jessibud2 WILL read off her own shelves in 2020! - Chapter 4

Well, it's been a hell of a month for me. Hell, being the operative word. On Friday, May 15, I had a sewer backup into my basement. A good 3 or 4 inches of disgusting water and what bothered me most about it was the loss of the beautiful brand new vinyl plank flooring I just had installed a few months ago, after the fiasco in the basement last year, due to the tree roots cracking the foundation and causing water damage then, too. The new floors had to be removed and disposed of. The emergency plumbing guys came, cleared the sewer blockage, flushed it out and then cleaned and disinfected the basement. About a week after that, I went out and bought porcelain (ceramic) tiles for the basement as I was told these could be cemented directly onto the cement floor and even if another flood happened, they wouldn't lift and would just have to be cleaned without having to get rid of them. So, 14 boxes of tiles waited in the basement for my next round of repairs to begin.

Three weeks later, to the day, Friday, June 5, the furnace guys came to move my A/C out of the garage and back to the back yard where it could be reconnected (it had been stored there over the winter since the tree came down last fall and the back yard excavated). After that was done, they wanted to go downstairs to check something on the furnace. The guy opened the basement door - and stepped up to his ankles into water. Yep. Again. And so the process began again. Needless to say, I was just about done. I will spare you the other issues that have gone along with these little fiascos (the fights with the property management, the loss of hot water for 48 hours, etc, etc) but according to my condo board, the problem has now been *fixed*. Only it hasn't, really. There is a saying, often attributed to Albert Einstein (though that is questionable) that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. This is exactly the insanity I am living right now. They ordered a *better* and more *specialized* company to come and find the source of the problem. They came, they put a camera down the drain and they flushed out the pipe again. A *super flush*. And now, it is *fixed*. Do I have confidence in this *fix* and do I believe that it won't happen again? Not one bit. So, today begins my next round of fighting. What really needs to happen is that the sewer pipe needs to be replaced. Not just flushed out after the fact every time this happens. But who am I? What do I know?

I want out of this house. It's enough. But here's the other part of my problem: I am truly trapped here. Who in their right mind would buy a house that has such problems? I have to check on the legal points but I believe that I am obliged to disclose such things if I try to sell. And even if I could sell, where would I go? The housing market in this city is into the atmosphere. I could never afford to buy a place and even monthly rents anywhere in the city are more than my monthly mortgage payments. True. And I don't want to leave Toronto. But, I have decided that I will give myself one year to try to seriously declutter and unload as much *stuff* as I have managed to accumulate in the 19 years I am in this house, just in case I do decide to move (and there's plenty, the bulk of it being books. Are you surprised?). So, to keep myself sane, and somewhat focussed on something these last few weeks, I have begun to cull. I gave one box of books to a friend the other day. I have a few more boxes for another friend who is coming over on Wed. I have at least one more box of books for another friend and 3 bags to bring to the used books store once they announce that they are ready to buy books from customers again. And this is just my first go-round of my shelves. I will be relentless, keeping only what I truly want to keep or read and letting go of what I know I won't get to or have already read. Life is too short and time is of the essence. I haven't been sleeping well and my dreams are so very weird. And I have barely been able to read, which is annoying me almost more than anything.

Ok. End of rant. Very much TMI here, I know, but this has been my life recently and that's only the house issues. Never mind the rest. Too exhausting to even go there.

The evolution of my clematis:

On your mark...


Get set...

Pop!



Et, voila!

I think I figured it out. I always use Microsoft Edge as my main browser. I have always been able to upload photos to my gallery from my computer using this browser, no problems. I did figure out a few years ago that moving photos from the gallery into my thread requires that I switch to Google Chrome as my browser. Don't know why but it works that way, so I do. Apparently, I now need to use Chrome to upload from my computer to the gallery. I tried that and it worked. I wish there were announcements or some warning about things like this so I don't think something is wrong at my end. Oh well, it worked and that's all that matters right now. I have no fight left in me for such things. I'd rather have a naked thread than fight.

Fresh from the tree. I just love the fragrance of lilacs. All gone now; this was from May.

I am sorry for your troubles-have you tried to communicate with your city Councillor? this sounds like something the city should look into.
Take care and if culling books helps- go to it!

Happy New Thread, Shelley and I just wish that the circumstances were nicer. I am having plumbing issues of my own at the moment but the minor irritations I am facing pale into insignificance compared to your own travails. I do hope that things get sorted out favourably soon.

>7 torontoc: - Hi Cyrel. In fact, I did contact my local councillor's office a week or 2 ago, without much hope of anything. I had tried to engage her help several years ago, regarding the tree that eventually cracked my foundation last year and they were of no help whatsoever. However, I did try last week or so and was surprised to get an email the next day saying that she could possibly help and asking for a phone number to reach me at. I replied immediately and haven't heard a word since. I did follow up with another email today so we shall see. I am not that hopeful that anything will come of it at all but I am willing to be pleasantly surprised. Ha!

>8 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul. Most household problems are a pain in the bum but sometimes, it just gets overwhelming. This too shall pass. Someday. If I don't, first. ;-)

No hope in hell of my catching up on all the threads I am behind on, so I will just say welcome and move forward from here. I hope everyone has been well.

Happy new thread!

You certainly have a lot on your plate. Sorry to hear about the the plumbing issues. Hopefully you find a solution.

So sorry to hear about all the troubles in your basement! My parents basement also suffered from flooding (During rains, or the two times the water heater and/or water softening went AWOL), so I know what a terrible pain that is!

>11 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita. Hope all is well with you too.

>12 Bcteagirl: - JANICE!! What a nice surprise to see you here. Hope all is well with you. Not sure when our next BC meetup will or can be but it will be fun to get together again. How are you doing?

Hey! Doing good! Working from home and started about 8 books at once lol. How have things been with you?? Been thinking about taking the car one day and trying to hit a few used bookstores in TO (Is the Monkey bookstore with the book vending machine still open?)

>14 Bcteagirl: - LOL! You mean the Biblio-mat, at The Monkey's Paw! I have no idea but google them for a phone number and see. I know that BMV on Bloor is open, limiting the number of customers at a time, though I haven't been down there yet.

>1 jessibud2:

We have had similar basement sewer pipe back up.
Our rural excavating company reamed out the pipe, then extended the drain field.

This very old house solution would not work for you, but could the problem be the same in that
the blockage is further out than your house and so needs professional investigating.

Your health is more important than whatever the condo will have to pay.

If they balk, time for a python (from The Widower's Tale) lawyer...?

Hi Shelley my dear, happy new thread and i do hope that your run of bad luck with the house is over with and you will enjoy staying in Toronto. Sending special Yorkshire love and hugs dear friend.

Oh Shelley what a a very trying time that you have had, over and over again I might add! Hope it all sorts very soon for you. Good idea to thin out the belongings especially those no longer needed. Happy new thread and keep your chin up! Hugs from afar!

Wow, Shelley! What a string of bad luck with the flooding!! I was so happy before that you had gotten your beautiful house back in order. Then the pandemic and the new flooding. So sorry that you are in this predicament.

To move books along, why not book bomb some Little Free Libraries? I just reopened mine a few days ago since the covid-19 numbers in Maryland are slowly descending. All days are the same since we are still on stay at home orders due to our age. I needed something to reanimate me.

How’s your garden, other than your beautiful clematis? We’re planting a small vegetable garden, and I’m trying out my old expired seeds. So far I’ve gotten the snow peas and mesclun lettuce to grow.

Hope you’re still birding. I haven’t seen my daughter since the pandemic started, but I sent her and her husband a check to buy a birdbath as an anniversary present. Since they’ve been working from home, they’ve been watching birds.

We no longer have feral cats, but we have bunnies. All different sizes! The tiniest one I named Peanut. I can’t tell one from the other, though, except by size.

I’m not doing well reading either. Since March, I’ve only completed two books. I can’t stop reading the news here in the U.S. Everything is a greater nightmare than I could have ever imagined. We all just need to stay well so we can get through these troubling times, little by little.

Hang in there, friend. It doesn’t look like a trip to Toronto is in the cards for us this year. We’ll have to see what the future brings.

Saying hi to Cyrel and Janice while I’m parked on your thread! :D

Oh so sorry about all that is going on in your life, Shelley, as I mentioned on your last thread. What a dreadful time with repeated flooding. Living in the Vancouver area, I sure hear you on the where would one go if you could sell your place? Dave and I think we''ll have to downsize to a one or two bedroom condo here in the Richmond area, when he retires. Like you, I'm very attached to where I live, despite the price. I've been gradually culling books and other stuff, knowing that in the future we will likely need to sell. (((hugs))) and I hope a book or good tv show catches your interest, so your mind can rest a bit.

>16 m.belljackson: - Well, Marianne, the *professionals* have done investigating and, according to them have *fixed* the problem. We shall see. It's not in my hands.

>17 johnsimpson: - Thanks, John. Me too!

>18 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary. If nothing else, the *thinning out* gives me something constructive to focus on and spend my time on. Ha! I wish it was ME being *thinned out*. ;-)

>19 SqueakyChu: - Hi Madeline. LFLs are on the list, just near the end. My priorities are to give away to friends first, then, if it's not too far in the future, to try the used bookstore route (they don't pay much, a pittance really but anything is better than nothing and if truth be told, I rarely leave the store without having spent what I *earn* in trade-ins). After that, whatever is left or not taken, definitely gets distributed to LFLs. I know of several so that is never a problem.

Now that the tree is gone in the back, I have a lot more sun. I hadn't considered it before and it may be a bit late in the season to attempt it now but I might consider trying to grow some veggies. Otherwise, the gardens are looking good. Sorry that you don't have the cats any more but bunnies! Wow. I have only rarely seen any around here.

My reading is picking up a bit as I decide what to keep and what to let go of. Sigh...

>20 vancouverdeb: - Thanks, Deb. I still check the basement several times a day, expecting the worst but so far, so good. Only 2 weeks since the last flood so we shall see. I really don't want to move so I truly hope this is over and done with.

HI Shelley! I’m so sorry about your house woes. Insanity indeed.

Your clematis photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing them.

I’m glad that even though it is because you’re trying to cull, your reading has picked up.

There are some quick growing veggies you could try, like lettuces and radishes! :)

What a terrible trial, Shelley. I'm so glad we have a dry basement. My sympathy is with you (for whatever good that'ii do ya).

>3 jessibud2: and >6 jessibud2: Beautiful flower photos Shelley. Thanks for sharing! i love the fragrance of lilacs too and for some reason, maybe the soil, they are lots less fragrant in B.C. than Ontario. I grew up with a lilac tree below my bedroom window in Toronto. Sweet memories.

So sorry about your trials! I hope this thread’s a bit happier!

Shelley! As others have said, such a total BUMMER all the water woes. I add my wishes that the condo board smartens up and replaces the sewer lines (with back-flow valves to stop the water re-entering your home). Can you band together with other condo owners? Surely you're not the only one to suffer?

On the happy spectrum, I adore your clematis and what fabulous photos you've got. Thank you.

-Song Sparrow

Happy New Thread, Shelley. I am so sorry, you have been having so many issues at your home. No wonder, you haven't been around. Good luck with everything, my friend. I hope you can still find some comfort in the books. I hope this little sparrow brings a smile to your lips.

Wow! I am so sorry to hear about all of the problems. I wish there was something that I could do other than give my sympathies. I do hope you can get out of the house soon because I am sure that on top of everything else going on right now, you do not need more basement problems on top of it!

>22 karenmarie: - Hi Karen. Thanks for the sympathy. Thanks, also, re the clematis. Last year (before I had to dig up the backyard for the excavation) I bought a clematis that was made for shade. We dug it up and it survived the winter in my friend's garage. I replanted it a few weeks ago and it began to grow nicely. But since the tree is gone, I can see I am going to have to rethink and restructure the entire backyard. It has, over the last few days, completely shriveled and died in the hot sun. As have several others of my backyard plants. Boo hiss... The umbrella over my patio table casts absolutely no shade on the garden. But...the reading is definitely back!

>23 Bcteagirl: - I am going to go see what the garden centre has left, tomorrow!

>24 weird_O: - Hi Bill. Yeah, my next life, I will live on the top of a hill where water can't run UP.

>25 mdoris: - Mary, I also had that lilac-under-the-bedroom window, growing up. When I moved to this house, my friend brought me this little lilac *bush* from her parents' farm. It is now a lovely tree.

>26 drneutron: - It is, thanks, Jim. I think I just needed to vent, off the top. It's been that kind of year, ya know?
I am better now. :-)

>27 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi Sandy. Oh, I have had a back-flow valve since it happened the FIRST time, 10 years ago. Clearly, it failed. And yes, I still believe the pipe needs to be replaced but equally as clearly, the property management doesn't agree. When the next flood happens, maybe they will relent. Until then, if I want to sue them, I guess I could go that route but frankly, I don't have the money or the energy for it. And with the covid situation, this would hardly get priority in the courts, I am sure, it would be a big waste of time and energy. I am second from the end unit and my neighbour (end unit) gets the flooding as well. Just the two of us. We are at the bottom of a slope in the road and it never seems to affect anyone else. (see my note to Bill, above, lol)

>28 msf59: - Cute little guy, Mark! I haven't seen one of those yet myself.

