Shelley Turns the page - Chapter Three

Scenes from my garden:

Grand brunnera, gorgeous but spreads like mad:



Same plant, close up, of the little spring flowers:



This shelving unit I bought because it reminds me of the Montreal style of old stairways:



This is in my back garden.

From the front, pansy bowls that I start the spring with because they can withstand the cold until Mother Nature makes up her mind to allow spring to stick around. Some of the other colurful flowers are ones I bought to fill in until the perennials come up (they're starting!)

Theo continues to be as rambunctious as ever. He attempts to escape at every opportunity. I had a talk with him. Explained that if he would let me put on a harness, he could be outside. He won't have it so tough love (and sulkiness) ensues.

I bought this new mat for outside the back door. He let me know that he liked it but thought it would make more sense to have a *real* ginger tabby on it.

Not amused:

A few reviews. I haven't been reading as much the last little while, for a variety of reasons.

Heart of a Stranger - Rabbi Angela Buchdahl

Buchdahl is incredibly articulate and the book is organized really well. Each chapter is about a specific time in her life. She ends each chapter with a portion from the Torah, and how it relates to herself and to the present. I am personally not religious at all (I don't belong to, or go to synagogue, and worried that this book would be a bit *too much religion* for me, but I am pleased to report that wasn't the case at all and that I found this quite brilliant and timely and engaging.

I don't know if you know of her. *Unconventional path*doesn't begin to describe her journey!

She first came onto my radar several years ago in this youtube video, singing a song written for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. It was made by choirs of various synagogues around the world (I am guessing during covid because that was when everyone was doing this, right?) and it still gives me shivers to listen to it. She is the first voice you see and hear in the video, and the last (when the video goes from black and white to colour). It's not just a song of hope for Jews at the New Year; it is a song of hope for the world we are currently living in, at this time, for everyone. Sadly, as with so much, it is preaching to the converted, as the saying goes. Those who truly need to hear the message, simply aren't listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHlLYhYNbc0&app=desktop

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Heroines, Rescuers, Rabbis, Spies - Sarah Sliberstein Swartz
Maybe I was on a bit of a theme here but this one has been on my shelf for awhile so I pulled it off. It is a tribute to several probably unknown and unsung heroines of the Holocaust, including the very first woman to be ordained as a rabbi in 1935, in Germany. I wondered if Rabbi Buchdahl knew of her! There was also a tribute to a woman I had learned about from a documentary film I saw last year, and more that I had not heard of.

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The Lions of Fifth Avenue - Fiona Davis

While I love the old history of New York and the famous Public Library, and I generally like dual timelines of connected stories, I found this story a tad far-fetched for my taste. Just a few too many twists that didn't ring true. Oh well. It won't put me off the genre but this one just didn't do it for me.

I am going to call this one *Flit Mode*, or books I have started, intend to finish but in the meantime, have bookmarks in them as I can't seem to settle on any for long. They interest me, and I will return to them but none are grabbing me the way I want to be grabbed at the moment:

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper - Roland Allen
Inside Inside - James Lipton
Emancipation Day - Wayne Grady
The Beginning Comes after the End - Rebecca Solnit
Vanessa and Her Sister - Priya Parmar

Currently reading: Underfoot in Show Business - Helene Hanff

DVDs I have seen recently:

Everything is Copy - Jacob Bernstein. I recently read a lovely coffee table book about Nora Ephron and began to re-watch some of my favourites of her movies. I hadn't known about this one, made by her son after her death. It was great.

The Music of Strangers Yo-Yo Ma. I saw this one when it first came out in the theatre but it was every bit as excellent watching it this time. If world music interests you at all, or if you just like Yo-Yo Ma, see if your library has this. Just wonderful.

Ok, I guess I'm done for now. Welcome!

Happy New Thread! What beautiful tiny flowers!

Happy new thread, Shelley--beautiful garden pictures. Your garden must give you a lot of pleasure.

Happy new one, Shelley. Your garden looks quite the place to soak up Summer.

Happy new thread, Shelley. Love the garden photos!



thread flowers...get it?! : )

Happy new thread, Shelley! Love the Montreal style shelving unit!

Happy new thread, Shelley. I love your garden photos, especially the shelving.

Happy new thread, Shelley!

The garden photos are lovely, Shelley.Happy New Thread!

