 Nicole 103
145 AnneGreen 101
146 Jennifer M 100
147 Marjolein 99
148 Cammykitty 93
149 James 93
150 Mary Beth 93
151 Prue 91
152 Aktakukac 90
153 LibraryLov 90
154 Mac 90
155 Matthew 90
156 Paige 88
157 Ron 88
158 Jess 87
159 Samantha 87
160 Cal8769 86
161 Kara 85
162 Liliana 84
163 Zero 83
164 Linda 92007 82
165 Katelism 81
166 Beeg 80
167 Jennyfer 80
168 Randy 80
169 Deedledee 78
170 Sandy SMc 78
171 Grundlecat 77
172 Cait 75
173 Cyrel 75
174 Booklizard 74
175 Amanda 72
176 Karen O 70
177 Kerry1897 70
178 Mitchma 69
179 OregonRe 69
180 MsKeens 67
181 CatyM 66
182 Helenoel 65
183 Evenlake 64
184 Kate (K8) 64
185 KiwiJim 63
186 Lotpoet 62
187 Tammy 59

>29 michigantrumpet: Thanks for the kind and supportive words Marianne. I did raise the issue of the cost of the prom dress not because I wouldn't buy it but because I thought its cost ridiculous. xx

Happy new thread, Paul! My grandfather was a POW in WWII. He came home safely, but unfortunately died when my own mother was 4 so I never had the chance to meet him. Still, I am thankful.

Thank you for posting the stats Paul, I love seeing them. I'm so impressed you can keep stats for so many people!

Nice new thread, Paul. And thanks as always for the posting stats. I suspect that I'm still behind my pace from last year, but that's fine by me.

BBC One had a series of nice tributes for the D-Day celebrations throughout last week on the BBC Breakfast program. I'm sure that the other stations (ITV, Sky, etc.) also had similar broadcasts.

Stupid guy question: So what happens to the prom dress after it's been worn the first time? Can it be used over and over, thus making the extreme cost at least somewhat worthwhile? Does it take up closet space, never to be used again? Or can it be sold to recoup some of the money spent on it?

>32 RosyLibrarian: Marie - My grandfather passed away only a few days before Peter and I were born. Both my mum and my Gran idolised him although he was apparently quite a character. I think we don't pay formal homage enough to those who sacrificed so much for us all.

>33 Thebookdiva: It is fun and surprisingly easy to keep up with the posting records, Abby. Now the book reading league is something else entirely!
That will be up tomorrow and I think you'll be surprised when you see it!

>34 kidzdoc: Darryl, I did see some of the events to commemorate the landings on Sky TV last week and that prompted this thread topper in truth.

I have little idea about the future of the Prom dress but suspect that Hani will try to get some mileage out of it at least.

Last year at this stage you had 1,706 posts to your threads compared to 1,919 this so your feeling was actually misplaced mate. The largest single jump in posts are as follows:

Amber has increased her posting by an incredible 3,588 posts (5,187 (3rd) from 1,599 (13th).
Julia increased by 1,815 posts, Richard 1,515 posts and myself by 1,257 posts.

>35 PaulCranswick: I don't think we do either, but then again, I think it is hard to. What could we possibly do to equal their efforts? I just try and be a good person and enjoy the things they fought for. (Arguably still fighting for...)

Also, thanks for the stats. Man, I have been way chattier this year.

>34 kidzdoc: I went to the Prom twice and only wore one of my dresses for another event - a wedding. The other I never touched again, but I can still picture it clearly in my mind. It was Princess Pink and lovely... If I could still fit in it I would totally wear it again, but alas, that was 10 years ago.

>34 kidzdoc: - At least with a prom dress there is some hope of having some other use for it, if even in an altered condition... The worst is wedding dresses. What a waste. Some people "preserve" them - for what, I don't know. I donated mine to Goodwill or the Salvation Army or somesuch. I figured somebody out there might want a nice wedding dress and not be able to afford a new one. And, of course, mine had only been worn once!

Marie you are right about being more "chattier" this year - on your thread at the very least! This time last year you had 160 posts and this year 364 posts - 125% more chattier in fact!

I think todays struggles are less defined but no less difficult in some ways. Certainly those in the war zones of Libya, Afganistan and huge swathes of Africa will still find surviving to tomorrow an achievement.

I think Yasmyne will wear the prom dress a few times at least but then again what do I know?

>38 katiekrug: Katie, I do hope she will modify it and get a bit of use out of it. Hopefully she won't puke all over it!

I think Yasmyne will wear the prom dress a few times at least but then again what do I know?

I wouldn't count on it to much Paul. But then, what do I know? Maybe she'll do you the kindness of making your investment pay off and re-use it when she gets married! :-D

...

Less likely words could not have been spoken! Lol!

Once again, surprised to see I've climbed up a few spots in the ranks. But then, I will keep increasing my number of initial lists and various autobiographical and ranting posts, won't I? ;-)

Oh yes, and... Happy New Thread!

xx

I know a few girls who had long prom dresses, and then had them altered with a shorter hemline, removed some embellishment, and had just a nice simple cocktail-type dress left over. I'm thinking of one friend in college, in particular, who probably ended up wearing her "prom" dress at least half a dozen times because she'd had it turned into a very basic but versatile black cocktail dress.

People were horrified that I gave away my wedding dress, but really, what was I going to do with it? There was no way to make it into a more conventional garment. I loved it, and it made me feel special and beautiful on my wedding day, and I hope someone else got to have that same experience. Every once in a while, I act like a nice person ;-)

>42 katiekrug: Katie I gave away my wedding dress too. What am I going to do with it? My nieces donated their prom and banquet dresses to Project Prom so that girls who cannot afford a dress will get one. I like that idea.

Happy New Thread Paul.

And to answer your question from your last thread I am not sure who is going to win the world cup. I like you hope that it is a eoupeian team.

>42 katiekrug: I borrowed my wedding dress from my older cousin. I fell in love with hers the day she was married when I was a teen, and when it came time to shop for my own dress, I mentioned to her that hers was my ideal dress. She then offered it to me for my day. It was doubly special knowing it had been hers!

Oh yeah, Hi Paul! LOL

>45 Cobscook: - Aw, that's lovely, Heidi!

Nice new thread mate and a great thread topper, so apt with the D-Day commemoration last Friday. I can't believe I am in the top 40 for posts, think I am finding my chatty self now I am a 2nd year member of the 75ers. Love to all the family mate.

>41 Smiler69: Nothing will surprise me where the ladies and their fashion habits are concerned. I am less surprised and, in fact, very gladdened by your resurgence in the posting stakes.

>42 katiekrug: I actually think that there may be a way of having Yasmyne embrace the idea of modifying the prom dress. In Malay tradition wedding dresses aren't bought really. The couple wear a series of "baju" in which they are photographed for posterity. These are generally (and in our case) rented for the occasion.

>43 luvamystery65: Yep Roberta. Donating the prom dress so that others can get future benefit from it is another good idea. I will have to see if such a scheme exists here.

>44 BBGirl55: Germany are playing well Bryony aren't they? I always go into tournaments ridiculously optimistic that we'll suddenly sweep all before us. I may be right one of these days.

>45 Cobscook: That is a lovely story Heidi.

>46 katiekrug: Ditto, Katie

>47 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I can certainly believe it mate. Your good nature, warmth and caring personality shine in every post on your thread and elsewhere. Normally makes you popular. One of my best acts was to persuade you to join our little coterie.

How on earth did I get into the top 10? Finally living up to my LT moniker, clearly.

I'm holding steady at seven, which is better than I expected by now.

You know Paul, what would be a fun and completely-impossible-to-compile statistic? Figuring out who actually writes the most posts, on all the 75er threads — their own and other people's. I wonder what that Top 10 would look like? I bet I'd be quite a bit further down but I might be surprised.

I love the stats. With all my RL stuff this year I'm surprised I came in as high as I did. Am I right that "Karen - 49, with 744" would be maggie1944?

I've dropped a bit, but still in the top 50. Not too shabby considering where I was last year.

>53 mahsdad: It's Foto Friday, Jeff, that keeps 'em coming back!

Hi, Paul ~ Happy newest thread! And thanks for putting together the stats!

On the subject of prom dresses, my daughter went to three in her 4 years of high school. She rewore one of her dresses, just cutting off a bit of fluff around the neckline and adding a pair of fairy wings (don't ask). For her senior prom, we bought a long black chiffon dancer's skirt on sale that we embellished with amber-colored rhinestones, and topped it with an inexpensive black top, and she accessorized the outfit with leopard shoes, shawl and gloves. Have I ever mentioned that she's an actress? As you see, she's always been quite the drama queen. And fashionista.

>43 luvamystery65: I love this idea!

>54 rosalita: I may not have the most talkitive thread around here (we all know who the contenders are for that :), and that's okay by me. I'm still going to post pictures that I think the group will enjoy, (or at least ones that I think are interesting) and interesting links and other passing wittiscims. I wish there was a better way to know who is following individual threads. I don't post a lot on other people's threads, but I do follow and try to keep up with quite a number of people. This year has been a lot of fun for me being more active in the group.

The group has definitely helped me up my reading game. I'm about 3 months ahead of last year, if all goes well I should hit 75 for the first time.

oooh, the $$$ dress was a prom dress? I thought it was Hani's 'baby' ;)
Which makes me think you are not so keen for it to be a wedding dress (too soon) then!?

We don't have proms here, well, we call them 'formals' or 'balls'. When I was at high school it was one, in the final year. Not so simple now I hear....and my dress was heinous. Lace and velvet (I can barely type the words!). Euuurgh. I am definitely not posting any photos of me in it, before you ask! There is a funny one though, of my friend and me. As we were posing for a photo she touched my bottom and my eyes are WIDE open in the shot, and she has a devilish look on her face!