>29 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia. Sympathy accepted with thanks. The thing is, I really love my little house. I just wish I could pick it up and take it elsewhere. Sigh. So far, as of today, the basement is still dry....

Good luck, and keep us up to date in the garden centre!

So sorry to read abut your continuing basement troubles, Shelley. (((hugs)))

>2 jessibud2: >3 jessibud2: Your Clematis id beautiful!

>31 Bcteagirl: - No tomato plants left at 2 garden centres. I thought that might happen. Instead, I bought 4 sun-loving plants. Too hot today to work out there panting, maybe tomorrow.

>32 FAMeulstee: - Hi Anita. And thanks, re the clematis The one in the back has died as it was specific to shade (most aren't but I found this one 2 years ago and it did well last year. Fried this year. )

A few mini reviews:

Toronto Sketches 2, 3 and 4 by Mike Filey.

Mike Filey is a Toronto journalist and local historian. The books in this series (which now go up to 11, I believe, maybe 12; I only own 2, 3 and 4) are collections of his regular Sunday columns, The Way We Were, in the Toronto Sun newspaper and provide a fascinating look back and insight into the places and events of my adopted city. I especially loved reading about the history of baseball in the city, Hurricane Hazel in 1954, as well as the stories behind famous landmarks, some still here, most others, long gone. Places like Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Massey Hall, Woolworth's, the CN Tower and, of course, Albert Britnell's bookstore. This book (#4) was published in 1994 so things have changed pretty drastically in the city, even since then (Britnell's is now a Starbuck, for example, boo hiss).

And, of course, some things never change. I had to chuckle when I read about the arguments at City Hall about expanding Toronto transit lines, as far back as 1909, when the first mention of creating a subway was raised! We are now more than 100 years on, and the arguments continue!

Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl - Reichl, the food writer, discovers boxes of letters and diaries written by her mother and discovers "the painful transition her mother made from a hopeful young woman to an increasingly unhappy older one, and realizes the tremendous sacrifices she made to make sure her daughter's life would not be as disappointing as her own."

Reichl meets the mother she never really knew and through her own adult eyes and sensibilities, comes to understand and appreciate her mom. Being an intelligent and ambitious woman in the post-war era, and the state of (or rather, lack of acknowledgement of) mental health was just awful. This book is a very quick read, and it is poignant, insightful and sad.

I am currently also reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. I will finish another book later today and will come back later to add the review. I am really wrapped up in this one.

So sorry about all the house woes! It's smart to focus on decluttering, but it must be hard. I think I am going to have to thin out my bookshelves, and am very upset about it.

I have to look for that Reichl book, I am a fan of hers.

Oh, {{{Shelley}}}! Such a miserable experience! I am so sorry.

The clematis and the now-vanished lilacs are some compensation, I hope? *smooch*

>35 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda. I have 3 other titles by Reichl and started but never finished the first. It didn't hold my interest at the time (many moons ago) but perhaps now I am ready. I will give it another try. I did just now add another note to my little review, above. For all we complain about these days, being a woman with brains and intelligence in Reichl's mother's era must have been difficult, culture being what it was then (woman's place in the home, etc). Her mother gave her a gift of independence that she didn't realize until she found those boxes. I would imagine her story is the story of many women of our own generation...

>36 richardderus: - Hi Richard. Thanks, smooches accepted gladly. Yes, the garden is always a solace even if I am yet again learning to re-adjust a bit. My formerly all shade garden is suddenly, I am realizing, sans massive tree, an almost all-sun garden. Translation: lots of work ahead to save what I can and transform it so it doesn't become a shrivelled mess. But such work gives me focus (if not aches and pains). Once the blast-furnace humidity breaks, I will be back at it.

UGH on humidity, my least-favorite climatological phenomenon. Heat is a close second; the two together are, I maintain, unConstitutional and must be extirpated forthwith.

I haven't actually bought any new music in quite awhile but after seeing this interview on tv this morning, I WANT THIS ONE! I was a huge fan of Cat Stevens back in the day. I think this new (sort-of) album will be wonderful. The interview is great:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yusuf-revisits-the-songs-of-cat-stevens/

>38 richardderus: - I agree 200%, Richard. It ought to be illegal here, too. Really.

Not sure if your newspapers have anything similar, but here in Madison, Wisconsin,
THE STATE JOURNAL offers a weekly SOS column where people get problems aired with a solution.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

This is a work of historical fiction about an era we don't read or know enough about. Though published in 2009, the tragic and sorry themes of prejudice, racism, hatred and even internment of *others* are terribly timely and current. Our human species just never seems to learn anything does it?

The story is very character driven, and takes place in 2 time frames, 1942, and 1986. Henry and Keiko as 12-year-old friends in Seattle, during WWII, and as 50-something-year-olds in 1986. The themes of bullying, politics, family dynamics, culture and - wonderfully - jazz music, thread their way throughout the story. I was completely drawn in.

One thing bothered me, though and I have to wonder how this never was addressed. In the author's notes at the end, and through the many incarnations of how this story - originally written as a short story, then expanded to become the novel - how did no one ever mention this? Maybe it's just me, noticing something quirky (I do have that tendency), but at the very end of the story, the internet plays an important though small role. I was around in 1986 and as far as I can recall, no one used the internet, such as it was, in the way we are used to using it today. This little anachronism in the book just seems to me to be out of place though it truly doesn't detract from the story at all.

>42 jessibud2: I read that book in 2015, and I really liked it. I didn't catch the anachronism at the end, though. This is just part of what i wrote about it after I read it...

-------------

This was quite a delightful read. I've read novels in the past about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II into special camps away from the west coast. However, the other books I read were focused on the "white" American point of view. This book has the protagonist Henry Lee, a 13-year-old American boy of Chinese descent, who befriends the Japanese girl Keiko Okabe because they are the only two Asian students in their "white" school. The story deals with Henry's father's antagonistic attitude to his son's friendship with a Japanese girl for precisely the same reasons many "white" Americans felt antagonistic towards people of Japanese descent at that time.

I loved how detailed the story was in presenting the plight of the Japanese Americans who were then living in Seattle. This novel was also a testimony to two dear friendships: that of Henry and Keiko, as well as that of Henry with adult black saxophone player Sheldon Thomas who played the streets at first and then later the jazz clubs of Seattle.

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I liked this author's writing enough to collect another book by the same author, but, of course, I haven't gotten to it yet. :D

Hi Shelley!

>39 jessibud2: I was a very serious fan of Cat Stevens in the 70s and saw him in concert in LA. I just pre-ordered the CD of Tea for the Tillerman 2. Thank you! The internet is really slow here right now, so I’ll have to look at the interview another time.

>43 SqueakyChu: - This was my first by him and I didn't know there were more. I'll keep my eyes open. The anachronism was probably more my own quirkiness. I remember in the film version of Lisa Genova's Still Alice, which was excellent, by the way, Julianne Moore (who plays Alice) is left-handed in one scene and right-handed in another scene. Of course, this is something that would not have been in the book but I noticed it. I don't know anyone else who has, so, there ya go. I'm weird that way.

>44 karenmarie: - Hi Karen. I have to see if I can pre-order it too. I have no idea how but I will do some homework. I LOVED Cat Stevens. Still do. He is a very good-looking 71-yr old too and, as the interviewer mentioned, his voice hasn't aged at all! :-)

Here is a meditation from Richard Wagamese, the late Canadian author. It made me smile wistfully. I truly miss baseball.

EVERY YEAR, ONCE
spring has sprung, my world regains
proper proportion because baseball is
back. I love the central metaphor of
the game - all of us helping each other
to make it home. Funny how a game
can teach us so much about life..... '

>46 jessibud2: *sigh* I loved Indian Horse and I have Dream Wheels still to read. I also agree w/both of y'all.

Happy day! I picked up a DVD from the library today! By appointment only as the libraries aren't open yet. But it shouldn't be too long now. The DVD I picked up is a film version of A Man Called Ove. I read and really liked the book and never knew there was a film until Karen (I think?) mentioned it. I noticed that 2 other of my holds are in transit so it almost feels like old times, checking my account online again!

>1 jessibud2: I'm so sorry about your troubles with your basement. It's hard enough to cull and downsize from a home you've lived in so many years without feeling it's something you are being forced into.
>39 jessibud2: I was a huge Cat Stevens fan too, so thanks for the heads up about some new music!
>46 jessibud2: I just read my first book by Richard Wagamese, Ragged Company, and liked it very much. I will be looking for more.

>49 arubabookwoman: - Hi, and welcome to my thread. Well, a friend came over today and I sent her home with three bags of books! (and a couple of puzzles). Another friend is coming over tomorrow for more of the same and I have to say, I thought it would be harder than this, but in truth, I felt so HAPPY to give my books a new home! :-) Ok, so I am easily amused but it is working. I honestly doubt I will move because I can't think of anything (except maybe serious health issues) that causes me more stress in life than moving. But *downsizing* or decluttering should have been happening for years so to be able to do some of it now, and feel so good about it, is a bonus.

I do have to admit that I haven't read anything by Richard Wagamese, though I do have Indian Horse on my shelf. I have moved it to the bedside pile now... The quote in >46 jessibud2: was sent to me by a good friend who knows how much I love baseball.

>45 jessibud2: Lisa Genova's books are great! I also read Still Alice and was blown away by it. Sadly I know of a woman (who recently passed away) who suffered from adult onset Alzheimer's. What a tragic affliction!

I never see those quirks in books or movies. They always go right over my head.

>50 jessibud2: Decluttering is great. It sounds much worse than it is. Freeing up space is so uplifting. Think of the joy you're giving others by giving away books. As a BookCrosser you should already knwo this, though! Haha!

You might enjoy this. My husband is building a birdbath for my daughter and son-in-law. It's for the birds to use, not for them to use - Haha! It's very cool. I'll post a picture of it when it's done. We already have the heavy stone pedestal to give them, but he fashioned a top bowl out of tile and cement.

I'm glad you are getting some de- cluttering done, even if you have no intention of moving. Like you, I have not read anything by Richard Wagamese. I'm not even sure off hand if I have any of his books on my TBR shelves. I agree with you and the stress of moving. I loathe having my house / townhouse up for sale, constantly at the ready with a spotless home. And then finding a new place. I've also enjoyed a couple of Lisa Genova's book.

Man! Moving is the worst. When I moved, I hired movers. They complained about all the heavy boxes filled with books. Decluttering is definitely a better solution. Since I moved, I don't hold on to read books that I know I will never read again.

>48 jessibud2: I did not know there was a film! I really liked that novel. Hope the movie is just as good.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy newish thread, Shelley. I'm way behind on the threads too and I don't have the same excuses that you have. So sorry to hear about your renewed basement problems.

I recently attended the Ontario Genealogy Society's Virtual Conference and thought of you when I heard their keynote speaker, Adam Bunch. He's into presenting the history of Toronto in new ways and showed images from Toronto before which blends old and new street scenes and he's also part of The Toronto Dreams Project. They sound like really interesting projects. Have you heard of him or the projects he's involved in before?

>51 SqueakyChu: - Madeline, my previous birdbath bit the dust after the winter. It was made of heavy cement or something and the bowl just snapped off of its pedestal. My friend tried to solder it back together but it didn't work. I did have another birdbath that looks almost the same but it was just the bowl part, no pedestal. I created a perfect bottom, though, by placing it on top of a planter pot that looks like a log. I will take a pic and edit it in here later.

>52 vancouverdeb: - I have read all but the latest book by Lisa Genova. Still Alice and Inside the O'Briens wee my 2 favourites so far.

>53 figsfromthistle: - Anita, the film version of A man Called Ove was really good! It's in Swedish, of course, with subtitles but if that doesn't bother you, I highly recommend borrowing it from your library if they have a copy.

>54 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg. I have not heard of Adam Bunch or his work. Sounds like I would have enjoyed that presentation of old and new Toronto. Did you enjoy the Curious Minds series from Hot Docs?

Two quick reviews:

Notes on A Nervous Planet - This is my first read of a book by British author, Matt Haig. It was a quick read. He writes a lot (apparently) about mental health, having suffered from anxiety and other mental health issues himself. Distilled down to its bare bones, this book basically boils down to Haig's promoting nature, yoga and books as the best things for positive health, and getting the hell off the cellphone and internet as todays' major causes of anxiety. Pretty sensible, though, for most people (himself included), easier said than done. I don't think I am alone in admitting to having suffered from bouts of depression at times in my life. Meds never worked for me, though counselling did. Thankfully, I have never been at the extreme that Haig has been, at times in his own life. Those were the hardest parts of the book for me to relate to, when he talks about those periods.

A few quotes I have pulled out:

- The trouble is our lives are cluttered. The challenge is to find who we are amid the crowd of ourselves.

- And it's not just the amount of people who use the internet that is rising, the amount of time we spend online is rising, too... A completely connected world has the potential to go mad, all at once.

- Do not seek out stuff that makes you unhappy. Do not measure your own worth against other people. Do not define yourself *against*. Define what you are *for*. And browse accordingly.