Thanks, Robyn, Kathy, Paul, Kim, Meg, Beth, Jim and Deb. Welcome!

Happy new thread!

Excellent pictures of your garden.

Lovely little blue flowers! I'll have to look for it to plant in a shady spot. And I like that staircase planter.

Hi Shelley my dear, Happy New Thread, love your thread topper photos.

Checking in on the new thread, Shelley! I love the garden photos!

Happy Saturday, Shelley. Happy New Thread. I love the flowery toppers, along with the unamused Theo. Great pic.

Thanks, Anita, Mary, John, Stasia, Mark. We are in full summer now, hot, humid, not my favourite type of weather. Whatever. My tomatoes are doing great, though.

A little mini update: I have read 3 books since my last post: 2 sad, one fun.

I'll Be Seeing You, a memoir by Elizabeth Berg. Why isn't this book listed in the touchstones? I have always loved her fiction and she is also a wonderful reader of her own work on audio. This book is a memoir of her time caring for her parents through Alzheimers and general aging. I probably couldn't have read this 2 years ago when I was going through it myself and, and although her circumstances were very different from my own, it really resonated. Sad but lovely.

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks. Read right after the last one, this is also a book about grief. I did not do this deliberately, by any means. She is also an author I have read and loved and hers is a heartbreaking account of the very sudden loss of her husband, author Tony Horwitz, and her working through her grief.

After those 2, my turn in line came up for a book I had been waiting for for awhile: Patriot by Alexei Navalny. I went to pick it up and it is a tome! A real doorstopper. I decided that, as much as I do want to read it, now is not the time for what I know will be yet another tragic book. I returned it, unread and will request it again at some other time. So, I picked an old book off my shelf and it is exactly the right one at the right time for me now: Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff, famous for 84 Charing Cross Road. This was actually her first book, a memoir of sorts and is, expectedly, hilarious. The woman could write! Anyhow, it was what I needed now so that's good. Haven't decided what's next but I will, before the day is over.

Meanwhile, back at the farm... my face is healing. Oh, have I not mentioned that I tried to get Owen to the vet last week, for his annual checkup and a vaccine? While he has come so far in the 6 years he has been with me, becoming much more cuddly (on his terms, understand) and relaxed, he *still* will not willingly allow me to pick him up. Which, of course, makes getting him into the carrier something of a trial. To say the least. I have learned how to do it, though. If he is in my bedroom, I can shut the door so there is nowhere for him to go. I can put one hand under his belly and with the other, pick him up by the scruff of the neck, as a mother cat would do. Apparently, this immobilizes them). I have one carrier in the bedroom, door open and ready at all times. Easy peasy. Well, he was not in my room so I thought I'd be very clever and put some treats in his bowl (other carrier in the kitchen, door open and very close to his bowl) and just do the same here. I figured this would be a piece of cake. Let's just say, I was wrong. He twisted in my hands and swatted at me, catching my face and one hand with his razor blades, I mean, claws (which I also can't cut because, well, guess). Long story short, I cancelled the appointment, and spent time treating my wounds. I probably could have used stitches on one cut, under my eye but there isn't a hope in hell I was willing to spend hours in emerg waiting for stitches so once I got it to stop bleeding, I used polysporin, an antibiotic cream and figured I'd survive. For the next few days, I covered it with a bandade when I had to go out because it did not look pretty. Almost healed now, though there will likely be a scar. Vet, who knows this story well, told me to just come in when I have success. I did, a few days later. He is also scheduled for dental surgery in a couple of weeks, poor boy (more teeth out), and I will have the joy of doing it all again. 8 pounds of fur and I lose, most of the time. Good thing I love him. (I keep telling him that but he isn't impressed).

Wordle 1,820 5/6 meaty, choke, piece, blend, quell Somewhere along the line, I once again must have forgotten a day because I seem to be at only a 4-days streak. WTH

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>22 jessibud2: Wow! What an episode with Owen, Shelley! I hope you heal up quickly with as little scarring as possible.

Cats do not want to be managed! This reminds me of a story in which Barbara asked me to help her pill her cat Nutmeg (who is no longer alive). I was going to hold Nutmeg while she was going to try to force the pill into Nutmeg's mouth. Nutmeg sprung free of my grasp with a sudden burst of unexpected energy and landed directly on top of Barbara's head, holding on with all of her four clawed feet. At that point all we could do was laugh hysterically. Pilling, of course, was not completed successfully that day! :D

I would really like to also read Navalny's book, but thick books these days make me sigh and then subsequently reach for thinner books.