Thanks for the stats, Paul. Waving hi!

Paul, many thanks for the update of the stats. I'm impressed as always. Wishing you a nice evening.

>50 Chatterbox: Suz you actually made it into the top ten on the last counting day and with it exceeded 2000 posts in the process. Given that you are always on the "podium" in the book reading league, it is pretty darned impressive.

>51 rosalita: Julia your rise in posts is a spectacular success story this year, especially, if I may, considering that you had a few weeks when the black dog was weighing you down somewhat.
The stat is too much for me I think. Strong candidates this year based on a hunch and not including the top five threads would be Barbara, Kath, Karen, John.

>52 maggie1944: That is you indeed my dear, of course.

I have to admit I am getting very chatty on here and am so glad you invited me to join this group, what a group of people it is and I consider you all to be friends. I am aiming for 1500 posts by the year end, even if I have to write them all myself ha ha.

I sold my wedding dress (from first marriage) for a tenth the cost to a lower income bride. My dress cost more originally than Yasmyne's prom dress. I'll post a picture of it as a thread topper eventually.

>60 PaulCranswick: The fact that my posting numbers stayed high while I was laid low is purely a testament to all the lovely people here (including you) who left encouraging messages in my absence. I do believe that was a big factor in my recovery. xoxo

>30 PaulCranswick: - Just to look at it from another perspective: the posting stats are really apples and oranges considering different people's habits (How many opening posts does one use? How quickly does one start a new thread once the linky thing becomes available? Does one respond to each message with a new post or are they grouped together? These things add up...). As much as I like looking over the list, I can't help feeling it's all rather meaningless. Which is not to say I don't appreciate the effort that goes into keeping track, Paul, and again, I enjoy perusing it. But I hope people new to the group don't get discouraged because they aren't higher up or it makes them feel like it's a popularity contest of some sort. I doubt this happens much but I'm cynical, so.... :)

Hi Paul! I can't believe I'm still in the top 20 in the "posting league." With the year I'm having...... I miss being able to check in on LT almost every day. Oh well. It is what it is.

Meanwhile, based on a quick skim through your prior thread, I've put A Death in the Family on hold at the library and added Strumpet City to my amazon shopping cart (they don't seem to have it at the library).

I hope you're having a great week, Paul!

>53 mahsdad: Jeff, not shabby at all mate. Last year at July 14 (next time I do a full list) you had still not made 60 posts.

>54 rosalita: Julia - We have a talented bunch in the group and Jeff's photo's are certainly outstanding.

>55 Storeetllr: I suppose this one is something akin to Senior Prom ~ we don't, to my knowledge, really have a tradition of this in the UK either.
Kyran is the actor in the family and I noted that he wishes to do drama amongst his choice of subjects at school.

>66 PaulCranswick: I think a better benchmark for me is that at the end of May last year I was only at 25 books read. This year its 42

>56 mahsdad: Jeff, I also enjoy your photos but there is much more to your thread than that for sure. Chatty or not your place has become an integral part of my tour of the threads and I am pleased to see more of us guys on the threads as we are heavily outnumbered by the female of the species!

>57 LovingLit: Yasmyne had a fitting yesterday and point blank refused to let me see any photos of the same. We also didn't have prom nights as such at my old school in the UK so the fact that I get hammered for a prom dress to go to an English curriculum international school prom is additionally irritating!

>58 connie53: & >59 Ameise1: Connie and Barbara; thank you ladies- I think both of you would be candidates for most posts by a person on all threads as suggested by Julia.

Yeah in NZ we have a formal ball and in my day the 6th and 7th formers were allowed to go in their own right and anyone younger than that or from another school could attend if they were someone's 'date'. For me the big expenses were ticket, dress, make-up and the limo for the trip there (ridiculous now that I think about it but it's what a lot of kids did with groups of friends). My mother didn't help out with the cost or the choosing of the dress etc and I needed to pay for everything out of money I earned from an after school job. I'll only say that when it comes to my kids I will be more involved and while I will expect them to contribute to the cost I won't be making them pay for everything.

Now I'm living in a big city compared to the small town I grew up in and the local newspapers report stories of kids, girls in particular, going on shopping trips to Australia to buy the dress, having a different dress for the "after-ball", getting a spray tan, having hair and make-up done including a 'trial' run.. it goes on and on and costs thousands, and the local hairdressers etc do compare it to weddings. The peer pressure, on the adults as much as the kids, must be immense.

edited to add: the local shops that sell dresses also try and keep track of which school each girl comes from to prevent girls from the same school buying the same dress. I mean I can understand that kinda... but imagine a girl who finds a dress she really likes and is told "sorry you can't buy that someone from your school has already chosen it" ?!

>61 johnsimpson: John I think 1,500 posts will be a cakewalk for you mate this year.

>62 Morphidae: Wow Morphy, I look forward to getting an eyeful of that!

>63 rosalita: I have my own black spells (which may surprise some people here) and struggle sometimes to sleep (like today) when pressures of work and cashflow and people things intrude upon my slumbers. The 75ers is something I turn to for succour and I am certainly aware of its medicinal value. xx

>64 katiekrug: You are right of course Katie. Some people renew threads before 200 posts some after 250 and some go over 300. I won't renew generally before about 260 posts and sometimes up to 300 when photos posted can tend to slow the whole thing down. I always start with 12 posts per thread, some are much less, a few even more. Some answer each post individually some can group as many as ten or so responses together. If I am on line and really clocking up posts I will answer each post as it comes in but that is rare these days. I do though make a point of answering every post on my thread as I think it only polite to do so when someone has gone to the trouble of visiting me. I usually (because computers tend to crash) post up responses to three or possibly four posts at a time if I have a stack to reply to and I think that is pretty standard. It is only for fun and there is nothing scientific and definitive about it. I don't think those with threads in the top twenty or so are more or less popular than any other group members but it is an indication that they spend more time here than others!

>65 EBT1002: It is a busy week Ellen. Tender interviews, meetings with the flood mitigation department to discuss budgets and progress, tenders to submit, letters to write for clients on projects where they are being delayed.......pretty much standard I guess.

>67 mahsdad: It is also something that I noticed Jeff. More posting doesn't seem to reduce your book reading.

>69 kiwiflowa: Interesting Lisa. The main difference here is that the kids are not allowed to work. Yasmyne can now that she is 17 but under 16s can't even have Saturday jobs here.

>70 PaulCranswick: "...but it is an indication that they spend more time here than others!"

Yup! :-)

I've only had two prom dresses in my life - one was a light pink number with daisy-like lace trim and cranberry-colored velvet ribbon for my junior high school prom and the other was for the junior prom of a boy I really did not like. My cousin made it for me. She did a very nice job, but it was yellow satin. Satin! I think satin is just about the worst fabric ever that a person can wear. It makes you (or me) look huge. Ugly, ugly, ugly! If I could I would pass a law forbidding satin to be used for anything other than jacket lining or trim. Never, ever, ever for a whole article of clothing!

I had a dreadful time, too...

>72 michigantrumpet: Well it is 5 in the morning here and I have been browsing threads and updating posts for over an hour already......................

>73 Fourpawz2: A law against satin, Paws? I have tended to navigate away from soft fabric tee shirts which tend to cling to my overly generous form. I go for flattering clothes and they are getting somewhat harder to find! Lovely to see you here by the way.

>74 PaulCranswick: - Oh yeah - definitely a law. It is necessary. Hideous fabric!

I agree with you about the clingy tee shirts. I've dropped some poundage over the last year and a half (can't tell you how much, because I don't know. I threw away the bathroom scale and now I gauge weight loss according to the size jeans that I can fit into - which at present is down just about 2 sizes), but I still don't like the way that kind of fabric likes to glom onto the less than perfect silhouette.

Nice to be seen. Wish I did not wax and wane quite so much. Would like to be more consistent.

>75 Fourpawz2: As you know Charlotte, I have long been a devotee of your thread and the slightly off-beat sense of humour that prevails there. xx
There isn't much of a silhouette for me I am afraid as I do tend to block out the sun completely.
Congrats on dropping a couple of jeans sizes - I know from experience how hard that is to do.

I love the ideas here of giving away formals and wedding dresses.... so great for those who need help.
I don't believe in holding on to things that I can't use or don''t need. Why are you ip so early, Paul?

>64 katiekrug: Katie, that's what is surprising about my top 10 ranking. I open my threads with three or four posts, max, and don't generate a lot of specific "reply to" posts. That said, I'm quite capable of going off on tangents that seem to spark a lot of dialog, viz, the YA discussion on my current thread. And I'm about to post another topic for discussion...

>71 PaulCranswick: Thanx for your kind words, Paul. I do a lot of my LT'ing at work. Its a good distraction (don't tell my boss that ;), but as far as the books are concerned, its pretty much, if I don't have a book in my hand, I almost don't feel right.