- Be near animals. Nonhuman animals are therapeutic for all kinds of reasons. One reason is that they don't have news...The things that are important to us - politics and economics and all those fluctuating things - are not important to them. And their lives, like ours, still go on. As A.A. Milne wrote in Winnie the Pooh, "Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem."

- One thing mental illness has taught me is that progress is a matter of acceptance. Only by accepting a situation can you change it. You have to learn not to be shocked by the shock. Not to be in a state of panic about the panic. To change what you can change and not get frustrated by what you can't. There is no panacea, or utopia, there is just love and kindness and trying, amid the chaos, to make things better where you can. And to keep our minds wide, wide open in a world that often wants to close them.

- Reading isn't important because it helps you to get a job. It's important because it gives you room to exist beyond the reality you're given. It is how humans merge. How minds connect. Dreams. Empathy. Understanding. Escape. Reading is love in action.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the Pursuit of Happiness - by Maira Kalman

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book. It's heavy, physically heavy. It weighs a ton and it isn't even hard cover! It's 471 pages long, yet, oddly, I managed to read it in one sitting. That's probably because it is as much a work of art (done in graphic novel type style) and easy to zip through. What it boils down to is that this is Kalman's playful, sometimes irreverent but honest look at (the history of) democracy in the United States. The book was published in 2010, before that concept was an endangered species. In fact, there is one quote near the end of the book that truly made me cringe (and almost cry and I'm not even American), when talking about George Washington: "It could be that the current president and his wife have the same integrity as the first president and his wife. Could be."

Yikes.

<55 Your solution sounds like the perfect birdbath to me!

>56 jessibud2: Excellent thoughts for these unnerving days months we are enduring.

I love the part about reading. One thing I have been doing for a few years is mailing books to a friend of mine who is in prison for a long sentence. That person finds books and reading comforting. I'm glad I can provide that kind of comfort to someone I know whose situation I cannot change. .

Stopping by to wish you a wonderful Sunday, Shelley.

>56 jessibud2: Loved the quotes and what you pulled out.....with thanks!

- Reading isn't important because it helps you to get a job. It's important because it gives you room to exist beyond the reality you're given.

One more on the basement flooding -

maybe a photograph of today's SUV landing in a Manhattan sinkhole

due to Sewage Problems (!)

would inspire your Condo reps to move
their Professionals out further afield.

>57 SqueakyChu: - I took a pic of my birdbath, Madeline. I just have to get it out of the phone...

>58 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul. Sunday's come and gone but I thank you anyhow! I am late to my own thread!

>59 mdoris: - Hi Mary. Long time no see. Hope all is well out on the left coast. We are wilting here in the 30+C sun and humidity. Yuck!

>60 m.belljackson: - Not sure I follow what you are referring to, Marianne, but so far, the basement is still dry so I am counting my blessings. I may even schedule the repairs to begin soon.

>61 jessibud2:

Hi - maybe didn't make your news, but today's news down here in Manhattan is the SUV in a sinkhole
attributed to previous sewer problems.

I'm glad that your basement is dry, Shelley! And I read on Karen's thread that you are getting your hair cut this week! A red letter day indeed, these days. It doesn't take much .

I've not read Notes on a Nervous Planet, but my sister Tannis is a big fan of his. She follows Matt Haig on instagram. I've actually have taken an antidepressant since my early 30's and I remain on one even now.

>62 jessibud2:! Ha! I've seen people with disposable masks hanging from their car mirrors, like one would put fuzzy dice. I'm not sure if it is ward off the covid virus, or just a handy place to keep a mask. Note - I have never hung anything from my mirror and certainly not fuzzy dice. No offence to those who might hang fuzzy dice from their mirrrors.

>63 m.belljackson: - No, Marianne, I had not heard about that. Always something, isn't it. That said, I have cut back greatly on watching (reading/listening to) the news. It only aggravates me. Once a day is all I figure I need. If anything major or catastrophic happens, I'm sure someone will alert me. And not focussing on the news certainly gives me a lot less stress.

>64 vancouverdeb: - Many years ago, in my early 30s, Deb, I was given an anti-depressant. It had a horrible effect on me and I had to stop. The doctor then tried a different one altogether and that one was even worse. So I simply refused to pursue the meds further. I did opt for counselling and while finding a *good fit* took some doing, when I did, it was what helped the most. There is no one-size-fits-all for everyone. Every person has to seek and find what works for them. If the meds work (and I also have a few friends who wouldn't be without them), that excellent. I know my triggers and signs and I know to seek out help when I feel I am heading in that direction.

Yeah, lol, re the masks hanging from the mirror. Sheesh. I bought 2 cloth masks from a local gal who makes them (100% cotton, with the option to slide a (coffee) filter in between the 2 panels). I always keep one clean one in a ziplock bag in my purse for when I go inside anywhere. They are pretty and I like them. I can't stand wearing them for long because I find it hard to breathe in them but I haven't actually been inside anywhere for long enough for it to be a real problem. I know I won't be travelling to Montreal anytime soon but I heard that VIA Rail is requiring all passengers to wear masks for the duration of their travels. 5 hours in a mask on the train might be enough to prevent me from travelling even if I could! Yikes!

And yes! Tomorrow is the Big Day. 3 pm. I will be early and wait in my car until she gives me the come on in signal! :-) I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this. I look - and feel - like a shaggy dog. My hair is not long enough to be in a ponytail but way too long to feel comfy. I have been chopping away and she will have plenty to *fix*. I cut mostly at the bottom and around the bangs but it's so curly that I am sure no one but Silvana (my hairdresser) will notice. And if anyone does, ask me if I care. ;-)

Oh! One more very exciting thing. I managed to secure tickets to a new Van Gogh exhibit for July 23. It's an immersive exhibit and it's in a massively huge space so they decided to go ahead with it. It's so big, in fact, that there is a drive-through option so you can do the tour in your car. My friend and I decided we'd rather do the walk through (it's also considerably less expensive than with a car). They have timed tickets (we go from 1 to 2 pm) so they can limit the number of people at a time. If it's big enough for cars, you can be sure that walking around, it won't be hard to keep 2 metres space between people.

Here is a link to the exhibit when it was in Paris: Van Gogh - Paris

And this is the Toronto one. I am so excited that it wasn't cancelled and that I got tickets:
https://vangoghexhibit.ca/

Oh, definitely, yes, Shelley, one size does not fit all, at all! I first tried an antidepressant in my early twenties and it was really a bad experience. For me, counselling was not enough, though a big help. I'll bet in my life I've tried??? 14 or so different antidepressants? The one I am on now isn't perfect, but I'm not going through another change of antidepressant in my life time, thanks! I know what you mean. It's been " a journey" for me, and not a good one! :-)

I didn't get enough cut off at my last hair appointment at the start of June, so I'm back on Friday for another trim. I can now wear my hair in a pony tail, but only at home. I guess I could wear my pony tail in public, but it's still a bit of a short pony tail, plus the pony tail curls up like a pigs tail. Life!My neighbour laughingly calls it my " home pony tail " . I don't mind at all. She's a lot of fun and we commiserate over our curly hair together. She keeps hers long and usually in a braid or a pony tail. Really a nice lady.

Yes, five hours wearing a mask would not be fun. My sister works as a dentist receptionist and she comes home with lines on her face from having to wear a mask all day. I find the worst part is that my glasses steam up while I am wearing a mask.

>66 jessibud2: Ooh lucky that you got tickets. The drive in option looks neat. I saw it on the news and could not help but notice that all the cars participating that day were shiny and expensive. Perhaps just for show. Have fun on the walk through tour :)

>61 jessibud2: I tried to post a picture of the birdbath that Jose made, but it comes out sideways so I deleted it.

Anthropomorphic book art by British artist Jonathan Wolstenholme:

https://www.beautifullife.info/art-works/book-art-by-jonathan-wolstenholme/

Hmmm. If I didn't already have 2 cloth face masks, these would be in the shopping cart: https://outofprint.com/collections/face-masks

I think my favourite is the bookshelf one.

Hi, Shelley.

Sorry to hear about your continuing sewer/flooding problems. How frustrating! Any further word from your councilor on helping? (Please forgive me if I missed it).

>66 jessibud2: That Van Gogh exhibit looks awesome! I've seen pieces of that Paris video, but not the whole thing like that. So great. Makes me think of that animated movie, Loving Vincent, where they had a hundred or so artists bring his works to life on film.

>71 jessibud2: Oh, I like those masks too, Shelley! I'd go for the book shelf too. I might consider it. I have 50 disposable masks, and Dave has a couple of black masks, but I like the fun patterns.

HI Shelley, Sorry to hear that your flowers are drooping in the heat. Are you hiding in the shade? We have finally got a whiff of summer but the sea is still way too cold for swimming. Glad that you have the flooding business sorted out. Hope it lasts! I have "discovered' podcasts and there are some interesting ones out there that are yakking about the current goings on. But it is taking my time away from the books. I look forward to seeing your renewed bird bath! And aren't you a lucky one to go to a Van Gogh exhibit. Nice!

>67 vancouverdeb: - My hairdresser told me yesterday that wearing her mask all day is hard. She has to take breaks. I really feel for her.

>68 figsfromthistle: - Hi Anita. You know, I think it's cool and innovative to be able to do the drive-through but honestly, I can't imagine why anyone would want to. The tickets are double the cost (though they include a walk-through, which makes no sense to me; do one or the other but both?) and the space is so massive that walking and maintaining a social distance of 2 metres is hardly an issue. And why would you want to be inside a vehicle instead of being totally immersed in the experience? Well, that's just my opinion but there ya go. It will be the first time I will be stepping on public transit since covid started, to get down there, but masks are now mandatory on the TTC and we chose our time (1-2pm) in the hope of avoiding rush hours.

>69 SqueakyChu: - I still have to get mine out of the camera!

>72 jnwelch: - I didn't follow through with the city, Joe. Our townhouse is on what's called a *private road* and so the sewer pipes are a private issue. She had mentioned in her email that they could help me if it was city property and that in the other similar case they dealt with the residents had to take their condo board to court. It's complicated because the members of my board are nice and have been very good in helping me to the extent that they could, but we are not self-managed any more and ultimately, the property management company makes the ultimate decisions. And with covid, doing anything with court would surely take forever. I don't have that kind of money or patience. Or confidence that anything would change. So far, the basement remains dry. I hope to get the repairs started soon.

I also thought immediately of the animated film when I saw the clip of the Van Gogh exhibit. I am really looking forward to it.

>73 vancouverdeb: - Deb, yesterday, city council passed a new bylaw with a rare unanimous decision to make face masks mandatory in Toronto in all public indoor spaces, starting next Wed. I had anticipated something like that happening and so bought my cloth masks a few weeks ago. I like that I can wash them and reuse them. I think, overall, our city and province are doing ok, relatively speaking. I just hope we don't rush things, and can watch and learn from the disasters unfolding in some of the States and prevent repeating those mistakes here.

>74 mdoris: - Mary, it's been an expensive summer, garden-wise. I am learning the hard way that going from an almost total shade garden to an almost no-shade garden isn't easy. And we have had barely any rain at all, with temps in the low 30sC and humidex values feeling like mid-30s for nearly 2 weeks now. I'll be honest, this type of weather makes me very cranky. I shouldn't complain, but I am. Pfft. I can't even sit out in the back to read until after 3 pm when the relentless sun is finally off the patio. Before the tree was removed, I used to be able to sit out there from noon on. Anyhow, even with shade, it's still too humid to breathe easily out there.

I finally took time to edit my picture so it wouldn't post sideways. The pedestal we already had for many, many years. Jose made the bowl out of reinforced (so it won't break) cement and tile.

>76 SqueakyChu: - Madeline, it's gorgeous! Is that white square a perch in the middle? I think small birds need something to stand on. I used to put a large-ish rock in one I used to have but this one (and my last one) were shallow enough and small enough around that they could stand on the rim and dip in. I will try to get my pics downloaded today.

Happy Canada Day!!

It's a tile. I tried to get my husband to understand that birds need a shallow, rough surface on which to stand. He ignored what I told him, going for aesthetics instead. We have the birdbath outside next to another one on the ground and a third one on a shorter pedestal. The one on the ground, my husband also made The shorter-pedestal one is made of stone. I'm keeping an eye on all of them. I've only seen a sparrow drinking from the new one. I actually saw a mourning dove bathing in the one on the ground and a squirrel drinking from it. The stone one gets occasional bathing birds, such as catbirds and robins.

I just talked again to my husband about bird baths. He said, "If that's the only thing around, they'll go in. They will!" I can't win, LOL!

Happy Canada Day! So sorry I can't celebrate it in person with you once again this year. The time we were together on Canada Day was such fun, and I remember EVERYTHING from those few days, especially your warm hospitality. That huge black shirt that the guy gave to Jose to protect him from the rain is now in possession of my younger son. It fits him perfectly as he is pretty tall. :D

Hi Shelley! The rat-hammocks cartoon is hilarious.

Happy Canada Day!

Hi Shelley my dear, Happy Canada Day.

>62 jessibud2: Snagged that cartoon. It was very timely.