Hi Madeline. In all my years of bring a cat mom, I never once had a cat as challenging as Owen. I could easily pill all my previous cats. I will never attempt it with Owen, I can promise you. He is fast as lightning and feisty. And since I can't cut his nails either (I can give Theo a full mani-pedi in one sitting), they remain his best weapon. And don't think he doesn't know it. Thank goodness he loves and uses the many scratching posts around the house.

Yeah, too many heavy books in a row doesn't work for me. I need lighter fare interspersed.

>22 jessibud2: When you get a new wound, doctors suggest updating your Tetanus shot, even if done 5 years previously.

This I know, recently having a deep cut on my hand (picking up a broken pottery mug)
- and doctor checking last tetanus date.
Back to Walgreens yesterday for another.

>26 m.belljackson:- yikes, I have no idea how many years it's been since my last tetanus shot. Thankfully, Owen is an indoor cat so the odds of my getting tetanus are pretty low but it's still probably a good idea to check.

>27 jessibud2: Probably a good idea to check with your doctor, Shelley. Though I don't know if it is needed or not. I had not so great experience at the dog park the other day. Another young dog, just 5 months old found a dead crow a the dog park and proceeded to race around the dead crow it it's mouth. Oh it was gross! The owner was running after her dog and shouting at it. I grabbed Muffin and fled the dog park ASAP. I felt badly that I was not helping the lady with the dog with the crow it's mouth, but it was just so gross and germy. Crows don't just drop dead. It either had to be avian flu or maybe the crow has eaten part of a rodent that was poisoned. I don't know, but I don't want that to happen again any time soon.

Yikes, Deb, I sure don't blame you. Did you or anyone report the dead crow to the city or health department? I think they need to know to examine and monitor it, in case it was avian flu. At least, to be aware.

>1 jessibud2: Your flowers are gorgeous, Shelley!

>2 jessibud2: Not to mention Theo! No, he’s not amused, but very cute.

>22 jessibud2: Ouch, I’m sorry that happened to you! Cat scratches are very painful. Please keep a close eye on them. They can become infected very easily. I’ve been cat sitting my son’s cat periodically over the last couple years and he does not go in the carrier well at all. Last time I didn’t have a firm hold of him and he clawed over my shoulder and down my back. He also has dagger claws because even with two people, trims can be traumatic.

Hi, Joanne, thanks. Yes, Theo is very cute. Very naughty, too, but definitely cute. I have my hands full with these 2 boys, that's for sure. But I can't imagine not having them.

I meant to add some comments on the Helene Hanff memoir I recently finished, Underfoot in SHow Business. It was really a fun read. It was her first published book, and was about her years trying to make it in New York City as a playwright. The years were the 1940s/early 50s, so she would have been in her mid-20s/30s, give or take. She talks about the arduous process it took to get her work seen and read by agents, producers, anyone, really. Also, the actual *work* she had to do to pay the bills. She was often *between jobs*, and more often doing jobs she didn't care much for (sounds like every young person trying to find their place in the world, to be honest). She lived in rooming houses, and sometimes, moved home to NJ, to her parents' house.

This was also a study in the times. I mean, in some ways, it's all so *quaint* or nostalgic to us now but in fact, it truly wasn't all that long ago. The cost of things (transit, food, cigarettes, theatre tickets, clothing, housing, dental care, salaries, for that matter), all shocking to our 21st century sensibilities, but very day-to-day in those post-war times.

But what struck me was her attitude. She was never bitter, and always found the humourous in her situations and the people she encountered. Lots of hilarious anecdotes, a bit of name-dropping but not in the way we think of it today. One of her jobs, for example, was to write up summaries of books that were seeking to make it to the stage. She was nothing if not brutally honest, and once charged her agent (or whoever it was who gave her the galleys) an extra $40 for *mental torture* for having to read the script. The script was none other than Tolkein's Lord of the Rings.