Oh! by the way I tumbled upon a book sale the day before yesterday all books $2:

333. How German Is It by Walter Abish (1979) 252 pp
First winner of the Pen/Faulkner Fiction Award.
334. Every Move You Make by David Malouf (2006) 244 pp
Short story collection and Sting is not in sight
335. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (2003) 200 pp
Slightly more mature work on WW1 by the children's writer
336. Those Feet by David Winner (2005) 268 pp
'An intimate history of football' no less
337. Black Ajax by George Macdonald Fraser (1997) 248 pp
A novel about race by the Flashman author
338. The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit by Sloan Wilson (1955) 276 pp
The eminent Gregory Peck adorns the cover
339. The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels (2009) 336 pp
Fugitive Pieces made her famous. This was Giller Prize short-listed
340. Lovers and Strangers by David Grossman (2002) 264 pp
Contains two novellas by the celebrated Israeli
341. The Holy City by Patrick McCabe (2009) 212 pp
Knowing the work of McCabe a little ~ this will be a tad twisted
342. Arrow in the Blue by Arthur Koestler (1952) 415 pp
Darkness at Noon is a favourite. First volume of autobiography
343. Left Foot Forward by Garry Nelson (1995) 375 pp
Describes a year in the life of a journeyman footballer
344. This Side of Brightness by Colum McCann (1998) 242 pp
Early McCann novel about homelessness.
345. Five Boys by Mick Jackson (2001) 239 pp
Loved his Ten Sorry Tales last year.
346. Martha Quest by Doris Lessing (1952) 333 pp
I am up and down with Ms. Lessing. This is the first Children of Violence novel.
347. Austerity Britain by David Kynaston (2007) 633 pp
History of a period of England in which my parents grew up.

Books in 2014 : 347

Pages added in 2014 : 109,455 pages

>77 mckait: I also like the idea, Kath. Couldn't sleep mainly because Hani was out at a friend/neighbour's house and I am not great whilst waiting for her safe return.

>78 Chatterbox: There is always a lot to ponder and read over at your place Suz. Nearly 500 books a year alone generates a fair amount of comment!

>79 mahsdad: I know how you feel Jeff about having a book with you. I met a very old friend for lunch who has been retired for about six or seven years. He brought with him as always a novel and I had Mother Night with me. We both smiled in full knowledge that it is the most natural thing in both our worlds!

Wow, I'm surprised you were so reasonable Paul, considering what a bargain the books were! ;-)

>80 PaulCranswick: I have been looking everywhere over here for a copy of Austerity Britain, Paul. Sooner or later I'm going to track it down. The review I read made it sound fascinating.

>82 Smiler69: I was rushing back to the office Ilana after sending some money Western Union to my rep in Hanoi.

>83 rosalita: I'll keep it for you Julia.

>56 mahsdad: Good for you! This group is indeed very inspirational.

A Koestler memoir would be interesting, given how controversial his life/views became! Darkness at Noon was really his high point...

Hi Paul! Another impressive book haul I see. I would love to stumble across a book sale where the books were priced for $2 each. Sadly, there are not many book outlets in my area.

>85 Whisper1: I can vouch for that Linda. Despite the occasional glitches and misunderstandings which happen anywhere and everywhere there is a real warmth and communal spirit amongst the 75ers that I haven't experienced elsewhere.

>86 Chatterbox: Suz - I was greatly impressed by Darkness at Noon and will always buy something of his if I stumble upon it.

>87 Cobscook: Heidi - It was just good luck because I was in a very old mall which has a Western Union outlet and where I go regularly to send payments to our people in Hanoi, Pnomn Penh and Jakarta. There was a series of stalls set up with an impromptu book sale and more of my kind than the normal pulp fiction you may have expected.

*Drive by waves!*

I thought Yasmyne's dress was very nice by the way (presuming posted by Hani on Fbook :) ). You could have had it far worse... it could have been cut from hither to thither...

We didn't have a ball or anything but we did have a 16+ meal thingy. My best friend's dress could seriously only qualify as nightwear. Silver nightwear...

Hi Paul, just checking in after being away for a couple of weeks. Amazed as always at how far behind I am with everyone and find myself having to resort to skimming through many of the longer threads in order to catch up.

>89 BekkaJo: Apparently the finished product will not look much like that one, Bekka. Let's see and I know that Hani will put up some photos of it.

>90 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I was hoping to get the reading league up today but unfortunately my office computer crashed which was storing the computer and I'llhave to get my geeks to help me with it.

>80 PaulCranswick: what? All brand new and $2 each!?
Awesomesause (as Amber would say) :)

Paul that book haul at $2 for new books matches my Book People haul, we certainly know a bargain when we see one, true Yorkshiremen.

Paul, do you live on the ground floor? If not, I fear for the structural integrity of your condo.

Hi Paul. Just trying to catch up. In skimming, I'm not sure if this was mentioned but around here people donate their prom dresses and a group organizes them and puts them on display like a regular showroom or dress shop. Those girls who qualify according to their income can come in, try on and take a dress home for their prom for free. The best use of them that I could think of. They just came up with the idea a few years ago and I was able to donate ten old prom/bridesmaid dresses that my daughter had accumulated in an upstairs closet.

I have a friend whose parents are British, and she and her sister had a time getting their parents to pay for prom dresses. I never went to prom, and my daughter wouldn't either, though I encouraged it So some savings in being anti-social!

I was curious, with your costs, is that US dollars, or Malaysian, and what's the exchange rate like? $2 for new books sounds amazing.

>92 LovingLit: They were new books Megan but obviously ones that had been on the shelves a goodly while.

>93 johnsimpson: Speaking of true Yorkshiremen, Joe Root proved me wrong yesterday with an unbeaten century. I was pleased to see Moen Ali also do well on debut and narrowly miss a 50.

>94 ronincats: Roni - hahaha no we live in a fifth floor (top floor apartment) I have the weight fairly evenly spread across 3,000 ft2!

^woohoo! An extra double bargain then! (to use Wilbur's mode of talk...Lenny's latest is to do nursery rhyme mash-ups, eg: hey little diddle, hey little diddle the mouse ran up the clock, too funny!
(edited spelling)

More poetry discussions from Crash Course Literature. John Green on Sylvia Plath.

Not sure where you fall on her work, but I thought I would share...

http://youtu.be/iJn0ZPd6mYo

>97 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, another Yorkshireman makes his mark at Lord's, 200 not out, could this be our No5 for the next decade, he's putting up a good case for it. Hope you and the family have a good weekend mate.

Catching up here! One of my friends was able to play in the U.S. band at Normandy. She is retired from the Air Force band. In the photos I saw of the event, she was on the outside edge of the trombone section.

My Dad was in the U.S. Navy in WWII in the Pacific Theatre. Although he did make some voyages in his time with the Navy, he spent a large portion of his time in the Los Angeles area.

Paul, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

Paul, it's Father's Day here tomorrow and as you are such a caring father, I thought I would take the opportunity to wish you a great day.

Just waving as I pass through...

Hi Paul, I'm also wishing you a Happy Father's Day a bit in advance, though it's already Sunday where you are, so maybe not so in advance after all! xx

Happy Father's Day!! (Don't know if you celebrate over there, but if so, you better get a little love after that dress!)

>69 kiwiflowa: Oh the horror! My daughter is NOT flying to Australia for a formal dress. Not. Of course, she's a year 5, so it's not an immediate threat, but still.

>74 PaulCranswick: I will support a ban on satin.

I was in terror of being a horrible wife due to an overwhelming weekend of busy-ness. Then I discovered that NZ celebrates fathers in September. Phew!! I will phone my Dad in the morning and celebrate my husband in September. And every other day of the year too...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to you Paul - now or in September, or whatever. :)

^Hope you are enjoying a great Father's Day, Paul.

Hi Paul. I'm guessing it's not Father's Day where you are, but since you're one of my favorite fathers around here, I can't resist wishing you a great day. Of course, I wish for you that every day would be a great day!

I hear rumors around the threads that you are tentatively planning the Paul U.S. Tour for sometime in October. I hope I'm able to make it to one of the cities in which you are planning to, um, perform. Okay, no pressure. No performance required. Just chat about books and life.

Knock, knock. Somebody here? It's so quiet at this place. Hoping that everything is o.k.

Paul? We are missing you here, hope you come back soon.

I thought I'd lost the thread, as it didn't show near the top as usual...

Wow, almost 24 hours with no posts?

Hmm, this is unusual. Off at poet camp? Writing a treatise on prom dresses? Celebrating Father's Week?

Hope all is okay Paul and you've just been spoilt so rotten for Father's Day that you need some time to recover.

Paul?

Happy Father's Day a day late - we had a marathon of graduation festivities, now concluded!

Hope all is well and you are just busy. This is just so unusual for you!

I hope there wasn't a biblio-avalanche...

Dropping by your latest, not-so-new thread to ... oh; not here? Probably sleeping off a long night of watching the World Cup. My husband has the whole family up to watch; it airs here at 12am, 3am & 6am.

As for prom dresses, we never had a prom. It isn't (or wasn't when I was growing up) an UK thing. I vaguely recall some kind of end of school thing, for which I wore a black lace cocktail dress, but even that was a bit dressy. And wedding outfits - sore subject. My husband's mother picked mine. 'Nuff said.

Four days away and a weekend to boot!

Just want to let everyone know that I am ok. I have not visited for the last few days due to a crisis in my personal life which is still a little raw to discuss on my thread. Hani and I spent a fairly rest-less weekend working through some issues brought to our door by yours truly and remain as together and as much in love as ever. She really is the most special and wonderful human being I have ever had the privilege of coming into contact with even though I am a little bit biased.

I am still a little on the flat side but have the battery charging and I'll be back to all my dear, dear friends soon enough.

Not read a page in four days by the way which isn't good!

I will come back shortly and answer all your posts for which I heartily thank each and every one of you. I would ask that no mention be made of my difficulties over on FB as there are people over there that Hani would be horrified having see that we had had some difficulties. Needless to say those persons are not of this group at all.

Glad to hear all is well. :) Take care.

>121 PaulCranswick: funny how these events in life, make us realise the treasures on our doorsteps .... Take care & re charge those batteries .....