I recently snapped a photo of discarded masks in the parking lot near a medical-clinic. It begs the question, "What were these people thinking?" Of course they weren't. And they seriously don't understand why such litter is so thoroughly unacceptable.

Re Ontario opening up, I sure hope my friends do not rush things. It is crazy in our province. The bars and restaurants opened already yet, no libraries, or art galleries. After all the talk about people keeping social distancing in mind. What is it the officials don't get? Alcohol consumption is hardly going to enhance critical thinking skills.

Happy Canada Day, Shelley! You've got all of the hot weather ,and we've got rain and cool temps today. If we had 30 C I'd be complaining too! A person can't win!

>78 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, you too, Anita!

>79 SqueakyChu: - Wow, 3 years ago! Time flies. It was a great visit, and I do hope we can repeat it one day.

>80 richardderus:, >81 johnsimpson: - :-) Thanks, Richard and John. A thankfully quiet one, without the fireworks. At least, so far.

>82 SandyAMcPherson: - Oh, I so agree. I think it's disgusting when people just throw them on the ground. WHY? People can be such pigs. As far as reopenings, in my humble opinion, slower is better. And truly, whatever the governments decide, it is really the people who will determine the outcomes. I have no problem wearing a mask when indoors anywhere (in public that is; I obviously am not wearing one inside my own home or if I visit a friend, though when I do, we are careful to stay 2 metres apart or just sit outside). I mean, why is that so hard for so many people? I just don't get it.

>83 vancouverdeb: - Pity we can't trade, at least a little bit!

Well, grrr. As is well-known by now, I am not techy. I know what I know and if there are no problems, I can live with not needing to know more, when it comes to technology. I was talking to my computer guy last week about a small problem I was having with the volume button on my computer (which he fixed). He can access my computer remotely to troubleshoot and he discovered that I was due for a windows update. So we did it. It gave my computer a whole new look. I didn't want the new look because there were things I couldn't find. But he assured me it was ok and nothing was really different.

Today I tried to download photos from my cellphone to the computer. I plugged in the cable connecting the 2. Nothing happened. Usually, an animated graphic appears on my computer screen showing photos exiting the phone and moving to the computer. Today? nada. I tried unplugging and doing it again. Nada. There was no issue before that so-called *update* or upgrade. Why do they have to *fix* what ain't broke?!

So, I emailed my computer guy again and hopefully, he'll get back to me tomorrow or later in the week and he can fix this.

34 bloody degrees C today (93.2F) with a humidex factor making it feel like 37C (98.6F). I have watered the front and back and will again, later this evening. Apart from that, I refuse to leave the house and the a/c. Sheesh.

So, instead, I am watching a film on my computer from my Hot Docs cinema. This one is free for members, about famous urban planner Jane Jacobs, her background and successful fight with NYC planner Robert Moses, and her subsequent move to Toronto and her successful fight here to prevent a major highway being built through our city. It's called Citizen Jane: Battle for the City

I have also purchased tickets to 2 other films, ($6 each, at my membership level) that I will stream and watch later or tomorrow: one about Ella Fitzgerald and one about Vivian, Johnny Cash's first wife and mother of his 4 daughters including Roseanne Cash). I haven't explored the site lately so I am not sure what else is available. I love that I don't have to go out to watch such good documentaries. I just finished a 6-week lecture series about the Folk Revival which was excellent. Hot Docs is such a treasure in this city and they have really adapted well to the covid situation. It doesn't hurt that members (and non-members) love it so much and are so eager and willing to support all efforts to stay connected.

Stay cool Shelley! Oh how I would love to follow the one about the Folk Revival. Lucky girl with the Hot Docs!

My improvised birdbath. The base is actually a planter pot to put a plant in but it is heavy and looks like a log so I thought it worked quite well. The bath part doesn't fit perfectly but it is cast iron or whatever, also heavy, so it stays put well enough. And the squirrels can reach it and the birds don't drown, though really, there is only room for one bath at time, in this one. :-)



You can see the size when Mr. Cardinal checks out the new birdbath:

What a lovely bird bath, Shelley! What a great picture with the cardinal and the colour of the flowers too. I can see why you love where you live. Other than the current temperatures in your area! We have another overcast , cool day, but not raining. And yes, A Single Thread is new book out by Tracy Chevalier. I described a bit what it is about yesterday on my thread. I think I was lucky enough to get it from the library early in the year. I do miss the library! Curbside pick up of one book on hold and a few of the libraries quick picks is all that is on offer so far. Sigh!

>89 vancouverdeb: - Ok, Deb, thanks. I just now placed a hold on it at my library. There are apparently 62 copies in the system and 35 requests ahead of me. I have liked almost all of Chevalier's titles that I have read. We are still curbside only here. My next pickup is this Saturday. I'm sure this one won't be in that bundle.

>88 jessibud2: What a lovely birdbath! And the cardinal is clearly approving of it. Good taste, birdguy.

>88 jessibud2: Very nice birdbath, Shelley. So a birdbath should not be too smooth? I have a nice looking one, but never see birds using it. Hmm

Loved your clematis pictures.

We had 3 warm days, but it's cool now. I wouldn't like your temperatures at all. You definitely need some shade to sit in.

>91 richardderus: - Thanks, Richard. I feel a sense of satisfaction when I can repurpose something to fill a need. My old birdbath broke and I really didn't want to spend a lot of money when I knew I had this small one. But placing it right on the ground seemed not a good idea.

>92 EllaTim: - Hi Ella! Long time no see. I have to catch up on your thread, too! As for your question, I don't know about smooth but I think I read that it shouldn't be too deep. They need to be able to perch, for example, on the rim, so they can drink and feel safe. In other birdbaths I have had that were larger than this one, I have placed a large or medium rock in the centre so they could stand on that. But something in the centre might not give them enough room to have a good bath. Hey, they drink and bathe in puddles on the road so I am not too concerned about esthetics. ;-) Still, if it's on my lawn, I want to like what I see when I look out. In my former birdbath, it was so fun to see 2 or 3 bathing and splashing around together. I empty and refill the water several times a day if I am home, especially in this weather. I always empty it completely at night, That is to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the standing water. I learned that several years ago when bird flu was going around. That was one suggestion to help prevent it, not to have standing water on your property. Makes sense, and also keeps the water clean and fresh anyhow.

Our weather is only going to get hotter and more humid for at least another full week, I heard them say on the news tonight. We could hit a humidex reading of over 40C tomorrow or the next day. I am going NOWHERE! I truly hate this. Truth is, even if I had shade, I would not sit outside when it's this humid. Hard to breathe. I have asthma and don't need to look for trouble!

>93 jessibud2: I know the feeling - I am staying indoors in this heat!

>88 jessibud2: That is so cute!

I’m getting nervous about driving up to my daughter’s with my husband to deliver the birdbath. I told her we’d come for a socially distant pizza. However they are 45 minutes north of us. What if something happens to the car? I feel better staying home. Maybe we’ll just babysit her birdbath until covid-19 goes away. My husband thinks I’m overreacting. I’m just scared.

We have a female house finch who sits IN our bird feeder, not allowing any other birds to get near her. I named her Flinch because she doesn't flinch when other hungry birds approach!

>94 torontoc: - I just heard on the radio that temps are not going to go below 30C till mid-July!! And that's just temps, not taking the humidex into account. GACK!!! We better hope that there isn't a power outage any time soon!

>95 SqueakyChu: - I understand your nervousness, Madeline. Would your daughter and her husband consider driving down to you for a socially distant pizza and birdbath pickup? Everything would probably be ok but you have to do what works for you. There is enough to be anxious about these days without adding to it if you don't have to. Hang in there. And Happy Fourth.

I watched a lovely documentary film today, called: Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things. There were a nice mix of still photos, film and performance footage and interviews. The narration was also great.

Here is the other one I will watch later or tomorrow: My Darling Vivian

Oh, and this one! This will appeal to all the gardeners out there:
Painting the Modern Garden

In fact, replace *July* with *2020* and it would be more accurate...

Hi Shelley!

>88 jessibud2: Very nice birdbath, and it looks like Mr. Cardinal approves. I bought a birdbath with some birthday money about 5 years ago, and the guy at the store said a shallow basin was the best in his opinion. This is the one I bought, with the screw-in-to-the-ground pedestal. After the first time the basin flew into the woods after a windy day, I put the rock in the middle. The birds like the rock, too. Last week I watched a male Eastern Bluebird splash around for a minute or more.

...

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Shelley.

>99 karenmarie: - Hi Karen. It's a lovely and nice sized birdbath but does the basin just perch in the pedestal? Is it at least a heavy basin? I'd also be concerned about it flying off in the wind. Looks like you found a good solution, though.

>100 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul. it was another hot one today. In fact, I wish I could capture the Environment Canada graphic showing the weather for the next week. Our first possibility of rain isn't until next Friday and the temps won't go below 32C until next Saturday. They said on the news that this won't break till mid-July. It's been brutal and frankly, I hate it. Really hate it. Even if we weren't in the middle of covid, I have no desire to go anywhere outside of my air-conditioned house. I am really worried that with everyone using so much A/C, we might have a power outage and that would be disastrous, with this kind of heat. So far, so good, though, so I guess we just have to tough it out.

Mini reviews:

A Short Philosophy of Birds - A quick read and an interesting concept. The author takes different concepts and aspects of human life and shows how birds deal with them. Ideas such as travel, beauty, family, courage, love, freedom, fidelity, pleasure, intelligence, and so on, and wonders if they have something to teach us. Nothing too profound but sometimes, simple doesn't have to be profound to be effective.

Martin and Anne - The Kindred Spirits of Martin Luther King, Jr and Anne Frank. A children's book that parallels the lives of these 2 icons, both born in the same year both dying far too young, yet both leaving indelible marks on the world with the legacies they left behind.

I Was Their American Dream - a graphic memoir of a young American woman born to a Filipino mother and an Egyptian father and learning to find her place in the world. Interesting and probably timely, given the state of the world right now, especially in the United States.

The last 2 books were part of the bunch I picked up from the library the other day during my curbside pickup appointment. Branches still aren't open but requests are finally being filled. I also picked up 2 more dvds, 2 Ken Burns docs on The Roosevelts and Eleanor Roosevelt.

I also watched 2 documentaries from my Hot Docs theatre's streaming program. One was about Ella Fitzgerald and was really good. Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things. I hadn't really known anything about her other than her music.

The second film, I found much more intimate. It was called My Darling Vivian. It was about Vivian Liberto, the first wife of Johnny Cash, and the mother of his 4 daughters. The daughters narrate this film and it opens with the hundreds of letters Vivian and Johnny exchanged, before their marriage. There are lots of still photos, home movie clips and the daughters talking and narrating, throughout. What a sad story. Tragic, really, in the way he treated her. His second wife, June Carter, was - pardon my language - a real bitch and she too, was unnecessarily nasty to Vivian. She did absolutely nothing to deserve any of that. I have never been a fan of Johnny Cash and this film did nothing to change that. Booze and drugs do terrible things to a person but I have to wonder how good of a person he was inside, underneath all of that. Vivian wrote her story (I believe this film was based on her book) toward the end of her life and I am going to see if the library has it. Even her death was tragic.

Nice mini reviews, Shelley. Sounds like you had a good weekend. We had a couple of days of sun! Yay! Not such hot temps as you have, thanks goodness. So far, we have not had to get out our portable A/C units and that is really unusual. It looks like we'll have a two or three more decent days ahead, before the rain and clouds set in.

>66 jessibud2: I watched the YouTube link you gave, Shelley. The exhibit seems wonderful. Very immersive, i'd say, and interesting as well.
The exhibition we saw yesterday had one floor dedicated to etches and drawings, very small ones. They had made some spectacular enlargements, and you could really see them much better, and admire the artists work.
So wishing you a nice visit ahead!

>102 jessibud2:

I read I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny Cash by Vivian (at that time) Cash
to check on truths after watching the glowing Johnny Cash and June Carter movie.

What a difference in the facts!

>105 m.belljackson: - Yes, the daughters said that she told them that she wanted to write the book to set the record straight as she was deeply hurt, horrified and disgusted with that awful bio pic. She also told her daughters that she was going to reveal things that even they had not known. They asked her why she did not simply sit down with them and tell them and she said she just felt more comfortable writing it. It's just all so sad, what she had to put up with.

The science behind cloth masks, and why they work, made visible. Please pass this along, it's well worth it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tp0zB904Mc

Edited to add that as of today, masks are now mandatory in Toronto, in all public indoor spaces, including public transit. I, for one, am happy about that. I don't understand why this seems to be such a problem for some people. It seems so little to ask, for such an important issue.

So, today was the first day in my city of the new bylaw that mandates the wearing of face masks in public places. The response was so-so, from what I've heard. I counted 4 employees of a local supermarket not wearing masks (or not wearing them properly). When I asked the cashier why, she just said they must have been hot and needed a break. Not good enough, in my humble opinion. Need a break? Go outside.

There was also one small group of protesters, apparently (isn't there always?) who were saying their rights were being infringed upon. Boo hoo hoo.

I did have to laugh though at this. Our local afternoon radio show host read a tweet she received from a listener saying that masks are the new bras. Sure, they are uncomfortable but you get used to them. And if you don't wear it, everyone knows. LOL!