Early on, she befriends Maxine, an aspiring actress and the two are perfect foils for one another. Hilarity and adventure ensue. In the end, Helene finds her way to writing for television. She doesn't particularly like this and at some point, insists on using a pseudonym because she doesn't really want to be associated with this new medium. She doesn't own a tv, never watches what she has written, but it was what ultimately paid her bills and paid well. Until someone offered her the opportunity to write a book about trying to make it as a playwright, a consideration she had never thought of. It was the *Flanagan's Law* of her life. She explains early on that, unlike Murphy's Law, Flanagan's Law was, what you expect or think will happen, it will end up being something entirely unexpected. And it was.

And aren't we lucky for that? She is a terrific writer. I have become something of a Hanff completist and with this book, I think I have now read everything she has written. Published in 1961, of course it's dated but well worth seeking out.

>31 jessibud2: That sounds like a good one, Shelley. Underfoot in Show Business, right?

Theo sounds like quite a handful. It also sounds like your vet knows him well.

Hi, Meg. Yes, I edited in the title of the Hanff, to my last post. Thanks.
It was Owen who provided all the recent drama but Theo is a handful in his own way. Thankfully, not in the same way. But between them, they pretty much cover all the bases.

It was a pouring rain day here yesterday and I was somewhat incapacitated with a migraine. Completely forgot wordle. So, back to a streak of one today:

Wordle 1,822 3/6 meaty, pious, broil

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Bright sun, though, this morning and MUCH cooler than the almost 30+C we've had the last several days. Looks to be a cooler week this week and it feels great!

Wordle 1,823 3/6 meaty, frame, amaze

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Love your garden pictures, Shelley. That little blue flower!

What a story, about Owen. I’m sorry for the cat scratches, it must really have been painful. I hope it heals fast.

Now that I moved to the downstairs floor, I have a garden, and a garden cat! Your picture of Theo reminds me of him, but Theo is a large cat, and our garden cat is a small ginger. He belongs to someone living on the other side of the block of houses, but as it’s a closed block he can roam our gardens freely and visit all neighbours as he pleases.

Hi Ella. Surprisingly, after the first day, there was no pain at all. The smaller scratches have healed completely, only the one on my cheekbone, under the eye is still visible. It's still a bit red, a bit bumpy but the bruising and discolouration (which surprised me) are gone, thank goodness. No need for a bandade to hide it any more.

Yes, Theo is a very large cat. I haven't weighed him lately but I'd guess he's around 15 pounds or so. Nice that you have a garden close by now. Do you still have the allottment, as well?

I made a careless mistake on the 5th guess but still got in under the wire.

Wordle 1,824 6/6 meaty, tripe, thugs, towel, tined, token

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>36 jessibud2: Theo really hit you if you had a bruise. Good it’s already fading.
Yes, I have the allotment as well, aren’t I rich? It’s a bit much at the moment, my back has been acting up all year. Still, it’s so nice being out of town, and there’s a bit of forest nearby.

>38 EllaTim: - Yay, for the allotment. As long as you pace yourself and try not to overdo it, it sounds great.

And it was Owen, not Theo, I lost my battle with. Theo is big but he's totally opposite Owen when it comes to the carrier. With Theo, I just place it by the front door and he's in it in a flash. The only cat I ever had or knew, who likes not only going in the carrier, but going to the vet. He has to know that's where he's going; it the only place I ever take him in the carrier, lol! I have the 2 carriers in the house, doors open and I sometimes find Theo in there, snoozing. He's weird, but loveable. So is Owen, but just more work...;-)

>39 jessibud2: Yes, of course, Owen!
Theo just likes to go out, outgoing cat;-)
So much fun, every cat is different.

Wordle 1,825 2/6 meaty, entry

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Date checked for last tetanus?

>41 jessibud2: Wow!--impressive Wordling, Shelley! Took me 5 (sigh).

After looking at your Wordling for yesterday, I realized that I probably forgot to do it. *sigh*

>42 m.belljackson: - Yes, Marianne. It was in Nov of 2021 so I'm good for at least another 5 years! Last of the scars mostly healed.

>43 kac522: - That was a nice surprise for me too, Kathy. I'm still stuck on today's. I'll get back to it later.

>44 Familyhistorian: - That's happened to me a few times recently, too, Meg. But unlike me, you have a lot more going on in your life to distract you these days so don't worry. Hope things settle down for you both soon.

Okay - just one more to check with doctor =

since I had the same thing with a recent open wound,
my doctor said another tetanus would be best.

He said 10 years would of course work but only if there was no new wound.