Sorry about the crisis.. I thought I missed a post about a trip or something. Glad you posted, glad you are well...

hugs

Thanks for updating us, Paul. Glad to hear you are working things out. Sending positive vibes from the Midwest...

Good to see you, Paul. May all be well in your world.

Hi Paul, sorry to hear about your crisis but glad to hear that things have been resolved. Just take care my friend and make sure all is well at home. Karen and I send love and hugs to you, Hani and the kids and hope to see more of you on here when time allows. We all have hiccups in life and you and Hani are strong together and will resolve all issues. You have been greatly missed on here my friend and that is because we all love you and your family. You were here for me a few months ago and I will be here for you mate.

Paul, I am sorry you have had a bit of a personal issue/crisis. And I hope it is good and truly done and over and you can return to reading, and chatting about books and life.

I note that Ellen asked if October is your planned month to land in the USA. I also hope you drop in some place near the Greater Seattle Area so that I'll be able to join you in the face to face chance to talk about books and life.

Meanwhile, have a great week!

So sorry to hear about your news, Paul. Hoping for better days for you and your family.

One thing that has always stayed the same is the gratitude and grace you have expressed for your wife and kids. You'll get through this. *hugs*

{{{hugs}}}

You and Hani need a vacation.. just the 2 of you for a couple of days.

Sending hugs and best wishes Paul.

Whatever you are wrestling with, I hope you win! No further details needed. Just sending lots of love your way, to you and your family.

What Morphy said. Thinking of you, dear, and wishing you happiness.

Paul, thinking of you and sending a load of positive energy waves.

Ditto, buddy. Sounds like you're on the far side of it and all will be well.

It's great to hear from you Paul, I think we were all getting worried. I'm sure you'll work though this. You know you have lots of friends here cheering for you. xx

Hugs.

Sending positive thoughts your way.

I would like to say that I didn't miss your activity in this thread, but I would be wrong. I figured that you would be back sometime. I just needed to be quiet and patient.

Glad to read that you are back.

Take care Paul.

Thinking of you and wishing all the best for you and your family.

((hugs))

Thinking of you, Paul, with best wishes as always. Hope it helps in some small measure to know that so many people all over the world care about you and your family very much. I always appreciate your steadfast friendship, and hope I can return it. Take care.

Also thinking of you Paul and hoping to see you bounce back and in form. The World Cup is taking over my family's daily routines quite convincingly with early bedtimes so they can be up at 4am for the first game.

Adding my wishes and hopes to the pile and missing you round here. Hope all resolves soon.

(((((hugs))))) Thinking of you.

Dave Hockaday !!!!!!!!! Massimo Chellino a fit and proper person, try telling that to Leeds fans. Going to be a long hard season mate.

Missing you!

Thinking positive thoughts about you guys and am hoping that everything has sorted itself out.

What ^ said

Paul, I am adding my best wishes for you and your family. Weathering these crises is all part of marriage and family life. I know of what I speak having had more than a few issues in almost 46 years with the same man. My love to you and Hani...

Well, I am back again, a little shame-facedly chastened but grateful for a strong and loving wife, without whom, I would amount to very little at all. Unlike my normal very open and confessional style in these pages I will not give a blow-by-blow account of our troubles out of respect to SWMBO not to myself but I would say that our difficulties were the result of a flirtation on my travels that almost went too far. Without putting too fine a point on it I have been put very, very firmly in my place - such place being beside Hani.

I am almost ready for the fray and will spend some time later today answering all your lovely messages for which I am extremely grateful as I am for one personal message in particular. I also haven't forgot the reading league which had almost been completed before the blues descended upon me.

Hi Paul--so relieved to see you back here! You have been greatly missed. I am glad that you and Hani have worked things out and I hope the two of you come out of this difficulty stronger than ever. Best wishes always.

Just like that perennial bad penny, I am back threading a bit! So sorry to hear of your woes; none of us here need to know the details. Just happy that the best suited couple on LT are still keeping on keeping on. Marriage is a marathon - not a sprint!

Sorry to hear of your recent troubles, Paul, but glad to see you back. Hugs to you and Hani both! This long-term marriage stuff is not for the faint of heart...

Paul - hugs for both you and Hani and here's to moving forward together stronger than ever.

Paul, no need to answer individual posts (though I know that is your typical style).

Having myself engaged in some very heavy (and, dare I say?, fun) flirtation in the last year that threatened to tilt my whole life off balance, I can say that --- it happens. I don't know the particulars of your experience. I don't need to know the particulars. But I can say, it happens. And all I wish is for you and Hani to work out the particulars in a way that is best for you two. No judgment. No assumptions. Life takes the turns it takes. You just have to figure out what you want and what matters for the long run. Whatever that is.

Yikes, I didn't expect to get so verbose. But just know that you are unconditionally cared about by this community, this group of book-loving and Paul-loving souls.

Hang in there, buddy.

Aaarrrgh! A practically Paul-less thread!! I cannot cope.

I am glad you made it back to LT and back home too. Personal crises are bound to crop up from time to time. I find it the only 'bad' thing about LT, that I have all my new friends to worry about now...so, I hope there is nothing to worry about. Which is a backwards way of saying the obvious: take care of yourselves first ((((hugs))))

Thinking of you and Hani, Paul.

Yep.. I'm with Ellen... Just jump back in and start where you are. I'm glad that things are sorted at your house! I hope that normal happy house reigns from here on out. Nice to see you!

>158 EBT1002: What Ellen said. And also, this " I find it the only 'bad' thing about LT, that I have all my new friends to worry about now". That is SO true.

Ooooh, maaaaan. You need to buy her a LOT of purses for this one. :D

*hugs*

Yup, tie a knot in your handkerchief and move on, my friend.

Paul, I am sorry about your troubles, but, as said before, there are bound to be ups and downs in any long marriage. I bet this will make your marriage stronger in the long run. And, as Ellen said, no need to answer individual posts this week--take it easy on yourself.

Just catching up with your news, and very glad that things seem to be back on track.

Hi Paul, it's great to hear from you again, and I'm glad Hani and you worked through this particular hurdle. I'm sure it's one of the many challenges most marriages and long-term relationships in general have to go through. After all, to flirt is to be human. ;-)

As others have said, no need to respond to this post. A group thanks will more than satisfy me. Now, onto those reading leagues! :-D

xx (chaste and unflirtatious ones, of course)

^ :-)

>164 ronincats: For some reason, that reminded me of this story:

A man and a woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.

She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh, that?" she said. "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."

Does Hani crochet? *snork!*

Extra hugs for you and Hani.

LOL! Perfect. No marriage is without some rough patches.

>169 scaifea: Super story Amber! :-D

>169 scaifea: LOL! (srsly. out loud)

>169 scaifea: "and carry the one ...." that is a lot of dolls :-)

Yasmyne enjoyed her Prom Night last night and Hani and I were invited to celebrate it alongside her. She looked a million dollars. Afterwards Hani and I checked into the nearby Prince Hotel for an evening of together time. We will survive our troubles I am sure but not without the odd bucket of tears along the way.

>98 LovingLit: Wow the mixing of nursery rhymes sounds like a great party game, Megan. Those boys of yours are worth their weight in gold for sure.

>99 mahsdad: Jeff, there is no doubt that Sylvia Plath would have been an important poet but I think I have been affected by my passion for the work of her husband Ted Hughes whom I would place close to the very pinnacle of poetry during my own lifetime. His culpability or otherwise in her passing has impacted not only feminist's perspective of his work just as those who champion his work tend to unfairly underplay her writing.

>100 johnsimpson: I'm glad to be proved wrong in this instance, John, because he wouldn't have played if I had picked the team. I would hope that, like Gooch, he'll move up the order in time. Ballance also played well and I felt a little sorry for Plunkett on that pitch.

>101 thornton37814: Lori, Born in 1966, I have never faced the horror of battle but I grew up close to my Uncle Bill who served in the Royal Navy in WW2 and was sunk and survived the ordeal after a number of hours in the ocean. I cannot conceive of what those before us have faced on our eventual behalf, but their efforts in the epitome of a just war set the course for a half-century of almost-peace.

>102 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara.....oh! had it only have been so. One of the worst weekends of my life actually but I do hope this one will be the first one back to normalcy.

>103 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I didn't feel much of a father this weekend but at least we were able to spend some time all together.

>104 laytonwoman3rd: A wave back to you Linda, my dear.

>105 Smiler69: Saturday and Sunday were a bit of a tearful blur to be honest, Ilana. Where one ended and the other began I am not able really to say.

>106 Berly: Kim, we do celebrate it here. Yasmyne wore the dress yesterday and looked a picture in my humble and not impartial opinion.

>107 nittnut: Thanks Jenn. I didn't realise that New Zealand celebrates Father's Day in September.

>108 msf59: Thank you Mark. I didn't have a great one but the thoughts and well wishings from my buddies helped to cushion some of the blows.

>109 EBT1002: Ellen, it was indeed Father's Day here. I hope our plans for the States are not impacted by my foolishness.

>110 Ameise1: Ah....I see you were an observant lady Barbara in noticing my disappearance first.

>111 Thebookdiva: I was missing you all too, Abby. Thought that, at 47, I was old and wise enough to steer my course serenely through life. I guess that you are never old enough.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: I can say with some little pride that I don't recall ever coming to the group page and not being able to find my thread on the opening page. I am even prouder that the couple of occasions I came back to see what was going on my thread had still been kept on that first page by all my wonderful friends.