>108 jessibud2: I think it's just common sense to wear a mask. The bylaw should have been in place a long time ago. I've had to wear a mask all day long at work in the hospital for a while now. It is uncomfortable and hot however, this is what breaks are for. It surprises me how people are protesting against a bylaw that is in place for their own protection!

Anyhow. I am trying to survive the heat wave and was hoping to get some rain. It looks as if it went in your jurisdiction. Enjoy the rest of the week.

>109 figsfromthistle: - I know. I just don't understand people sometimes. It's just plain stupid to refuse to do the right thing, in this case. And really, it's all about balance. Don't want to wear a simple mask? Stay home, stay locked in. Don't go out at all. What is the real choice? And why is it so difficult? Need proof? Look south of the border. The youtube video I posted in >107 jessibud2: really does a decent job of explaining things.

As for the rain, our weather person on the radio said there were *pockets* of heavy rain around the city and even a tornado warning. It must have missed my end of town because our street was barely wet and I still had to refill the birdbath. As for the winds, my patio umbrella remains open, and untouched. And it's still a bloody sauna out there.

In BC , we've done a good job of squashing the covid virus, knock on wood. So far I don't think they made it law to wear mask on transit, but it's strongly encouraged. Transit was giving out masks for free to people and even parked buses around the city with masks on the front of some of the buses. I ordered a couple of cloth masks from Etsy , as well as my disposable ones.

Here, the vast majority of store clerks are behind plexiglass, and the vast majority , but not all, wear masks. Is plexiglass used in a lot in Ontario? Some places it is legislated that you must wear a mask .

Sorry for your hot weather! Ours is quite tolerable - perhaps too cool at times?

>111 vancouverdeb: Yes, Deb, the plexiglass partitions at the cash desk in all stores, supermarkets, and most places of business, came on right at the very beginning of covid here. Some places, like supermarkets, the post office, etc, the employees wear masks and/or face shields. I don't know if the shields are plexiglass or plastic but I would guess they are more comfortable than masks. Some people wear both. I would think they'd fog up but they don't seem to, from what I can see. I have 2 cloth masks that I wash and reuse. I always have a clean one in a ziplock bag in my purse so I am not without one.

I would give anything to be *too cool* and have rain. Toronto must officially be the new Tropics now. And there is no end in sight. It is not fun.

https://www.cbc.ca/toronto/weather/s0000458.html

Notice on the so-called rainy days, it actually indicates a *chance of showers*. Pfft. The temps shown are not including what it feels like factoring in the humidity. Tomorrow it will feel like 42C with the humidity. This ought to be against the law!

Ohh, I couldn't take 42 C, Shelley! Dreadful! I feel for you. I'll take our cooler weather any day. I've been meaning to tell you that the Canada Reads broadcasts are on July 20 - 23. I'll try to remember to PVR them. https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/canada-reads-2020-to-take-place-july-20-23-...

I've only read the one by Jesse Thistle , so I'll be rooting for that one ;-)

Sweet Thursday, Shelley. I hope you are having a good week. Our Baltimore Orioles have returned to the feeders, after taking a month long hiatus. such a welcoming splash of color.

Hi Shelley!

>101 jessibud2: Yes, the birdbath basin just perches and isn’t heavy at all. It’s easy to lift the rock out, empty the dirty water out by just lifting and tilting, scrubbing and rinsing a bit, then filling with fresh water.

>107 jessibud2: Good video. Thanks for sharing. Masks are mandatory in my state now, finally. I’ve been wearing one since mid-March. Anybody who scoffs at the mask mandate/law/executive order/bylaw can’t in all honesty say they believe in law and order, can they?

Our Library, recently opened up with curbside service, is giving 5 government-issued white cloth masks the first time someone uses curbside service. I’m sending 3 of them to Jenna, along with some more disposable masks. She uses them, but so far is letting Mom make sure she has them. *smile*

>113 vancouverdeb: - Oh, thanks for the reminder, Deb. I had heard that but had forgotten to pencil it into my calendar. Done now! I haven't read any of the books but I always enjoy the debates and discussions. They help me decide if I want to read any!

>114 msf59: - Hi Mark. SO pretty! Lucky you!

>115 karenmarie: - Hi Karin. Your law and order comment made me chuckle. Sadly, you are so right. We are still at curbside pick up for libraries, branches not open. But that's fine, for me. I'm about a 4 minute drive from the branch so it's easy peasy. I've done the pick up twice so far and there are a couple more books on their way.

It's just brutally hot here today. I was out very early to water the gardens but have no plans to put a toe out the door for the rest of the day. The gas company is in the complex, replacing gas lines. I feel for those poor guys, working outdoors in this heat. The foreman told me they may quit early today because it's truly just too hot out there. I was going to offer them cold water to drink but I saw that they all had their own drinks with them. I am sure they have coolers in their trucks.

The mask video was a good one, Shelley. I don't usually wear one but I know we are supposed to on public transit (although I took a look at the passengers on a small transit bus the other morning and didn't see any masks. Maybe the driver had one on. I couldn't see him/her.) I anticipate taking the Skytrain next week when the Vancouver Library opens up to pick up holds and take back the library books we have had at home since March. I'll wear a mask then.

I, for one, would like some heat to complain about. It feels like October (our October, the soggy one.)

I liked the Curious Minds sessions from Hot Docs but got sidetracked and haven't finished them. I have the last two to do and hope that they are still available to me when I have some time to see them.

My local doc cinema is now streaming films at home and I just purchased a ticket to this one. Steaming through Hot Docs is only available in Canada but I'm sure the film itself must be available to those in the States if you look around for it. I have so admired this great man and have read his 3-book graphic memoir, March I, II, and III.

This is doc called John Lewis: Good Trouble

Scroll down to read the blurb, and once to the right to watch a trailer.

>66 jessibud2: Hurray for the Van Gogh exhibit! It sounds like it should be social-distancing safe. Crossing fingers for you.

Sorry your flowers are sagging in the sun. And that your basement is under attack again. : (

>88 jessibud2: Love the bird bath.

>118 jessibud2: Nice to have another link to films.

Happy Thursday! Stay well. : )

>107 jessibud2: Masks have been mandatory in Illinois since May 1 (and strongly encouraged since mid-April). Until about this past week, I'd say about 90% of the time people were complying. This week with all the heat, compliance is less, but still pretty good. Case numbers in our state immediately started dropping after the order went into place May 1.

I really don't get people complaining about their rights. Can they walk into a shop without shoes?? without clothes??

Remember those signs:

No shoes
No shirt
No service

Just add No Mask.

Sheesh--so simple, and we could stop this thing dead in its tracks.

For fans of The Far Side, he's baaack!

https://www.thefarside.com/new-stuff/

>121 jessibud2: YAAAY!!

Oh that middle one with the aliens got a chuckle from me!

>121 jessibud2: I've missed The Far Side! Nice to see that he is back.

Agreed, Richard, Jim, and Deb! :-)

I just finished watching a new documentary film on John Lewis, the civil rights leader and activist. Such a powerful and positive film. Wonderfully combining film footage from his early years (some of which he, himself, had not seen before), with recent and current clips of speeches, Lewis looks back, reflects, and most importantly, looks forward. How this man, after all that he has been through, and especially with what is currently going on in his country, how he can remain so positive, is nothing short of inspirational.

John Lewis: Good Trouble (scroll once to the right to watch the trailer).

My favourite part (not shown in this trailer preview), was a clip that went viral of him doing a happy dance. It was delightful and charming and hilarious!

If you can find this film to watch, to stream, whatever, I highly recommend it. It's the antidote to the pessimism and the poison that is permeating the United States today. I wish I could share his optimism but it felt good and right and necessary to see and listen to this man right now.

Has anyone seen this yet? Swan Lake Ballet as you have never seen it before. Covid version. Pretty magnificent. Read the credits at the end.

https://www.dancespirit.com/swan-lake-bath-ballet-2646365164.html?rebelltitem=3#...

Yes - my brother sent it to me! Amazing!

So many clickable things on your thread, Shelley, and all good!

I just got back from my library pick-up appointment. I picked up Tracy Chevalier's new book, A Single Thread. Thanks, Deb, for the recommendation.

Also, check this out. A *different* type of LFL and it's beautiful! https://mymodernmet.com/little-free-library-tree-stump/

Loved that laugh-out-loud moment with your 'Dear July' post.
Been awhile since I visited here, I guess.

Hope you got your photos off your phone.

>130 jessibud2: So pleased that you have picked up A Single New Thread, Shelley! I hope you enjoy it. I've yet to make a library pick up appointment, but I really need to do so, as I am fast running out of books and $$$ to spend on books, not that it is stopping me ;-) I hope the libraries will soon open up a bit more .

Shelley, popped back in to offer my deepest sympathy...
~~~~~~~~~~


~~~ courtesy of Environment Canada.

>132 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb. So far, so good, with the Chevalier book. (no *New* in that title. *New* threads are, as far as I can tell, happen just on LT ;-) My reading will pick up after the weekend. I had also picked up the DVD of Ken Burns' documentary, The Roosevelts a few weeks ago. It's due back on Saturday and it's 7 discs long (14 hours). I had been lazy and yesterday realized that I had better sit down and get watching. I still have 4 discs left to go but in truth, since the library branches aren't open yet to the public, overdue fines have been waived, so I will keep it till I'm done and not lose sleep over the due date. It is good.

>131 SandyAMcPherson:, >133 SandyAMcPherson: - To be honest, Sandy, July has been brutal, weather-wise. I never would have imagined Toronto being in the tropics but this month anyhow, it surely is. It's been 9 weeks to the day since my first sewer backup (mid-May) and there has hardly been any rain at all. The forecast was for rain all day yesterday. In my end of the city, anyhow, we barely got enough to wet the road. It sprinkled but there weren't even any puddles on the road. It's truly awful. I really feel for the farmers. The grass everywhere is yellow/brown. But more than anything, this heat and humidity is the worst. I don't go outside except to water the garden. I have long since stopped wasting water on the grass itself. We did have a bit of a break over the last few days; our highs were only in the high 20sC. My biggest fear is a pwer outage, and then we won't have a/c.

I can't wait for autumn.

Ok, end of rant.

>134 jessibud2:

Our little Amur Maple showed its first red leaves yesterday - could be a sign of an early Fall.

>135 m.belljackson: - I long for that day here. I fear all our leaves will be brown and dead before that happens.

In other news, I bought myself a present today. I rarely buy brand new and even more rarely, hardcover, if I can help it. But I heard that Alex Trebek just wrote his memoir and it is due to hit the stands on July 21. I phoned a local Chapters, to see when they would have it, and the guy said they already did and do I want him to put aside a copy for me? Yes, please! And I got into my car and drove to get it. It was on sale (not sure exactly why, for a brand new book) plus my Plum Rewards Card discount made it an even sweeter present. As an avid Jeopardy fan, I can't even begin to imagine how (or if) the show will carry on without him but so far, he seems to be carrying on and hanging in. Next week's reruns should be really fun: shows from the first 10 years, including the very first show Alex hosted.

By the way, the book is called Alex Trebek The Answer Is...

>136 jessibud2: This is a perfect time to treat yourself, Shelley. Too many anxiety-causing events and a horrible heat wave as well. Enjoy!

Here's another BB for you, which might be available at your library or on Overdrive, even:
I just finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Alix Harrow). It's my best read so far this year. Alix has such an amazing way with words.

>134 jessibud2: Oh dear, Shelley! I guess I am in the ' threads ' here on LT a little too often. I really feel for you in the heat. Dreadful! Enjoy your DVD binge. I've been watching a bit of the Murdoch Murders, and a few other British series in the evenings. I really can't find much on TV, but every now and then , one needs an escape beyond the books. Oh, I am happy to read that you just purchased the new Alex Trebeck book. I've never been an avid fan, but I know many people who are, and I do admire Alex Trebeck. He is dealing so well with his pancreatic cancer. Enjoy! I can think of a friend of mine in Kamloops who will likely be purchasing the book. She and her husband are big fans, as were her parents.

>137 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi Sandy. I have read a lot of buzz about that book and though it has an engaging cover, magical realism isn't my thing, generally speaking. Which is not to say I haven't read or enjoyed it on occasion (one of my all-time favourite reads is Jack Finney's Time and Again and it will likely remain so forever). Maybe if I had no other books calling to me and if I saw it at the library, I'd give it a go but for the moment, I am happy that so many other LTers are loving it. It's great when a book speaks to so many.

>138 vancouverdeb: - There is a lot I didn't know about Alex Trebek, Deb and it's an enjoyable read so far. I will likely finish it today then get back to the many half started books I put aside for this one. I truly hope he can hang on for a good long while yet, despite his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Maybe the covid break will give him a much-needed rest. They have been playing reruns of tournament shows, which has been fun and this week, starting today, should be an especially fun week. They are cracking open the vaults of archived programs and showing highlight shows of the first ten years of this long-running show, including the very first episode hosted by Alex! I can't wait! Just for the fun of following his hairdos and facial hair over the years, ought to be a hoot!

What did you think of the first Jeopardy show that they aired yesterday, Shelley. They had a few bugs to work out, like the signalling buttons.