>46 m.belljackson:- my last remaining scar is just ugly, not open at all. I can live with that. :-)

>47 jessibud2: Good - just on my new quest to prevent lockjaw...

Wordle 1,827 3/6 meaty, spade, drake

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I have another frustrating tech question and hope someone here knows the answer. Recently, a few days ago I think, the entire yahoo mail interface (is that even the right word? no idea) changed appearance on my phone. I have an android, Samsung Galaxy. The Yahoo look on my laptop did not change (thank goodness). But on the phone, I now can't find things. I have looked around, tried different buttons but remain baffled. For example, I used to be able to attach a photo from my phone's photo gallery, and put it into an email. Now, I can't find anywhere to allow me to do that. Nothing says *attach*. In fact, I can't even find the list of my folders that I used to be able to access with ease. A friend told me this is most likely a phone update, done automatically.

If this persists, then I am done posting photos here because the way I used to do that was to attach a photo from my phone to an email to myself, then drag the photo from the email to my desktop and upload to LT from there. I am sure other more savvy people don't have to go through such a convoluted process but I don't know any other way and it has always worked for me. So, unless I can figure out this yahoo thing, I have no way to even access my photos from my phone.

I never asked for this update, would never have chosen it if I had been asked. Sometimes, I truly hate technology. I have never been a fan of change for the sake of change. Clearly, the powers that be never heard the saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Another note on my above post. I know that I need to click on the little paper clip icon to attach anything (pic, document, whatever). But that was the thing. I never saw that icon. Then, when I started writing an email to another friend, I suddenly saw the paper clip in that draft. So I thought, good, I'll go back to the draft of the first email I wanted to send and attach my pics, but here's the problem. I still can't find how to see the list of folders (including *draft*) in order to go back into it. Unless I am on my laptop, where none of this is an issue. But I can't attach pics from the phone when I am on the laptop.

Is there some unwritten law that says things are no good unless they can confuse people?

>50 jessibud2:, >51 jessibud2: This is one of the reasons I don't use my phone for e-mail anymore. I prefer the desktop experience for almost everything I do on-line anyway, and somehow the "updates" and "improvements" are less challenging on the PC. When I got my last new Android, I simply did not install the e-mail on it...haven't missed it, I have to say. I download photos with a USB cable directly to my PC, or share them through Messenger from the phone (that hasn't become problematic so far). I wish you loads of luck working this out. Our library has a "tech table" where you can ask some bright young person to help you with such issues. Maybe check to see if that kind of service is available to you?

Thanks, Linda. After much fiddling this afternoon (this from a person for whom NOTHING is intuitive, when it comes to tech), I think I found what I needed. There are 3 vertical bars that I clicked on (never had to do that before) and it seemed to take me to some of the folders. For some stupid reason, it hadn't occurred to me to just keep scrolling down to find the rest. DUH. Anyhow, rather than annoy my more tech savvy friends, I practiced by sending myself emails and attaching photos and it works. So, I sort of feel like a genius (tongue in cheek) that I didn't have to go back to the store where I bought the phone to ask for help (as I did the first time something like this happened). Sigh...

;-)

I think my library must have something like you mentioned. They recently overhauled their entire online services and believe me when I tell you, if they didn't have tech help before, they sure do now! At first, you practically needed a degree to figure out the new system. I had to go into the library physically to ask them to show me how to even log on! I am used to it now but the librarians told me that almost everyone was complaining about online access and it's been a few months already and it's still something of a pill sometimes.

Can we talk *rabbit holes* for a moment? I am sure I am not alone in this quirk (at least, I hope I'm not!) but when I read, especially but not exclusively when I read non-fiction, it often takes me longer to read because I keep stopping to jot something down, to look something up, to check out a detail. In other words, I follow tangents, go down rabbit holes and can easily get sidetracked before returning to the actual book.

This happened to me yesterday. I recently started reading a fairly new book I bought called The Mind Mappers. I was drawn to it for a couple of reasons. I have always been fascinated by the brain and what we know and don't know about it. But also, it was written by a Canadian journalist about 2 Canadian neurosurgeons, one of whom is practically a household name (Dr. Wilder Penfield, and his work for treating epilepsy) and the other, lost to history (Dr. William Cone). The book is the story of their journey, their friendship and much more. Part medical history, part cultural history and of course, there is a mystery intertwined. Of course there is! In fact, both were born in the United States but came to Montreal as young doctors, formed a partnership, established the Montreal Neurological Institute and lived the rest of their lives here.