>113 Morphidae: Morphy,.....and that was the beginning of it. Still with my problems the weigh-in on Monday will probably show a reduction in weight. I had a coupla days last week when I ate virtually nothing at all and slept even less than normal. Last time I checked I was at 213 - 5 pounds from where I started.

>114 jnwelch: hahaha Joe. Poet camp would be great; I'll have to look up one of those.

>115 BekkaJo: Bekka, I do need a little bit of time to recover, but we are on the mend already. Back to bickering in our most productive manner after a romantic evening in a local exclusive hotel room.

>116 Smiler69: Ilana!! xxx

>117 sibylline: We also had Yasmyne's graduation and prom this week and have seen our little girl bloom into a beautiful young lady in front of our oft disbelieving eyes.

>118 ronincats: My disappearance was unusual and its causes unique to our marriage thankfully enough. My proud, strong lady will, I believe, effect and cement her position at the centre of my life again in her usual forthright manner.

>119 msf59: Hahaha - It was a crisis mate not a tragedy!

>120 humouress: Nina - The World Cup? ah.....another reason to grieve! I am with you too on the proms. Never had 'em in Yorkshire growing up.

>122 nittnut: Jenn, there has been a few sideways steps along the path to overcoming this challenge to our marriage. The eventual road may be cobbled but it won't get hobbled.

>123 roundballnz: Alex, even closer than the doorstep - over the threshold already in point of fact! Thanks mate. Batteries are full already.

>124 mckait: Kath I suppose it was a sort of trip, but it is a road I am not overly keen to revisit.

>125 msf59: Love those Midwest vibes, Mark. All the positivity that surrounds us both in RL and in VL has played a wonderful role in keeping up my spirits.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda......not out of that tunnel but I can see the light shining in the distance.

Hi Paul- Hopefully all things are on the road to recovery my friend! I saw the Yasmyne prom photos. She looks stunning. Have a good weekend.

Yep, what Mark said - those photos of Yasmyne are beautiful!

I've been absent for a few days too. But that's because I'm currently too busy watching football.

(France and Germany look very good.)

Man, I can't believe you're answering every post from the hiatus, Paul. Impressive!

We've been married more than 30 years, and for me the key is accumulating bonus points by making her happy. Then, when I inevitably annoy the heck out of her, she remembers I have some redeeming qualities. So far it's working.

Why it doesn't need to go the other way, I couldn't say. She doesn't seem to have my talent for being extremely annoying.

Really happy to hear that you worked things out. I'm also really happy to have you back here at LT where you belong.

Stopping by to add my heartfelt wishes to you for a speedy and permanent resolution of this slight contretempts in your very obviously successful marriage.

And a pleasantly calm Sunday to you as well.

>127 johnsimpson: Thanks John for your kind words. Give my best wishes to Karen also. I believe that eventually our present troubles will be seen as a wake-up call not to take each other for granted or spend unnecessary time apart.

>128 maggie1944: Karen, I have missed books and gossiping for sure! I have hardly read a page in over a week. Dabbling with a bit of several books but not getting ensconced in any particularly. Seattle is on the list of places to visit you can rest assured my dear.

>129 michigantrumpet: Thanks Marianne. We visited an Iraqi friend in the hospital late yesterday afternoon together with Yasmyne's boyfriend and his family. Finding that the lady had been discharged and returned home we repaired there and enjoyed calorie laden Iraqi hospitality. The lady is well know as a soothsayer and reads turkish coffee grounds. She had done a reading for me about a month ago that involved a pretty lady in a long dress and plenty of arguments and choices to be made........far too accurate for comfort! I am pleased to report that yesterday's reading was only concerned with my business issues.

>130 Morphidae: Morphy your lovely words caused me to swallow back more tears when I first read them. Emotions have been close to the surface these few days but I haven't lost sight of what my awkward and argumentative bunch mean to me.

>131 cameling: Well I sort of put those words of wisdom into practice a little by having a hotel sleepover for the two of us. We have always been a pretty kinetic couple in truth, revelling in bickering and bantering as you may have noticed and that is beginning to resurface after a number of days of frowning and running-downing.

>132 SandDune: Thanks Rhian. Cuddles have been the order of the day in truth.

>133 Berly: We'll get there Kimmers without resort to wrestling (well not too much anyway) or even taekwondo.

>134 Crazymamie: Mamie one of the most difficult things that Hani said she had to cope with was the end of perfection in our marriage but in truth there is no such thing. The absence of rose-tinted spectacles will not damage us in the long run, I'm sure.

>135 Ameise1: Barbara, it is amazing how much we are able to take comfort from kind words and positive vibes. This group from its founding members to this year's newcomers is a wonderful support mechanism and I have been a beneficiary of so much kindness that I felt a little like a counterfeit clown these last few days and undeserving of so much warmth.

>136 jnwelch: Joe - I don't think the far side is even close yet but we will get over the mountain of despair into the valleys of contentment to paraphrase Gibran a little.

>137 Smiler69: I am such a lucky fellow with many of my friends here and in RL who have provided succour and advice and will keep the road relatively straight in future I hope.

>138 MDGentleReader: Thanks for the hugs MD. The absence of a thread doesn't impair at all your ability to spread warmth and comfort to all that need it. xxx

>139 RosyLibrarian: Thanks Marie. Gratefully received.

>140 benitastrnad: Benita, I don't think I could ever leave this group. Life sometimes tests us to the full but here will always be magical - and people like you make it so.

>141 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie, I will certainly try to.

>142 DeltaQueen50: Judy, in part the problem had been one of chasing the money too fervently that it put me in places to do so that I wouldn't normally entertain visiting.

>143 banjo123: Rhonda, thank you. I can't get enough hugs.

>144 AMQS: It is indeed wonderful to think that there is a worldwide group of individuals who spend their time caring and worrying for those of our number who have difficulties or aspirations ventilated in the group. I am proud to be a member of such a group and proud to have you all as my friend.

>145 avatiakh: Nigeria v Bosnia provides the backdrop to my typing, Kerry. The play has been really exciting so far but the standard of refereeing has been pretty calamitous - this game included.

>146 BekkaJo: I had planned a "comeback" a day or two before but then had issues with my laptop. I have confiscated Yasmyne's to catch up.

>147 Thebookdiva: Thanks, Abby. I am looking forward to catching up here and answering some of my PMs before catching up with you all.......I am sure I have missed loads.

>148 johnsimpson: You know, John, I find it more than a little comical - so funny in fact that I have a certain feeling that it might work out in our favour.

>149 ronincats: I have missed you all too, Roni.

>150 Fourpawz2: If we are a reflection of our friends then I am blessed indeed.

>151 mckait: Kath.....xxx

>152 Donna828: 46 years, Donna?! Wow we are not even half-way there yet. I hope we don't have too many weeks like the last one.

>154 Berly: It is oft-said Kim that difficulties resolved makes those resolving stronger, but there is also a permanent fracture I would guess that feels the cold and the ill winds more keenly than before.

>155 PrueGallagher: You'll never be a bad penny here Prue but I do miss your company ever so.

>156 Copperskye: You're right Joanne and I am so lucky that Hani does not have a faint heart at all.

>157 SuziQoregon: Juli - the hesitant steps forward of the last days are signs that we will survive the tests I set us both.

>158 EBT1002: Well in my case unfortunately Ellen, flirtation is far too innocent a word to properly encapsulate what happened and Hani's need to know even the most inane of details has been a difficult thing for me to face honestly without causing too much pain in the process. Not sure that care should be so unconditional but candour can lead to closure.

>159 LovingLit: Megan - You are right of course. Not much of me here but then again I am not often the exclusive subject of discussion here either! You are right that being a 75er does result in our cares and worries increasing along with the smiles and the joys to suit the respective moment.

>160 scaifea: Thank you Amber.

>161 mckait: True but not so simple Kath. I think we also need to dissect where some of the things went slightly awry. Hani is sage enough to appreciate that things were not so black and white and that I have not gone from angel to cartoon-villain overnight. There is a little work on both sides to come.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, there is plenty of sagacity in the posts I have read to date. I do hope I justify the confidence in me expressed in many of them.

>163 Morphidae: hahaha Morphy. Such guffaws have been few and far between recently. I am saving up for the coming storm!

>164 ronincats: I am practising my scout knots on that hankie as we speak, Roni.

>165 banjo123: Can't ever resist responding to each and every post Rhonda. Anyways it is a form of therapy at the moment.

>166 rebeccanyc: Not sure whom I would choose, Rebecca, to write the story of my last few months. Camilleri could help with the tragi-comedy elements, but the melodrama may need a firmer and more circumspect hand.

>167 Smiler69: I have always been a flirt Ilana. I don't think flirting would have caused any issues. Needless to say that there is a euphemism in my "flirtation" comment that was meant to err towards discretion rather than covering up my weaknesses for the fairest of feminine forms which I had subdued successfully for 19 wonderful years.

>168 EBT1002: You are a pal, Ellen.

>169 scaifea: hahaha I have a similar story in my repertoire of gags but you told it beautifully, Amber.
xx

>170 Berly: Hahaha, indeed. I'll tell SWMBO to get knitting.

>171 Smiler69: Totally correct, Ilana!

>172 LovingLit: Lady of many parts Amber is, Megan. I think stand-up could be one of em!

>173 AuntieClio: SWMBO would swap the dolls for the money for sure

>181 msf59: - Mark weekend suffered another blow as I found out from my twin Peter that he is having a series of tests for suspected leukaemia. He has very low red blood cell count but it could be any number of things apparently. It is pouring rather than raining at present for sure.

>182 scaifea: Thanks - I was proud of her as she took her stride with all her school chums down that red carpet to graduation. I have seen so many of those boys and girls grow from kindergarten tots to confident young adults.