I hope your weather cools down some soon. We finally have some summer weather here which I'm enjoying.

>139 jessibud2: - Hi Meg. I loved that show yesterday. Alex talked really fast and at a somewhat higher pitch than these days and that made me chuckle a bit, but it could have also been nerves for his first show. I just finished his memoir and he does mention those early shows. Pretty funny.

I was actually able to have my windows open all day today as there was not only a breeze but also a distinct lack of the humidity that has hung over this city for eons. It won't last long but the cross draft was delicious!

Yes, I hope Alex Trebeck can hang on for a long time, despite the stage 4 diagnosis. I'm glad that you are enjoying the book . I'm glad you are enjoying the old shows! I've not watched any.

Unlike Meg, I'm finding the weather too hot for my liking. Hot and humid. Yikes!

>142 vancouverdeb: - This is the first week in as long as I can remember that we have had temps in the 20s, not 30s! (of course, that's without the humidex; with humidex, it feels like low 30s). Still, I am not complaining. I will save that for when it goes back up into the mid to high 30s! ;-p

Shelley, I PVR's today's Canada Reads, thanks to you asking me about it. Ours is on at 4 pm, not really a time I think to watch tv. I'm not sure if / when I'll watch it, but I'll tape the last day on the 23rd and watch that. My husband laughs at me because I refer to PVR-ing as " taping". I guess I'm old school. The idea of temps in the 30's is dreadful, Shelley.

Maybe you have seen this already (if it's made the rounds on FB, then I am probably the last to *discover* it) but I thought it was fun and clever, and it's been awhile since I posted a covid-related parody, so....enjoy:

A group of Canadian Musicians harmonizing a clever parody of Billy Joel's For the Longest Time

https://enchantmentathamilton.org/20200601ForTheLongestTime.mp4

I'm thinking that they must have recorded this before masks became the hot issue or surely there would have been some mention of them. (and don't you love the percussion of the Lysol lid? ;-)

Tomorrow is the big day we've been waiting for: I am going downtown to see the immersive Van Gogh exhibit! First of all, it is supposed to be amazing. It will also be the first time since the first week of March that I will be going on public transit. I am not too worried. Masks are mandatory here and I think most people are sticking to the physical distancing fairly well. The space where the exhibit is being held is massive. Here is a link, though I did link to the Paris one as well, up in post >66 jessibud2:: https://vangoghexhibit.ca/

HI SHelley, Daughter #1 went with her family last weekend and said it was AMAZING, a really big experience, one she will never forget. Enjoy!

the parody is great!
enjoy the exhibit!

Hi Shelley! Just cruisin' through.

My fondest memory of Jeopardy was when our daughter was about 18 months old. All three of us would watch it. Jenna would ignore it and play with her toys except when the theme was playing, then she'd stand up and dance to it.

You reminded me that I want to get my hands on the Alex Trebeck book, Shelley. Seems like a lot of other people do as well and the library doesn't even have it on the shelves yet.

Our weather here is heating up so we'll enjoy some sunny weather before the rain comes back again.

Hi all. I am just dipping in for a few moments. The Van Gogh exhibit was wonderful, though I was disappointed that they didn't include Don McLean's famous song, "Starry Night", as they did in the Paris show. I did take some photos but they will have to wait.

I am currently in Montreal facing the imminent death of a beloved aunt, my mum's sister. I am here to be with my mum and to support my cousin, my aunt's only son who arrived from his home in the States but is in quarantine for 2 weeks. This is most anguishing for him. I arrived on Sunday and was planning to go home Wed but I will be staying longer and not sure how much longer.

I am at a hotel since I am not allowed to stay at my mum's apartment in her senior residence any longer, thank to covid. Many months ago, I had purchased a refurbished laptop to keep at my mum's for my frequent visits. I brought it to the hotel so I could use it in the evenings. For some reason, it won't recognize my mouse at all and I am forced to use that centre pad thingie, which is driving me nuts. I really hate it and keep reaching for the mouse constantly. I NEED my mouse!!

Anyhow, thanks to that too, I am not browsing and cruising the threads nearly as much.

I have books with me, of course, and even stopped at my favourite bookstore here yesterday and bought a couple more. But in truth, I am so wiped out that I am barely reading. It takes an hour to get to my mum's from the hotel (and it's the closest one to her), by public transit and I went to the hospital yesterday, to say goodbye to my aunt (she is in a coma so is basically unresponsive) but I wanted to do that, then back to my mum's, then back here to the hotel. And oh, did I mention that it's 37C with a humidex making it feel like 47C? I am sure I have lost all my extra covid weight just from sweating. My mother's apartment is like a sauna, too, which just makes a bad situation worse (for me; she is *comfortable*). ACK. And we won't even talk about having to wear a mask everywhere. It's a miracle I haven't been asphyxiated yet by lack of air.

I also did something else uncharacteristic of me today. I was one block away from the hotel around 6:30, walking from the subway and some yahoo in a pickup truck with a trailer attached at the back, turned into the gas station. I was walking on the sidewalk and just in the nick of time, noticed he was backing up. No back-up beeps, no horn, he didn't even look. I jumped back in the nick of time and once he pulled into the gas pump station he wanted and stopped, I yelled at him, asking if he always backs up without looking. I was plenty mad and tired and hot and frankly, didn't give a damn. He unleashed a string out foul language at me, and I told him where to go. I never do that. Really. In my head, for sure but never out loud. Except I did today. Just had enough.

And on that cheery note, I will try to go read another chapter. Maybe a page, in reality, before I fall asleep.

Oh my! Sounds like you just reached the end of your tether, and no wonder. I hope things settle down for you there.

>151 jessibud2:

Your scorching mask may have protected you from Pickup Truck Man returning to look for you!

I'm so sorry to hear of the imminent death of your aunt, Shelley. That heat is dreadful. I hope the hotel is decent and relaxing. Dave had a similar incident to you yesterday . He was out walking the dog around 10:30 am on a quiet street. Along came a white panel van, and the dad let out a kid to pick figs from a tree in the neighbourhood ( not their property ) . Dave said he just was walking the dog and the man let out a string of profanity at Dave, apparently thinking that Dave disapproved of the activity. In fact, Dave said he was not paying attention. I think it quite startled Dave, but he said he just kept walking the dog and did not want to tangle with the nut job in the panel van. He was sad for the kid that had such a dad.

Take care and hugs, Shelley.

Sorry to hear about your aunt, your situation and the heat, Shelley. My mouse didn't work when I was in a hotel in New York. I even went and bought new batteries. Nada. It worked fine when I got my laptop home.

Sorry to hear about your Aunt, and your stress and frustrations!
Hope Montreal cools down for a few days while you are there!

I am sorry you have to deal with all that at once Shelley. Wishing you strength and hoping it will cool down a bit. And your poor nephew!

Thanks, for the update, Shelley. Good to hear from you. We are just sorry you are going through a difficult time. Sorry about your aunt. Gentle ((HUG)) from us all.

Difficult and frustrating times you are dealing with Shelley and far from home which doesn't make it any easier. Hang in there! It sure seems that people's boiling point is so close to the surface these days.

Thanks, Roni, Marianne, Deb, Meg, Chelle, Ella, Mark, Mary. Your kind words are much appreciated.

My aunt passed away last Monday but the funeral wasn't until just this past Sunday as my cousin only finished his quarantine on Saturday. Funerals here are graveside service only, limited to only 25 in attendance, all masked and 6 feet apart, thanks to covid. It rained throughout, which seemed fitting, I suppose, to the overall mood. The 25 number was difficult, too, given that the family is large but it was what it was. I didn't see any cop counting heads. My mum held up better than I had expected but I do worry about her once I go home tomorrow.

Yesterday, my cousin and I began the grim task of clearing out the apartment. We bagged up a lot of clothing, linen, etc to donate and we will go drop those bags off today. The big problem will be the furniture. A lot of places that might once have welcomed such donations are on hold for the moment, thanks again to covid. This virus just sucks on so very many levels. I will continue to make phone calls today in the hope of finding a place that will accept and hopefully even arrange for pickup since we are unable to deliver furniture ourselves. I leave tomorrow to return home and then my cousin will be on his own to deal with the paperwork end of his mother's affairs. When we are busy, we are fine. It's when we take breaks and *relax*, that it's hardest. I guess we are all at that age when this *activity* is facing us all and becoming something to add to our experience of life. Big sigh...

I did read and finish Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. I know it got a lot of buzz and it was a very interesting read, but, typical for me, I guess, I have a different take on it from the masses. I do like generational stories, I love when a book has a family tree or map type of visual at the beginning that I can refer back to, to keep track of who's who. But what I got most out of this book was a confirmation or reinforcement of what I already knew: I am not a fan of short stories. Now, before you tell me that this was a novel and not a book of short stories, I know that. But it felt like it to me. When I read, I like to get to know the characters, I like to immerse myself in their lives. With each character, on both sides of the family tree, I always felt that just as I was getting to know them, their story ended and the next one began, with barely any reference back to them at all, going forward. I felt cheated somehow; I wanted more. Maybe that's a sign of good writing but it just didn't feel satisfying for me. Oh well, c'est la vie.

I am now reading The Wine Lover's Daughter, a memoir by Anne Fadiman of her father. I have always loved her writing and while I am not a fan or knowledgeable about wine, I am enjoying this book.

Did I mention that during my week here I have purchased 6 books? Just because I needed a break and my 2 favourite bookstores are both open for business. Not that I needed an excuse, of course...

Ok, over and out till I get back to Toronto.

>160 jessibud2:

Hope that your journey home was smooth.

Good that you and your cousin had each other for comfort and hope he does well.

Peace to you both.

I am sorry to hear about your aunt's passing.The clearing out of possessions is a very difficult task. I am sure that your cousin really appreciated your help.

Hi Shelley,
Sending sympathy for the loss of your aunt as well as all the attendant trials and tribulations dealing with the estate. I suspect your cousin was relieved to have some help and support for this difficult chore.

Montréal is hard to sell off/donate large items in a hurry, in case my comment helps you know "it isn't just the pandemic". My daughter and SIL had a short window of time to move from Montréal (near Avenue Papineau/Parc La Fontaine) when an out-of-province job offer materialised.

In the end, they had the heavy/no-takers furniture set curbside with a Craigslist and Kijiji message in the free section. All the items were gone within 24 hours. That was some 10 years ago, though so I don't know how that would work these days.

All best wishes. I hope your return to Toronto is not too trying. I see it is 84% humidity this afternoon.

Just catching up.

Glad to hear the the exhibit was a success.

I am sorry to hear about your aunt. Have a safe trip home.

Hi Shelley!

My deepest sympathy on the death of your beloved aunt.

Sorry to read about the death of your beloved aunt, Shelly, my condolences.
The covid pandemic makes everything harder these days. We had to clear out an appartment three times now (Franks mother, his father and his childless aunt) and it is a sad thing to do. I hope you and your cousin find a place that will accept the furniture.

((((hugs))))

>162 m.belljackson:, >163 torontoc:, >164 SandyAMcPherson:, >165 figsfromthistle:, >166 karenmarie:, >167 FAMeulstee: - Thanks, Marianne, Cyrel, Sandy, Anita, Karen, and Anita.

The first day after the funeral, when we began the task of clearing out, was the hardest. Quite a few tears but also some laughter and that helped. My mum is doing better than I had expected so we shall see how that goes. I got home Wednesday afternoon, needed yesterday to decompress.

Among the things we found were 2 books that I took home with me. These were real treasures and I had such a good laugh at them. My mum is less than 2 years younger than her sister and more opposite personalities you won't find anywhere but they have always been close. And in one of the books, was a gem of how playful they were.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier, pub. 1936 (touchstone refuses to work for this title, don't know why)

Inscribed:

TO - (my aunt's name)
FROM - your sister, (my mum's name)
DATE - May, 1950
REASON - The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup from the New York Rangers (in the second period overtime in the seventh game of the finals)

I lost the bet.

(my mum's signature).

This would all be funny enough, that the 2 sisters had this hockey bet going and were that goofy. 1950 was before either of them got married, too. But the clincher is, that that whole thing is written as if by my mother to her sister. Yet, it is all in my aunt's handwriting, NOT my mother's! I find that hilarious!. My mother had the whole set of Daphne du Maurier books on our shelves when I was growing up (well, minus one, I guess) yet for some reason, I never read them. No idea why not. And oddly enough, I was just thinking about them recently and wondering where they were. I think I will read this one soon, though. Just because.

There was another book we found among my aunt's things, also belonging to my mother. It was a music book, called The Silver Book of Songs For All Grades by Gordon V. Thompson, copyright 1935-38 (not showing up in the 3 touchstone offerings). It is a book of songs with musical score and lyrics. A lot of them. My mother was practising her cursive writing by scrawling her name all over the inside of the front page. Why and how this particular book survived all these years is the real mystery; my mother could never carry a tune to save her life and neither sister was musically inclined in any way. I hardly think there was any sentimental attachment to this one.... we will never know. I showed it to my mum and she didn't even recognize it. Oh well...