I am still only a couple of chapters in but I have already done a ton of googling. After a mention of Paul Broca, I have already placed a request at the library for the Carl Sagan book of essays, called Broca's Brain.

I also really like when a journalist does a deep dive into researching his subjects and happens to be a very good writer as well. This book so far is very readable and although just published last year, has already won a few awards.

" I follow tangents, go down rabbit holes..." Oh, yeah. It's one of the best things about reading non-fiction, for me, when one thing leads to another.

>54 jessibud2: Of course! In fact, you just reminded me of a black hole I need to explore. I've been listening to David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood in the car, and toward the end of the book he references a lot of quotes from various newspapers of the event. So now I'm off to check out the Chicago Tribune stories.....because I couldn't do it in the car, and that was SO long ago (this afternoon) that I completely forgot about it.....

>55 laytonwoman3rd:, >56 kac522: - Thank you. :-)

Wordle 1,828 4/6 meaty, cloak, align, alibi

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>54 jessibud2: Sounds like the subjectwas really absorbing. It’s nice when that happens, I think. To hit upon something that really catches your attention like that. Happy rabbit holing, Shelley!

>54 jessibud2: Oh my goodness, I do that too! Especially with anything that includes real people and events interspersed with fiction. Or descriptions of places I’ve never been - I can spend hours on Google Earth. It’s enriching, but it really cuts into reading time! :)

Happy Monday, Shelley. We were camping this weekend so I was not able to watch any of the Cubs/Jays games but it looks like both teams are struggling. Too bad they couldn't get the game in yesterday.

>60 msf59: - Your Cubs delivered a very ugly loss to my Jays on Friday, all the more painful after we swept Boston in the 3 previous days. But Saturday, the Jays suddenly woke up and did what they did all last year (and rarely, this year): made a terrific come-from-behind comeback. Frankly, I am glad they got the day off yesterday. Their schedule is relentless and they could use the rest, lol.

>59 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne. Yes, historical fiction always has me doing that, to see where fact ends and fiction begins. Usually well done but of course, I have to know!!

>58 EllaTim: - It's very good so far, Ella. I'll post a full review once I finish.

Phew, indeed!

Wordle 1,830 6/6 meaty, spiny, worry, hurry, furry, curry Good thing there were no more rhyming words.

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Could to see that you got the photo/tech problem figured out, Shelley.

>54 jessibud2: Rabbit holes are very familiar, it's a research thing well known by those looking into family history which involves looking at records as well as reading or scanning non-fiction tomes.

Stopping by to say hi, Shelley. Hope all is well.

>64 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb. All is well, just trying to juggle too many things lately and not managing all that well. Flitting, that's what I do. I did FINALLY finish a puzzle last night, one I had on the table for months. I actually had 2 on the table and now I will concentrate on finishing the second one. To be fair, there were several weeks that I did not open it at all. So, yesterday I finished it only to discover it was missing a piece. Now, I happen to know there were 6 extra (duplicate) pieces for this puzzle. I had lent it to a friend before I did it and she kindly put the duplicates in a small envelope separately. Weirdest thing ever, to have extras. But I also know there were no missing pieces. So, I took this photo, and I assumed the missing piece ended up on the floor at some point, and one of the cats found it. Pity but it is what it is. Then I took the whole thing apart, put it back in the box and opened the second puzzle. Whaddya know? There, among the pieces of Vincent (the second puzzle is a collage of Van Gogh art) was my missing piece! I must have accidentally slid it into the cardboard cover of the second puzzle on the table. *eye roll*...



I am remembering Marianne's lesson: right-click on the picture and open in new tab, to see the puzzle closeup. It's really a lovely, calming collage of pictures of Canadian coast scenes but it was a lot trickier to do than I thought it would be!

>63 Familyhistorian: - Rabbit holes. Here's one I am just emerging from this morning, Meg. I was reading my morning dose of Calvin and Hobbes. I suddenly started thinking about Bill Watterson, C&H creator. I googled. I found this interesting article (those ads that interfere with it are so annoying, aren't they), and have already put in my library request for these 2 books (his new one and the one about him)

https://www.biography.com/artists/a43099303/bill-watterson-first-new-book-since-...