>183 goonergirl1982: Rosalind - France, Holland, Germany and Belgium will carry European hopes far into the tournament I think.

>184 jnwelch: Joe - I think I have lost a host of bonus points buddy in one particularly fell, fell swoop.

>185 Thebookdiva: Wish it was a static process, Abby. This is something that will keep us working well into the next decade I guess!

>186 Matke: Gail, I wish contretemps was the best description of what occurred. I think our Sunday should be fine though.

Done, I am caught up with my own thread and now turn my attention to y'all!

Oof, I've been gone for awhile too, but not for such a good reason. Sorry you've gone through a rocky patch, but it sounds like you're up to the challenge of working it out. Hope your spirit recovers soon and you get some energy for reading.

I think that Ellen spoke some very wise words. Live is usually long enough that we make mistakes. Whatever you two decide there will be an LT community here to provide support.

'Nuf said.

It is hot here. got up into the high 90's today. I am so very thankful for air conditioning. Without that and bug spray there wouldn't be a soul living in the American South.

Whew! That was some catch up.

Your daughter does indeed look so beautiful in that lovely dress. I see that it truly stood out in gorgeous style in the group pictures. A good deal of fun seems to have happened. And a good excuse for a little private hotel visit for the parents. Being around budding young people is quite "stimulating", eh? (Meant in the most wholesome manner of course). I am cheering for your dear family, may it survive many more bumps and pot holes in the road.

Katie - Nice to see you here, my dear. Spirit is mending slowly. Hope to get some reading done soon too.

Benita - Without mistakes we learn little that lasts, I do believe that. One of my other friends in the group made a very wise observation in a PM to me on the importance of listening. I have been trying to do that this last week.

>202 maggie1944: Thanks Karen. In truth this week Hani and I have got back a little bit of our mojo. It had been more a case of front recently but there has been plenty of genuine feeling expressed between us both verbally, spiritually and phyisically these last seven days.

I ate a delicious Malaysian meal last night, Paul. Thought of you of course, and of all the roti I ate when I was there......my meal was a beef curry with roti, and my friend and myself shared a rice noodles dish in a dry spicy paste. I cannot remember the name, but it had chicken and seafood in it and it was DEE-YUM-ZISS (Lenny's latest mashup word for delicious and yummy)

>205 LovingLit: DEE-YUM-ZISS! I must remember that one Megan. I have to admit that I love my malaysian food.

Happy Sunday, Paul. Thinking of you and Hani. This one is especially for both of you.

Good Morning, Paul. Hope you and family are well. Fingers crossed for Peter - hope it is something easily overcome...

Keeping you and Hani and your brother in my thoughts, Paul.

I add my own voice to everyone else here. In a long strong marriage there are ups and downs. The down can make the marriage even stronger, even better, and more meaningful. Opportunity for change and growth.

Belgium - could go far. Yet to be really convincing.
Holland - Look very good now they've decided to play football, and not kick the opposition around.
Germany - Have the best of Europe's top teams playing for them.
France - Unified, classy and have a very beautiful forward called Giroud. ;)

Ah.... in relationships as long and consistent as your relationship with Hani has been, some cracks can surface, even if they are fleeting. My other half and I have been together for over 23 years now and we have had our occasional hurdles to overcome. Without going into details, I clearly remember an incident where I 'stormed' - if that is the correct term - out of the rental car while on vacation in the UK and walking away into the crowds, completely forgetting - and frankly, at that point in time not caring - that my Canadian passport, ID and all of my stuff was still in the car. That could have turned into a rather interesting situation (for me) if my other half had not cared enough to drive around the area looking for me and, upon locating me, being willing to sit down and have a good heart to heart talk. Very happy to see this recent road bump in the Cranswick family journey through life has been overcome.

oh Lori, I'll bet that was a "memorable" vacation.

Paul, maybe this bump will turn into a "good" bad patch. Getting a little more mojo back into the relationship sounds like good is coming out of it.

> 211

I am loving France, they remind me of 1998 team, dare I even think that this early on ...... pure class

Ah, Paul. Thinking of you and hoping the coming week will see improvements on all fronts.

{{{Paul}}}

My love on the big (read massive) pile.

Life used to be simple, somewhere a long way back down the line...

But, I think you'll agree, probably much less fun.

I find it interesting that here in Tuscaloosa the town has gone Football crazy. That wouldn't seem to be much of a surprise to most people in the U. S. but this time the game really is football where the ball is played with a foot hitting the ball - all the time - every play.

Yesterday I was driving through the club section of town at 6:00 p.m. and wondered why there was so much traffic on the streets. Then I saw three people come out of a bar. One had on a huge parody of an Uncle Sam hat, the other had on an American flag t-shirt, and the third had a flag in face paint on her face. I suddenly realized that I was missing the game. When I stopped for groceries I heard the roar of a crowd and figured that the U. S. had scored. Indeed they did.

The sad part is that these are fair weather fans. They won't even know know or care about top players around the world once this is over, but it is great to see every TV in every resturant and bar (even the none Mexican food ones) tuned in to the World Cup. If the interest keeps growing there might eventually be a fan base here in the U. S.

Loved the Netherlands game. I hope they go all the way. They have a good team.

#211
You are correct about the beauty.

#217. There's a lot of people in England like that too. Don't care too much about the domestic leagues (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, etc), but as soon as England are in a major tournament, they're all experts on tactics, team selection and the team's inevitable failure. Fair-weather fans are everywhere, although over here we tend to call them "glory-hunters" or "band-wagon jumpers".

I think the US understands football a lot more than it used to, especially with the internet, match streaming and TV broadcasts. So maybe there's hope for nationalistic US fans after the World Cup.

I confess. I'm an American who doesn't know much about soccer except that you hit the ball with your feet and head. I remember reading a story about a player named Pele in our Weekly Reader (a little 4 page paper that came to schools) once. Of course, none of us knew anything about soccer at the time. We grew up in the South where football and baseball reigned supreme. We had basketball and tennis also, but the American form of football and baseball dominated. I was really an adult before the soccer craze hit the U.S. Since I never got married or had children, I never was a "soccer mom" to become acquainted with the game. The sport will probably always remain a mystery to me.

Well I am still very much finding my feet again after falling fr0m grace at h0me. I am als0 having t0 type zer0s as the 4th v0wel f0r s0me reas0n will n0t appear 0n my screen.

>207 Ameise1: Thanks f0r the pebbles beautifully arranged, Barbara. Can be difficult t0 walk up0n but appear s00thingly t0 the eyes.

>208 Fourpawz2: Charl0tte, sl0wly things are c0ming t0 a slightly recriminat0ry n0rmalcy here. Three steps f0rward and tw0 backwards is still eventual pr0gress. The tw0 0f us are still very much in l0ve and that will see us thr0ugh f0r sure. Peter is understandably a bit d0wn but my fingers are cr0ssed f0r him and his y0ung family.

>209 scaifea: Thanks Amber. I rate pretty l0wly 0n the need f0r best wishes I think but Hani and Peter c0uld certainly d0 with a few.

>210 sibylline: I think y0u're right Lucy. I think that we will emerge str0nger thr0ugh 0ur present difficulties. Hani places a l0t 0f blame f0r the same 0n her pre0ccupati0n with kid's issues and the stress her 0wn anxieties this br0ught int0 0ur marriage. I d0n't h0ld with her view really but there is a c0ncentrati0n n0w 0n the tw0 0f us that will are drinking greedily fr0m.

>211 goonergirl1982: I agree R0salind that France are very impressive. The Dutch als0 l00k the part as d0 Germany; Belgium stuttered a little in their last game but may gr0w as the latter stages dawn.

>212 lkernagh: L0ri difficulties are meant t0 be surm0unted aren't they? Hani is usually s0 c0ncerned with the keeping up 0f appearances but threw the almightiest 0f tantrums at the 0ffice last week after a disagreement with Yasmyne. 0bvi0usly the staff kn0w n0thing 0f 0ur travails and were quite sh0cked by her st0rming fr0m the 0ffice in fl00ds 0f tears as a result 0f a seemingly in0ccu0us spat with her eldest.

I appreciate Ge0rges Perec s0 much this m0rning. With my difficulties with the 4th v0wel I have t0 w0nder h0w 0n earth he managed t0 write an entire n0vel with0ut using the letter "E"?

Dear Paul... I'm so sorry, here you are talking very earnestly about recent events, but all those zeros are making me smile wide. Maybe a reminder life is first and foremost a tragicomedy? ;-)

Paul, though I haven't commented in awhile I have been reading and my thoughts are certainly with you and your family with the challenges before and ahead.

I grew up in a soccer town but never really got into it - I have been watching the World Cup rather more than I expected (ugh, the U.S. game last night was a heartbreaker!) but that may drop off a bit now that Wimbledon's begun!

So sorry about your travails with the 4th vowel! :)

Would you mind if I include you and Hani in my prayers?

Paul, it's been a while since I've visited, but I'm sorry to see you've had a rough patch. Glad things seem on the mend, and I hope your keyboard troubles are soon mended, too.

Hi Paul! Good to see you're already on thread 23, when I just became brave enough to make my second. But maybe THIS time I'm really back. I'm gonna have to come BACK to this thread to do a little catch-up reading, but I'm guessing by the time I come back here, you'll already have a new thread. So I'll catch up on that one, instead. :)

>213 cammykitty: Katie, our moments are bittersweet and genuinely so. Whilst we have recaptured some of the togetherness and intimacy akin to the earliest days of our union, there are times of sudden tears (from both of us) and questioning looks as we search each other's countenances to see if feelings hard felt are truly reciprocated.