My cousin also removed a ton of photos from frames. He will ship the photos home but refuses to take the frames. There were photos behind photos behind photos. Some real gems among them. But he texted me a copy of one that had an odd inscription on the back: "When I die, this picture goes to Shelley - B.L."

Not only is it a picture that I don't ever remember seeing before (it looks sort of like a Whistler's mother type of thing with an old lady, in bonnet and on a rocking chair, knitting; not to my taste at all!) but we are trying to figure out who BL might be. We had some old relatives, my grandmother's generation, with those initials but I wouldn't recognize their handwriting. My cousin also suggested perhaps Bob Lemon, former manager of the NY Yankees. I said I thought it looked like a woman's handwriting so that ruled out Bob and one of the other relatives. My cousin is a funny guy and it's good to see his sense of humour intact in spite of everything. Sigh...

Wow, these are some great stories. I love the hockey bet!

Sorry to hear about your Aunt Shelley. Sounds like a challenging time in Montreal but very good to hear that your mom is doing well. Nice that you found some book treasures. Good idea to decompress!

>168 jessibud2: Ha! That's priceless. I am glad there's been a leavening of humor in this unfun passage.

Thanks, Jim, Mary and Richard. Yes, it was healing, I think, to share memories with my mum, and cousins (my cousin, aunt's son, and an older first cousin of my mum and aunt's, who lives nearby, also in her 80s but much healthier and mentally more with it than my mum or her sister). I told my brother that our mum better hang on at least until the end of covid as this is not an adventure I care to repeat any time soon, and certainly not alone. He lives in Vermont and would also have to quarantine for 2 weeks if he crossed the border into Canada.

Sorry for the loss of your aunt, Shelley. I'm glad that the clearing out your aunt apartment proved to be healing and that your mom is doing better than you expected. I'm happy that you found some new books and have some time to just relax. (((hugs))))

>168 jessibud2: These are wonderful stories and memories. I'm so glad to hear your cousin was there to share.

My Mom had several Daphne du Maurier novels but I don't think I ever read any of them.
I saw a movie long ago that I think was based on Rebecca. Not a very comfortable film to watch.

((((Shelley)))) Glad you are safely home and decompressing!

Thanks, Deb, Sandy and Roni. Sandy, I think the film you are referring to starred Joanne Woodward, if I am not mistaken. I think it also had a different title though I am blanking right now as to what it was. I saw it but don't remember much - these old memory cells again!

Just catching up with some threads here on LT. I was so sad to learn of the loss of your dear aunt. What a difficult time that must have been for you, your mum, and your cousin. I'm glad you're back home now, and I hope the coming days will be cooler and less dramatic.

>176 jessibud2: It was this movie.

The spousal unit found it on our library history (check-out title history)! I remember to use that info when I forget a book title, but it never dawns on me to look up DVDs there.
Our library has a 'film classics' section, which we greatly enjoy.

For ease of getting a link, I looked it up on IMDb.

>177 SqueakyChu: - Thanks, Madeline. My cousin flies home tomorrow, from Montreal to his home in Alabama. He is amazing and a very calm, compassionate person. He got quite a lot accomplished, managed to donate all of his mum's furniture to organizations that donate to and help the underprivileged and/or immigrants. Both of us felt strongly that we wanted something like that and it took a bit of digging to find ones who would pick up. But we did so he leaves with a sense of accomplishment about that, if a heavy heart from everything else. He has spent the last few days with my mother, so that was good for her too.

>178 SandyAMcPherson: - Thanks, Sandy. That's not the one I was thinking of, with Joanne Woodward. Maybe some day I will remember what that was. It was also from a book (I thought by Daphne du Maurier but maybe not) and she played a teacher. That's all I remember about it.

Ok, I just googled. It was Rachel, Rachel and the author of the book it was adapted from was by Margaret Laurence, of all people! Who knew? Well, I knew it was a girl's name, lol. And I see now, with the touchstones, that Laurence's book was originally titled A Jest of God. So maybe my memory cells are just rusty, not gone altogether. I probably read it too, as I have read several of Laurence's books, many moons ago, BLT (before Library Thing).

>179 jessibud2: I've never watched Rachel, Rachel, but I have read A Jest of God. I too have read several of Margaret Laurence's books, but they were during my LT time :-)

So sorry about the loss of your Aunt. It sounds like your family has been supporting one another, and that is a wonderful thing.

I did like Homegoing, but it is pretty much a series of short stories, so your take makes sense.

>180 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb. Ok, so I just googled. I thought I had read more titles by Laurence but apparently not. I read A Jest of God, The Diviners (of course!), The Stone Angel and I want to say also The Fire-Dwellers but it just looks and sounds familiar though I have no real memory of it. I didn't realize she had written so many.

>181 banjo123: - Thanks, Rhonda. We are a pretty tight knit family. My grandmother lived with my aunt, uncle and cousin all their lives and they were only a few blocks away from where we lived, growing up. They were also the only other house, besides my own, that I could walk into without ringing the doorbell (and vice versa). I was the first grandchild, my brother is 4 years younger and my cousin, 8 years younger than me. I have always been closer to my cousin than my brother, so there is that. Anyhow, with my aunt's passing, it feels like the end of an era, at least until my mum is gone. She is already 86 and has dementia, and lymphoma, so we know it is in the nearer rather than distant future but I do hope she hangs on at least until covid subsides enough to allow for more frequent visits. It's really hard when both her kids live so far away. My brother, in Vermont, used to be able to drive up on a weekend afternoon for a few hours to visit and drive home (3 hours, each way) the same day. If he tried now, he'd have to quarantine for 2 weeks, as my cousin did. I understand the need for that (and the border closing) and I even agree, but when it affects us so directly, it's a pain in the ass.

Happy Sunday, Shelley. Glad to see you posting. You seem to be upbeat, despite all the difficulties you have gone through. Hugs to my pal.

I am going to try to add a photo. My brother put together this collage of my mum and her sister: childhood - I am guessing circa around the late 1930s, middle age - their mid-60s I think - and old age (last year, at the assisted living place where they live. My mum is 86 now and her sister was 88). My mum is on the left in all the photos.

>184 jessibud2: Lovely, Shelley. xx

>184 jessibud2: Two close and loving sisters, beautiful pictures.

>179 jessibud2: The ironic good thing about funerals is that occasionally they bring family closer together in some ways. I'm glad you, your mum, and cousin were together to support each other. Please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your aunt. A special aunt is very precious indeed.

>184 jessibud2: Beautiful, heart-warming pictures of the sisters.

Beautiful photos!

>184 jessibud2: What a memorable set of images. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Shelley!

>184 jessibud2: Those are wonderful photos, and thank you for posting them.

Thanks, Mark, Paul, Ella, Madeline, Cyrel, Sandy and Karen. They are special.

>184 jessibud2: I'm still in awe that there are sisters in this world who liked each other at all, still less for 60-plus years!

Thanks, Richard. They did. And it was 80-plus years!

Lovely photos, Shelley!

Thanks, Roni.

2 quick reviews of library books:

YUGE! - from his preface, Garry Trudeau: "His message, conveyed through the tabloids, boiled down to this: Get off my cloud, losers. Which is not, of course, how satire works. The target, having set himself up, doesn't get a say over the incoming. Besides, Trump had already become the gold standard for big, honking hubris, and to ignore him would have been comedy malpractice. In New York City, he practically owned the '80s, rocketing to the top as the Big Apple's loudest and most visible asshole...To those of us in the industry, the man Spy dubbed *a short-fingered vulgarian* was a gift beyond imagining, and we made him a permanent part of our business plan....You can't make this stuff up so why try? Some people feel that Trump is beyond satire, but we professionals know he is satire, pure and uncut, free for all to use and enjoy, and for that we are not ungrateful. For our country, though, we can only weep. - April 14, 2016.

the cartoons in this book span the 1980s, to 2016.

#SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump The follow-up to Yuge!. Let me say off the top that not being American, I never followed the Doonesbury comic strip. I always thought it was too American politics-centric and I wasn't familiar enough with the politicians or issues to *get it*. Plus, I didn't even live in North America for most of the 70s. I borrowed these 2 books from the library in order to indulge in a little schadenfreude, a little glee that someone far more intelligent than I am, is mocking t-Rump, which he so richly deserves.

This book uses the same format as the previous one, printing the strips and printing the dates they first appeared beneath the strip. What I noticed, and found confusing was, that in this book, they were all out of order, if you look at the dates. Maybe it didn't matter but then why bother with dates? I mostly skimmed this one as I found I enjoyed YUGE! better. From the blurb on the inside cover: "Citizens who rise every morning in dread, braced for disruptive, Randomly Capitalized, atrociously grammarized, horrably speld, toxic tweeting from the Oval Office, can curl up at night with this clarifying collection of hot takes on the First Sociopath, his enablers, and their appalling legacy. Whether resisting or just persisting, readers will find GB Trudeaus cartoons are just the thing to ease the pain of remorse ("Could I have done more to prevent this?") and give them a shot at a few hours of unfitful sleep."

Hi, Shelley.

Sorry you've had such a rough stretch. Condolences on your aunt passing. I'm glad there've been some humorous moments. The Jamaica Inn hockey bet story is great. I hadn't read Daphne Du Maurier when young, but after liking Rebecca a lot more recently, I read Jamaica Inn, and it's another good one.

Good reviews of the satirical library books. It reminded me of a recent FB post from Joe Biden: "I promise you'll never have to worry about my tweeting." Ha! What a relief that will be, if he wins (please the gods, let him win).

>197 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe. Condolences seem to be going around these days. May this be the end of them, for us all!

Thanks for the nudge for Jamaica Inn. I do plan to get to it sooner rather than later but I have a few others lined up first that I want to get to. I am on the library list for Trudeau's latest in his t-Rump series, called LEWSER! but it's *on order* so no copies even in the system yet. I am also number 944 out of 1634 requests for the 130 copies of Mary Trump's book. I guess that one might take awhile. With any luck, maybe he will be gone by then!

The Wine Lover's Daughter

I have read and loved 2 other titles by Anne Fadiman (Ex Libris and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down) and this one didn't disappoint. This is her loving and sometimes irreverent memoir of her father, Clifton Fadiman, who, in his day, was a literary critic, editor, lover of words, radio host and wine connoisseur. To say the least.

Though she grew up with an encyclopedic knowledge of wines, names of wines, vintages, origins, etc, daughter Anne had felt all her life as if she somehow was letting her father down because her own little secret was: she wasn't very fond of wine herself. How could this be, she wondered. It wasn't until mid-life that she was stunned to discover, through deep and diligent homework and scientific testing, that she was a *supertaster*, genetically disinclined to like the taste of wine. This is related to the same thing that makes some people sensitive to the taste of cilantro, among other foods. Interesting, and a huge relief for Anne. For the record, I myself don't like, and know very little about wine, but that truly did not deter my reading this book nor did it make it any less enjoyable.

The writing is wonderful, filled with love, anecdotes, insights and surprises, as one might expect of Fadiman, and offers a lovely glimpse into this renowned family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went to Costco this afternoon to pick up a prescription. I came home with my prescription. And 2 books: The Woman Before Wallis and The Book of Lost Names. Big surprise, I know.

>184 jessibud2: Lovely photo's of your mom and aunt. What beautiful women. I'm glad you can find some comfort during your loss.

I've looked at The Wine Lover's Daughter, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. It might be for me in the future. I think that I might also look into The Woman Before Wallis. I"m glad you had a nice outing to Costco today.

>200 vancouverdeb: - Thanks, Deb. I am about to finish A Single Thread tonight. I have to say, it was only mediocre for me. I have read many titles by Tracy Chevalier and some I have LOVED while others were meh. This one falls into that last category for me. Still, I will pretty much give anything she has written a try because I know she can write and the good ones were excellent!

I love my Hot Docs documentary theatre. Since covid, they have transitioned to online really well. And membership is more than paying off. Not only have I been able to watch some wonderful docs over the last few months, from the comfort of my computer, but each month, they are offering freebies for members. From films to panel discussions to author talks with Q&A. I just spent the last half hour or so purchasing tickets to 2 films and signing up for 4 or 5 others (freebies). I can't wait to get to this one:

https://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=129124~fff311b7-cd...;

I also have the book, Time Was Soft There and hope to squeeze it in this month for the NF Challenge (books about books, bookstores, libraries, words and language).

There is also an author talk with Emma Donoghue about her new book which I hope to get to soon:
https://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=126950~fff311b7-cd...;

I can add links to the others I have signed up for as I see them and can comment. I love Hot Docs!

Thanks for the review of The Wine Lover's Daughter. I read The Spirit Catches You which of course is fabulous, but hadn't thought of reading anything else by her.

Shelley such wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing!

>201 jessibud2: A Single Thread is the first and only book I've read by Tracy Chevalier. I might have to look into some of her other titles, Shelley. It was a " quiet book " where not a lot happens, but it worked out okay for me. Sorry it was meh for you. You'll have to tell me what titles you enjoyed by the author.

>203 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda. Fadiman's other books are not early as big as The Spirit Catches You and are definitely worth reading. She is a gifted writer.

>204 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary.