>66 jessibud2: I’ve been going a little crazy with “Calvin and Hobbes” reading (SO many collections!), so I was thrilled to see your post, and the info about Watterson. Thanks!

Karen O

>65 jessibud2: A lovely puzzle, Shelley. I am glad you finished it. I have found every now and then that a puzzle is missing a piece or pieces - and also I have had an extra piece or two. So frustrating when that happens.

Wordle 1,836 3/6 meaty, chide, crude

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I am currently toggling between 3 books:

Time After Time which I am loving so far. Reminds me in some ways of one of my favourite time travel book, Jack Finney's Time and Again. Not yet half way through but really enjoying the trip.

The Mind Mappers - a non-fiction that is very good so far. About Dr. Wilder Penfield and his mostly unknown to us now partner in the field of brain surgery and epilepsy. Excellent writing, too.

Unforgettable - The Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole. I've had this one on my shelf forever and decided to read it now. Cole was a favourite of my father's and his voice and music was part of the soundtrack of my growing up years. So far, it's so-so but I will finish it.

>69 jessibud2: I am also a fan of Time and Again, so I will be curious to see what you think of the Grunwald book when you are finished with it.

The Mind Mappers sounds like a good one too. Into the BlackHole it goes!

I hope you have a marvelous Monday, Shelley!

>I am at the halfway point now, Stasia and all I want to do is keep reading! Today is going to be the first of at the very least, 4 days of intense heat here so I may just hunker down with the book and the a/c.

I bombed out in wordle today. Pfft. New streak begins tomorrow. The skies opened up earlier and gave us a good, if short-lived, soaking. Good. I won't have to water, at least for now. But the sun is out and there's not a cloud in the sky now so I will head out for a few errands before it gets hotter than it already is. Library, supermarket, then home again to my books and my boys.

And my Blue Jays finally won a game last night, breaking a 6-game losing streak. They have been playing little league ball lately, instead of major league. Bleh. Not fun to watch.

It is currently 34C (that's 93.2F) but the humidity makes it feel much worse. It's the kind of heat that, when you open your front door, it's like walking into a blast furnace. It is not going to go back down into the 20sC until Friday at the earliest.

I think I'll stay in till winter..... This is not my kind of weather. ;-p

Even now in the early evening- it is very hot outside!

>73 torontoc: - Yes, it is. Ick.

And sheesh. Very nearly had no new streak begin today. I had no idea there would be so many words that rhymed with this one!!

Wordle 1,838 6/6 meaty, lemon, remix, femur, lemur, demur

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Happy Canada Day, Shelley!

>72 jessibud2: Sorry you are experiencing such a heat wave, Shelley. Do have A/C or portable A/C?

>75 PaulCranswick:- Thanks, Paul.
>76 vancouverdeb: - Oh God, Deb, I'd be nothing more than a puddle on the floor without a/c. I also have fans in the rooms in case I don't feel I need the actual a/c but want some air circulation. I keep my window shutters closed in the rooms when the sun is on that side of the house so overall, the inside of the house isn't too bad at all. By the time I go to sleep at night, the house feels cool enough and I don't like air blowing on me at night anyhow.

Wordle 1,839 5/6 meaty, maple, maker, mazes, maven

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>72 jessibud2: We had similar temps early this week. Good reading in air conditioning weather.

Hi Shelley! Yuck, this kind of weather is hard to handle. Good to read you are managing alright.

I had to laugh about the puzzle with one small piece missing, right in the middle! So annoying. Glad you found it.

>80 EllaTim: - And I was so quick to blame the cats, lol! Bad cat mama!

It feels a bit less stifling out there this morning. I hope we get the rain predicted for this afternoon. We got nothing yesterday although other parts of the province got a lot and even a tornado! Not that I want a tornado but I wouldn't mind a break from having to water my garden every day.

Wordle 1,840 5/6 meaty, fault, oaths, patio, baton

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>77 jessibud2: We just have a couple of portable A/C units, the kind that sit on the floor, but they go a good job for the upper story of townhouse, which is the main living area. I'd be very hot without them.

>66 jessibud2: Thanks for the Watterson info, Shelley.

Missing puzzle pieces are hard to take. Funny that you found them though.

I am hoping for a break from the heat as well, Shelley. We have had some rain, which was needed, so I hope the humidity will go down.

>82 vancouverdeb: - Whatever works, Deb. As long as *something* works!