>214 roundballnz: Yes Alex, they are impressive and much better than last time when they entered the tournament full of hype and hit the skids in a welter of bad feeling and lack of togetherness. Perhaps the loss of star player Ribery has helped them bond.

>215 Matke: Thanks Gail. I can't help thinking that all the hugs should go to Hani though. I have shared with her many of your lovely posts and she sends heartfelt thanks for the genuine care and warmth there.

>216 BekkaJo: Bekka, I have been blessed with a wonderful, incident filled roller-coaster ride of a life and have had for the last 19 years a wonderful woman to help me along. I think we just renewed tickets for at least another nineteen years minimum.

>217 benitastrnad: Benita, my sporting passions are typically British - soccer, cricket rugby and tennis especially and a tad Francophile with cycling. Don't really get American sports as a result of culture I suppose rather than the aesthetics of the sports themselves. Most handsome team? Perhaps the French grab the laurels especially without their strangely made star player.

>218 goonergirl1982: I don't know much about fair-weather supportage I am afraid having a life-long affinity for my hometown club, Leeds United. Hardly a bed of roses indeed.

>219 thornton37814: My own son Kyran prefers basketball to soccer much to my chagrin. Of course at 5ft 6ins I am not really in a position to enjoy basketball. He has half a foot on me already at just 14 years old.

>222 Smiler69: I also saw the black humour of being devoid of my fourth vowel Ilana! Least of my problems actually but not a self-inflicted issue.

>223 bell7: Mary, thank you. Wimbledon is a favourite part of the sporting year for me I must say followed by the Tour de France mountains and the British Golf open and then the athletics season in full swing just before the soccer season begins.

>224 drneutron: Jim, I would be honoured to be included in your prayers. We have a belief here that if forty people around the world wish something good for you at the same time you'll realise that good.

>225 tymfos: Using a different laptop this afternoon which solves my keyboard issue; cannot change models in order to solve the other problems - I have to stick better to what I have and always cherished.

>226 The_Hibernator: Rachel, I'll be pretty happy to have done with this thread actually. But at least it has seen you visit again my dear and cheered me up no end.

Hello Paul, I recently reconnected with your thread after a long absence, one I don't even have a good excuse for other than being afraid I couldn't keep up. I am glad to see you and Hani are on the road to a better place together. I'm not much of a prayer person, but I will keep you both in my thoughts.

Well, if all it takes is 40 people to wish for something good to happen for you, I'm guessing you're golden by now. My thoughts for you and your whole family (brother most especially right now) are prayerful, even if I have no firm concept of where they are being addressed.

Swinging by to say "hello" and appreciate things are better at your house, and that the prom has been survived without any disasters. Having a young family is very busy, and sometimes challenging. But not having one can be busy and challenging too. Such is human nature, I suspect. So... onwards we all go. Nice to be a part of a group who are happy to support each others success.

>229 PaulCranswick: Jumping in to say that Jim has some powerful prayer mojo... I happen to know this. And appreciate it!

Sports.. too loud. All of them, even fishing. It is loud on my eyes when Dan watches it. Gak.. but Go team! whatever, whichever and as long as I don't have to watch :)

Paul it's been a great while since I've been around. I saw the lovely photos of Yasmyne on FB. What a beautiful young lady and really the whole crew looked like they were having a wonderful time. Thanks to Hani for always posting on FB.

As for you and Hani I also send you my prayers and many positive thoughts.

I am listening to Treasure Island narrated by Alfred Molina. I believe you reread this classic last year. I am early in but finding the narration delightful.

I have about decided that if I can't travel this year I will splurge on travel books about the places I wanted to go. If I indulge myself I will post the resulting purchase list here. Does anybody else out there like to read travel/culture books? I was surprised to discover that one of the members of my real life book club loves to read travel books and really defended them when it was suggested that we not read a travel book this year.

Hi Mate, we nearly managed to save the 2nd test but the best side won. Moeen deservedly got his maiden test ton and with Robson getting his maiden ton in the first innings and Balance getting his in the 1st test, there are some positives to take out of this two test series. On the downside, Cook's place as captain may need to be looked at if only to get him scoring runs again. Some of these players need to play some cricket before the 1st test against India.

The really good thing is that Yorkshire beat Warwickshire by an innings to maintain their position at the top of the table. Hope you have had a good day mate and have a good one tomorrow. Love to you and Hani and the kids, always here for you mate.

>230 lauralkeet: Well at least keeping up isn't too much trouble these days, Laura! Thank you for the kind words re: Hani & I.

>231 laytonwoman3rd: Hahaha, doesn't sound that many does it?! Spoke to Peter yesterday and he told me he feels less than 50% of his normal self. Fingers crossed that his tests are better than he, at least, anticipates.

>232 maggie1944: Not only the successes but the failures and failings as well, Karen. I am greatly indebted to you all that, at a time, when the import of my messages has been that I am the guilty party, there has been no call to judgement. In truth it is not quite so straightforward anyway but I think it behoves me to accept responsibility and not look to excuses.

Gosh Paul, I'm thinking good thoughts for Peter's health. I want it to be something easily taken care of.

>233 mckait: I am sure that Jim's prayers are special one's Kath and it is a veritable honour to be blessed by them.

>234 luvamystery65: I am inordinately proud of the clan and I thought she looked a million dollars in that slightly pricy frock. You are right, Roberta, I did read Treasure Island about a year ago and I enjoyed it immensely.

>235 benitastrnad: I do very much like travel writing - Thubron, etc, Benita.

I have read many travel books myself and very much enjoy them. Our group is reading Spice Necklace for our August book and it comes complete with recipes. Last year we read Bicycle Diaries and had much food for discussion with that book.

Tomorrow I fly across country to attend the summer American Library Association Conference. It is in Las Vegas this year. I wasn't that excited about going to Las Vegas as it is not the kind of place that I would choose in which to take a break, but the closer I get to going there the more excited I get. I hope to take in a Cirque Du Soliel show but they don't do shows on Monday and that is the one free night that I have. I may try to get to one on Friday night but it would be pushing it to get there. I also want to walk down the Strip just to see those hotels. If I can do so I intend to take in the art gallery at the Bellagio and would like to eat at Chef Hubert Keller's Burger Bar Fleur, just to see if it is as good as the TV food porn channels say it is. I will try to keep in touch while I am gone, but with all that activity, and all those authors and books, not to mention software companies, I will be pressed for time.

Paul good news. Dejah is back!!! https://www.librarything.com/topic/176690

>236 johnsimpson: I am pleased for Root, Moeen, Ballance and Plunkett all of whom have done well. Cook is a broken man and needs to get some runs under his belt and confidence back. I would make Ian Bell skipper and leave out Cook for at least the first two tests depending how we do. Mitchell and Vince should vy for the batting spot and I would toy with moving Joe Root back up to open with Robson and put Vince in Cook's place. Alternatively if Stokes gets fit he can get in and Broad probably needs a shake up too.
My XI Root, Robson, Ali, Bell (C), Ballance, Vince, Prior, Stokes, Plunkett, Jordan, Anderson. Go Yorkshire!

>238 AuntieClio: Thanks Stephanie - he does seem a bit in the doldrums. I have called him every day for a week and his mood varies between dejected and frightened.

>240 benitastrnad: I have a feeling that you may omit us from your weekend activities Benita, as full as it promises to be. xx
Have a lovely time in Las Vegas. Not high on my priority list of places to visit either in the USA but most people I know that have been there had a ball of a time.

>241 luvamystery65: Roberta, you can guess where I am headed now!

I'm glad to see things are heading in the right direction for you and Hani now Paul. My honey and I will have been married 43 years this August and a lot of hard work is required to make things hum along smoothly and to make it appear that it works effortlessly. It's all well worth it:-)

Paul, I can't hope to catch up since my last visit so I will just apologize and say hello and give you my love! I hope all is well in your world.

Now that England is out I have to find another team to cheer for. Germany, Belgium and France are obvious choices - hope they can represent Europe long into the tournament. Holland I still have some problems cheering for with after their 2010 scandalous brutality game. Are you watching the games out there?

I hope Liverpool will finally get rid of Suarez. I've had it with him. Goals or no goals.

>243 brenzi: Of course Bonnie, I wholeheartedly agree with your comments. It is indeed worth it but there are plenty of bumps along the road to making amends and forgiveness of human frailties.

>244 TinaV95: Tina, life is a bit of a shambles at the moment but I'll keep on keeping on.

>245 ctpress: I also hope the Europeans perform. We have Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Greece and Switzerland through. Colombia, Brazil, Chile and a suddenly toothless Uruguay bunch at the top of the draw with Argentina further down. Two Africans have made it with Nigeria and Algeria and CONCACAF have Costa Rica, USA and Mexico. I will probably cheer on Holland as I have a number of Dutch friends and I hope for a return to their total football mentality that so lit up my youth.

As I mentioned above life is pretty darned hard at the moment with as many steps backwards as forwards leaving me dizzy and standing still. I have a family I love dearly headed by a wife I have hurt unnecessarily and pretty much unforgivably despite her intentions to carry on regardless. I have a twin brother facing-up to the likelihood of leukaemia with a young family very dependant upon his money making prowess and nothing put aside for a rainy day. I have a father-in-law struck down by pneumonia and at 70 the early signs of alzheimers (he is being fed hot barley water through a bottle at the moment). I have a series of businesses I am trying to keep going despite my attention span being severely curtailed by external events and I have more than a score of staff and their families dependent upon my ability in business to survive themselves - stress I could do without at present. I have a mother I don't see anywhere near enough and who would be broken-hearted if she knew of my marital difficulties. I have children I am trying to keep focused on school, especially my eldest who must decide where she goes and what she wants to do after high school.