>84 BLBera: - We also had some rain yesterday, and although today is *cooler* than it's been in over a week, it's still humid.

Wordle 1,842 4/6 meaty, claim, umami, swami. Not a word I would have expected to see.

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Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald.

This year, I have been consciously trying to read books that have been sitting on my shelf for awhile in an attempt to move them along and out of the house. This one qualifies.

Sure, this could be a case of the right book at the right time. But the truth is, this book drew me in and captured my attention and imagination like no other in recent memory. In some ways, it reminded me of one of my all-time favourite time travel books, the classic Time and Again by Jack Finney. But Grunwald's book isn't actually *time travel* in the pure sense.

It combines a sort-of offside time travel, but is also rich in history, romance, art, war, familial duty, and math/physics (of which I understand nothing). Yes, I said that.

Like Finney's book, Grunwald did a deep dive into the history of an iconic New York City landmark, this time, Grand Central Station. As I tend to do, I also did a deep dive down the rabbit hole of the story behind the building, the people, the times (1920s to after WWII) and the writing of this book. Like any good author of historical fiction, she has done her homework. So many of the details of Grand Central are true and accurate, many of the people mentioned - some obscure - actually lived, and yes, when I read this article (https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/a-conversation-with-lisa-grunwald-author-of-time-after-time), I added a book or two to my own TBR, because that's what we do, right?

I am reserving this for a friend who I know will love it but in spite of trying to move books off my shelf and out of the house, I think I want to keep this on my permanent shelf, along side Finney, at least for now.

..."Even the platforms offered the comfort of math and motion, purpose and straight lines. But the layers below the track levels held the power and the secrets, and the men who could navigate those levels knew the building the way doctors knew bodies." ...

Have I said that I LOVED this book?

I'm behind but trying to catch up. I enjoyed the pretty flowers!

>87 thornton37814: - Thanks, Lori! Don't think they are enjoying the sweltering heat these days, though!

>88 jessibud2: I'm not enjoying it either. Bring on winter! LOL

>89 thornton37814:- Agreed! Lol

Now, this was a fluke if ever there was one!

Wordle 1,843 2/6 meaty, toddy

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>86 jessibud2: Yep, I am going to have to track down a copy of that one. I am glad to see that you LOVED it, Shelley!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>92 alcottacre: - I hope you do, Stasia!

Ok, here is something from the *you can't make that stuff up* files:

Back up in my post >66 jessibud2:, I mentioned an article I found while googling Bill Watterson. It was a good article and I added 2 books mentioned in it to my library requests. I have already picked up both. The first one, a collaboration between Watterson and Josh Kascht, is a graphic novel called The Mysteries. Unfortunately, it was not really my cup of tea. Whatever. But I am now reading the second book, a bio of Watterson by Nevin Martell called Looking for Calvin and Hobbes and am really enjoying it. Watterson, it appears, was not easy to find, seldom gave interviews and proved far more elusive than Martell imagined. Still, he persisted, and was respectful in his search. That he happens to write well, also helps.

Ok, so tonight I watched Jeopardy, as I do every night. Final Jeopardy comes on and the second I read the clue, I knew the answer. It was a quote by a cartoonist about the characters in his comic strip and the correct question was to name the title of the comic strip this cartoonist is referring to. I did not *think* it had to be Watterson talking about C&H. I KNEW it. I just read that very quote last night!

"I show two versions of reality, and each makes complete sense to the participant who sees it." Page 55. I am currently on page 77.

Now, what are the odds of that happening? I guess it could be called literary serendipity, or something like that. Kind of like when there is overlap of subjects or some such, when you are reading 2 different books. I love when that happens!

Maybe I am just easily amused. Ok :-)

>91 jessibud2: Nice wordle day, Shelley!

>86 jessibud2: I remember really liking Time after Time when I read it too, Shelley.

Good timing on the Watterson discussion and the Jeopardy clue!

>95 vancouverdeb: - Thanks, Deb. I don't often get them in 2

Wordle 1,845 3/6 meaty, lemon, demon

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>96 Familyhistorian: - Good to know someone else has read and enjoyed the Grunwald, Meg! I am now having fun with the Martell. And yeah, last night's Jeopardy was a hoot for me!

Wordle 1,846 3/6 meaty, amble, amend

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>94 jessibud2: I must be easily amused too, Shelley, because I love that kind of serendipity!