I woke up yesterday evening laying on top of our bed with the distinct impression of Hani shouting my name in desperation. I turned to the side and she wasn't in her normal spot and I freaked; running from room to room calling out for her until I realised she had gone with my daughter to a friends house. She was a little bemused when I got her on the phone to make sure she was ok. Latest in a series of nightmares I am afraid.

Not my happy-go-lucky self that has racked up so many posts in the last three years and gained so many dear friends whose good opinion I have strived for and whom I feel unworthy of at the moment. Never had the feeling that I hate myself until recently and it is a pretty heavy burden to bear I can confide.

Sorry to weigh down my thread with posts like this but I needed to get things a little off my chest before it restricts much further.

>247 PaulCranswick: I am sorry you are going through a dark time right now, Paul.

Dear Paul. As you know I have been through my own black days, and my heart aches for you and what you are going through now. I must take exception to your feeling unworthy of the esteem your LT friends place in you. Not a one of us I'll wager has gotten through life without making a whopper mistake or two along the way, and it's certainly not our place to judge. It is our place to say we love you and we are thinking of you and Hani and all of your family, both in KL and in UK, and wanting only the very best for all of you.

As dark as things seem right now, the light will return. Just as you said to me, so I return the favor to you now. xx

Dear Paul, I am so sorry for all the problems you are facing and working through right now. My heart felt wishes to your brother and his family, and I truly hope that you and Hani will be able to come to a mutual understanding, my fingers are crossed that working through this together can help to forge stronger bonds than ever.

>248 foggidawn: Thank you Foggy. I am a little depressed following a difficult morning with Hani revisiting my motivation for actions that have occasioned her pain.

>249 rosalita: Julia, I do of course recall your own "black days" and have benefitted as much as you did yourself from the support and succour of all our friends here. I had a wee lump in my throat reading your message. I have always been inordinately proud of my family and my role at its head which makes it more profoundly difficult for me to rationalise a particularly unrational act.

>250 DeltaQueen50: Thank you dear Guru - I of course hope we can too. Her love is unquestioned but she questions my own and I am not in the best position to simply assure with platitudes - it will take time. I am hoist a little by my own petard too in that I had always maintained to her that infidelity was only avoidable if you never succumb but that once having done so there will be little barrier to re-offending. This comment is haunting me now.

Paul, the LT community is here for you, whether you are light-hearted or stressed-out. {{{{{Paul}}}}}}

Dear Paul, I have been thinking about you every day. I am sorry you and your loved ones are having such a hard time. You have an awful lot on your plate. Hopefully it may lighten your heart somewhat to receive the love and reassurance from the caring people here. Sending your and your loved ones love and best wishes as always.

Oh dear, Paul. All I can do is wish you the strength to get through these tough times. Regarding your brother and his family, cancer is a horrid beast that appears unannounced and unwanted to so many. His family will prove themselves far more resilient than you might think. As for your own troubles, well, time will hopefully prove a sufficient healer. Hoping that your weekend offers up some stressfree time.

I was about to LOL about your 'O' troubles further up, but as I read on and saw your troubles were far more than a sticky 'O' on the keyboard....I will refrain.

Sorry to hear about your tough load at the moment, any one of those things seems enough to be troublesome to the psyche. I agree with Kerry above who recommends time as the healer in at last one of these things. And plenty of honest, un-hurried conversations. I suppose it doesn't help to talk about when it rains, it pours- but it sure looks like it for you at the moment. Hang in there! It will get better.

Oh, Paul. Hugs to you just as you are, regardless of whether you feel worthy of them at the moment or no. And, as always, keeping you and yours in my thoughts and heart.

^You are always in our thoughts, Paul. Keep your chin up, mate.

*hugs* I'll agree with the sentiment above that states you are appreciated here whether you feel worthy or not. Feelings will pass and practice of behavior greatly desired will bear trust in the future. Patience and steadfastness will do the needed work.

>247 PaulCranswick: Everyone has so eloquently stated my own thoughts so I will just add this: hang in there, Paul.

Paul you are in my thoughts and prayers as is your family in KL and the UK. You are dear to all of us here and so is Hani. Work on right now. When tomorrow becomes right now then tackle it then, not a moment sooner.

I'm sending "get well" vibes Paul! I know how hard times like this can be, as I am going through a similar time in my life with lots of mistakes as well as extraneous stressful events. And I know how much a good community like LibraryThing can help you pull through. We're all here for you.

>258 msf59: I'll buy you the next one after you finish Mark's, Paul.

Sending you positive thoughts during your tough times.

Paul--Earning trust back takes courage and time. You will prove yourself to Hani again. Hang in there! Much love to you and yours.

Everyone has said what I'd like to say already. Sometimes it is okay not to say anything but just sit quietly and be present.

{{{Paul}}}

Paul, it does some like you've got more than your fair share to deal with at this point. Completely understandable that your mood is affected as a consequence. You are loved and appreciated by your friends for who you are, and nobody is perfect obviously. I wish I could find better words right now, because I do feel for you and know all too well what can lurk in the dark places. Just know you are loved and appreciated by many, no matter what. I do hope things start improving for you and your loved ones soon. xx

Hi Mate, I am sorry to read of the desperation you felt on waking up with your lifetime partner not beside you and you worrying how she was, it seems to me that you have been stretching yourself to the limit and suddenly it has become too much. You fortunately are with your family but also unfortunately away from family and that must be difficult for you at this present time, I cannot imagine how you are feeling or coping but all your LT family, who you have built up over the years are with you my friend and we are here for you as and when you need us. I am so fortunate that I can call you a great friend and know that you will get through this painful period in your life but it will take time. You will prioritise things that are important to you immediately and the rest you will work through, but rest assured we are all here for you and only want the best for you and the family. Karen and I send love and hugs to you all and our thoughts are with you all at this time. Wish I was nearer to you to help if needed. xxx

>249 rosalita: What Julia said. Thinking of you and your whole family, Paul.

>247 PaulCranswick: NOT unworthy of the high regard you are held in here, although I can understand how you may feel that way at times.

{{{Paul}}} {{{Hani}}} {{{Paul & Hani}}}

>251 PaulCranswick: I've always felt that irrational acts are part of what makes us human. Painful to acknowledge and painful to face up to the consequences. I am proud to know you - you are one who faces up to the consequences of his actions. That is a character trait that is becoming all too rare in this world of ours.

Bumps in the road of relationships however big or small are never the entire fault of one person. Lots of listening and hard work ahead of you.

I am so sorry to hear about your brother and father-in-law's health issues. Way too much to deal with at once.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers whether I post here or not.

Paul, I had not read your thread before posting yesterday, so it might seem somewhat uncaring only talking football (although it is important, of course, you know that..)

Just want to join everyone here in sending best wishes to you and the family. You are in my prayers.

Paul, Just want you to know that I'm praying for you and your family.

Thinking of you, Hani, your children, your brother, and your FIL and holding all of you in my heart. You WILL get through this, and as you can see you have a strong community here to help you when you're feeling low. Take care, Paul.

So sorry about the load on your heart and shoulders, Paul. Wishing you strength and a good outcome.

(((Hugs))) It definitely sounds like you have a plate full of troubles at this time. I will be thinking of you!

Hugs from me, too......to my very kind friend

Hugs. Remember to breathe.

Paul, thinking of you in your current difficulties. It might not happen overnight but I'm sure you will get through this period. Sending hugs!

Paul--I have started a thread to brainstorm themes for each Thingaversary. (Kinda like a special idea for each wedding anniversary only much more fun because these are books!) Cameling sparked the idea.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/176863#

What is the longest anyone has been on LT? Any clue?

Hugs.

>278 Berly: Tim Spalding has been on since August 21, 2005, so I think it's a pretty safe bet that would be it. He probably set his account up and tested it before opening it for the rest of us.

*shoulder squeeze* Keep yer chin up, buddy. And come here to unload anytime. It's one of the greatest things about this community.

Paul, So many people before me have said eloquently what we all believe, so reread their words when you need strength and know that you are in our thoughts. Hugs to you and your family. Nancy

Paul, you and yours are in my thoughts. Wishing you a relaxed weekend.

Paul, I'm not very good at expressing what I feel when people I care about are hurting. Usually I just want to listen to what they have to say, let them feel what they need to feel, hold them in my arms and tell them that I love them. Take the thought for the deed?

Hi Paul, sending my love and thoughts to you!

>279 thornton37814: Thanks!

Good morning Paul. Hugs.

*hugs* happy weekend Paul

I can add nothing more to what has already been said. You are still in my high esteem and will add good thoughts and *hugs* to the pot for you to draw on.

>247 PaulCranswick: (((((Paul)))))

You are bearing up under a number of burdens right now, Paul. I wish for you some relief, some peace, and some good news. xoxo

Hi, Paul. I've been away on holiday, but good to know things are getting back on track for you. A poem to mark the beginning of World War I:

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918)

I am a little overwhelmed though not entirely surprised by the warmth, kindness and generosity of spirit I have encountered in the last couple of weeks from so many of my friends in the group. I have had some pretty desparing moments recently but I hope to put them behind me on my next thread and get back to being more like me again.

No internet for me this weekend as it was spent mainly in Johor Bahru at the Sultan Ismail hospital with Hani visiting her very sick father.

I will reply to all your wonderful posts in my next thread if I may and I want to thank you all for making this group such a sustaining place to belong to.

^yay, good for you Paul.
See you on the new thread, new page, new beginnings
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