>205 vancouverdeb: - My favourites by Tracy Chevalier, Deb, are: Girl with the Pearl Earring, Remarkable Creatures, The Lady and the Unicorn, The Last Runaway. I read but wasn't not so impressed with At The Edge of the Orchard and I couldn't get into (and abandoned) Falling Angels and The Virgin Blue. I own but have not yet read New Boy.

That about covers it. lol

Great photos of your mum and aunt, Shelley. I'm glad to see you made it back home with your sense of humour intact. I've been eyeing The Woman Before Wallis from afar. Was this woman, Marguerite, sometimes called Maggie Millar? If so, I am currently reading The Prince, The Princess and the Perfect Murder which is also about her and I see it is by the same author. I wonder if it is the same book with a new title?

>206 jessibud2: I liked that you've read quite a number of Tracy Chevalier's books and rated them so candidly.

I like her writing but haven't prioritised reading more titles. My favourite is Remarkable Creatures.
I wasn't drawn into Girl with the Pearl Earring and I can't remember if I finished it (I wasn't on LT back then).

Falling Angels was okay for me, but I'd not re-read it.
I have been meaning to borrow The Lady and the Unicorn. It was on my WL for awhile at the library but I lost the list when they revamped their website!! Now I know better to rely on *that* for keeping track of WL and reading history.

I really need to get off this computer and grab some zzzz's !

All of the political news today. Personally I like Trudeau, but of course he's not perfect. I also like Jagmeet Singh. I'm just not a conservative. And the Conservatives are leaderless as of now, though no one that they could put in would ever get my vote. I'm not thrilled that he prorogued parliament today. I loathed it when Harper did that. A way of escaping problems and being non - accountable to the public.

Thanks for the Tracy Chevalier info.

>209 vancouverdeb: - I agree, Deb. I also like Singh, the little I know of him. He is young and he seems sincere. I would give him a chance. I also agree with you 100% re the Conservatives. As for the proroguing, I am just disappointed in Trudeau. I also think he is delusional if he thinks he can prorogue now and expect any sort of vote of confidence in September. Still, with all the mess we have, it could be worse. It could be t-Rump.

Shelley thank you for the hot tip of the Crummey CBC interview. i listened and it was perfect!

Dropping in to say hello:)

Ah Canadian politics......deceptively simple. Singh (NDP leader) seems to be quite articulate. I was a little disappointed that he seems to have hidden away during the pandemic. I would have liked to hear more about his ideas/ strategies to get thorough the next stages. Trudeau also disappointed me as well. His move to prorogue parliament left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Anyhow, enjoy the rest of the week!

>211 mdoris: - I am happy that you enjoyed it, Mary. I love that program, as it is devoted to Canadian writers and their writing. And even wen I don't read the book, I often love the author interviews

>212 figsfromthistle: - Hi Anita. Singh does seem articulate to me and I think he has potential in the national forum. But right now I think he is still young and inexperienced. Hopefully, he will grow into the role. And yes, I also wondered where he was, why his voice wasn't being heard over the past few months. I guess between Trudeau and Shear, it was hard for him to get a word in!

An interesting article in the Thriftbooks newsletter about literary families. I wish it had been longer as I'm sure there must be many.

Literary Kinship

"Prorogue Parliament"? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Parliament already made up of professional rogues, ie politicians?

>215 richardderus: Richard, very good point!

>215 richardderus: - More like rogue *professionals*.... ;-p

Ha, I always wondered where they got the word prorogued from.

>218 Familyhistorian: Im pro rogues but don't put the blighters in Parliament.

Hi Shelley!

>196 jessibud2: I need to get back to #SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump. If you put in the whole title within touchstones #SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump the touchstone works. So. Where did you live in the 70s that wasn’t North America? Enquiring minds, and all that.

Interesting times in Canadian politics - I know next to nothing but just did a duckduckgo search of 'prorogue parliament' and now I understand the result, if not the reasoning and strategy.

>218 Familyhistorian: - ;-)

>219 PaulCranswick: - I agree!!

>220 karenmarie: - Lewser is in transit to me now from the library. I expect to get the pickup notice this week sometime. And thanks for the touchstone tip. Done and fixed! As for where I was, I lived in Israel for 6 and a half years after college and before starting university. The original intention was one year but, life, ya know... So, I didn't start first year university until I was 27 and though it was weird, looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. I also spent another year in the 80s living in Germany and Virginia. But that didn't work out (yes, a man was involved) and have been back here in Toronto ever since. No plans to move again. Ever.

As for politics, it may not be as deranged as the current scene in the USA, but we have our idiocies here too. One of the radio programs played an audio clip the other day of Trudeau criticizing Stephen Harper (former Prime Minister) about HIS proroguing of parliament just a few years ago. And of course, Trudeau just did the exact same thing he criticized. It was rather embarrassing to hear (at least, it ought to be, for Trudeau). Whatever. As of last night, we also have a new leader of the Conservative party. A man named Erin O'Toole. Yes, a male named ERIN, spelled like the female spelling of the name. I know nothing about him but given as I am not a fan of Conservatives at the best of times, I can only hope he is better than the jerk they just got rid of. Oh, and for the record, it was members of the party who elected him, not the common voters. And there were *problems* with the machinery counting the ballots, apparently, so the final results weren't known until the early hours of the morning. Ha. ;-p

>219 PaulCranswick: :-)

>221 jessibud2: They're always doing that, Shelley, calling the party in power out for something when they are in opposition and then doing the exact same thing when they get voted in. I'm sure that always happened but in these days when so much gets recorded it's easier to find clips of what was said when they were in opposition.

I've missed a couple threads, Shelley, and I won't be able to completely "catch up," but wanted to visit and skim through.

>206 jessibud2: I didn't realize Chevalier had that many published works! I read (years ago) and loved The Girl with the Pearl Earring but haven't read any others. Noting your favorites list for my nascent "retirement reading" list.

The Wine Lover's Daughter sounds really interesting. I also loved Ex Libris and I do love wine. This different perspective on the experience of the libation sounds right up my alley. Adding that to the list, as well. :-)

>222 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg. You are right. It's the game of politicians, isn't it? I don't know why it surprises me. Maybe I should just lower my expectations.

>223 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen. Good to see you making the rounds again. Hope your rehab is moving along in the right direction.
Chevalier is one of my favourites but I did find some of her titles a bit more miss than hit. That won't keep me from trying anything new from her, though. And I do recommend Anne Fadiman's memoir. I think you'll enjoy it. She hasn't disappointed me yet.

I guess I am due for a lightning round or something.

Other Goose - subtitled *Recycled Rhymes for our Fragile Times* - Barbara Wyn Klunder - published in 2007, these *alternate* and slightly subversive nursery rhymes, with their focus on environment and other modern day issues, are eerily relevant today. Here are a few examples:

Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight.
I wish the air
Was nice and clear
So I could see you every night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to her cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone.

But when she got there
The cupboard was bare...
So the food bank gave her a loan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(and for some reason, this one reminded me of a certain American leader who shall not be named)

There was a crooked man
Who walked a crooked a mile.
Whenever he could rip you off
He smiled a crooked smile.

He owned a crooked dealership
And tricked whoever bought.
He gained a crooked leadership
And never did get caught.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ready For a Brand New Beat- Mark Kurlansky

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. Kurlansky does more than dissect the popular song of the 60s, he places it in the social and cultural context of one year - 1964 - and what was going on in the United States and the world at that time. The book opens with the lyrics written out - and of course you know that I had to google to watch and listen to Martha and The Vandellas perform it, just to get in the mood. Each chapter is titled with a line from the song. Kurlansky gives a history of the people behind Motown and how it grew into the success that it became (as well as its decline and betrayals), as well as a bit of personal history of some of the major players in its story, just enough to keep it interesting without descending into a gossipy tell-all. He also does a deft job of weaving in the political issues of the day: Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, the politicians and political hot potatoes of the time. And how all of it circled back to the music, and specifically, to this song. Originally intended as an upbeat party song, it somehow morphed into an activist anthem.

Published in 2013, it wasn't lost on me how the more things change, the more they stay the same. In many ways, we are still dealing with these same political, social, and racial hot potatoes, just the jargon and slogans have changed, not much else. Sigh...

* Dancing in the Street

You're welcome. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Girl Who Came Home - Hazel Gaynor

A few years ago I loved another title by this author and was eager to dive into this tale of The Titanic. Based on true events, this is the story of a group of young people from a small Irish village who make the maiden voyage of this majestic ship to start a new life in the United States in April of 1912. The story centres on one 17-year old, Maggie Murphy, one of the survivors, and unfolds through her personal journal from the time she leaves her village, and through the voyage itself. Each section of the book begins with a copy of a real *Marconigram* transmitted from the Titanic and the Carpathia (the rescue ship), according to the author, who researched extensively for this novel. Interspersed through the book is the 1982 story of Maggie's great-granddaughter and how Maggie's story, kept secret from her family for all these years, comes to light and comes full circle. I also enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book and she also provides some links to the real people and their story, who first sparked her interest in writing this novel. It was an engaging read and I will seek out more from Hazel Gaynor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These 2 books were the perfect travel material for me as I spent the last week in Montreal again. I still have 5 other books half started that I hope to finish up before beginning something new. Hope, being the operative word.

>225 jessibud2: The Girl Who Came Home sounds really interesting.

I agree with Rhonda: The Girl Who Came Home is going on the wish list.

>226 banjo123:, >227 EBT1002: - One word of advice: don't read the LT reviews on the review page. I just did that and noticed some spoilers. The reviewers should have flagged them as such, I think, but having just finished the book, I think it's a pity that some details are revealed in a review. I quite enjoyed the surprise of them myself, near the end.

>225 jessibud2: The Kurlansky book sounds like fun. I am old enough to have the soundtrack of the song embedded in memory, but I knew nothing of the background.

>229 EllaTim: - Me too, Ella. Did you click the link I provided? ;-)

Oh, I like Mark Kurlansky's work!

>225 jessibud2: The Girl Who Came Home is going on my wish list, too. Thanks for the heads-up warning at #228 about the review spoilers.

>225 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, somehow I lost your thread. Glad you had some good reading for your trip to Montreal. Will gallop through your thread and catch up in the next couple of days.

Hi Cyrel, Sandy, Caroline. It was a good read. I also read and greatly enjoyed another title by Hazel Gaynor, called A Memory of Violets, about the *flowers girls* of London (think Eliza Doolittle). I knew next to nothing about that era and learned a great deal. The book was also extensively researched and based on true events. I really do love well-written and well-researched historical fiction.

I also really want to get my paws on Hamnet and Judith. I am waiting in line for my turn to come up at the library but I may cave before then. I listened to a wonderful interview with Maggie O'Farrell this afternoon on the radio. For those of you have already it, you will probably enjoy it even more than I did. I now also want to read her previous book, I Am, I Am, I Am.

Here is the interview: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/writersandcompany/how-the-tragic-story-of-shakespeare-s...

>230 jessibud2: I'm at the allotment right now, so no visits to youtube, i don't have access to wifi here.

The other day i saw a documentary about Jane Fonda. Of course i knew the Barbarella image and the fitness videos. But I knew nothing about her political views, her background, the rest of her life. I thought it very interesting to have the picture completed about someone I was familiar with.

>236 EllaTim: - Sounds good. Do you recall what the name of the documentary was? I did know about her but that's probably because she is in North America and her activism was hard to avoid, lol! She is over 80 now and still getting arrested for activism!

>228 jessibud2: Thanks for that heads up, Shelley. I tend to read reviews only when I'm struggling with a book some -- then I will look for a review in The Guardian or NYRB or something to help me get situated with the narrative or whatever it is I'm struggling with. But it's good to know that this book has some surprises for by which I want to be, well, surprised! :-)

I need to read more by Maggie O'Farrell.

Ellen, see my post above, at >235 jessibud2:. You will definitely enjoy the interview! I did and I haven't even read anything by her yet!

The new, covid-era Jeopardy begins tonight. I will not answer my phone between 7:30 and 8 pm. Can't wait. :-)

Stopping by your thread today to say hi. Miss you bunches. If this were a different time than the parallel surreal universe we’re now living in, Jose and I would just hop into our car to visit you.

Beside COVID-19 closing our borders, Americans being banned from visiting many counties, our need to stay home due to being high risk because of age and medical condition, our parked car was hit by a trash truck and is now in the shop. I also developed sudden onset debilitating tinnitus and am waiting for new hearing aids. My vision has deteriorated to the point I don’t feel comfortable driving, and our sky has developed a sheet-like light gray apocalyptic color (no doubt from the west coast forest fires that Dump says is from poor forest management) although the weather forecast says sunny for today.

I’m so tired of the apocalypse we’re living. Hope your mom is doing okay. Best wishes for a sweet New Year. May you be blessed with good health, no drama, the beauty of nature, and eventually with real hugs from family and friends.

Hope to see you again in better times.

>241 SqueakyChu: - Hi Madeline. How I wish it were different times! But let's hope and believe those times will return one day.
I am so sorry to hear of your health issues. I have been lucky with my tinnitus as I only ever really notice it at night. Maybe I am just used to it, having had it since childhood. The vision issues are scary, though. I am glad that you have Jose so you are not alone having to deal with all of this. And yikes about the car. I hope the city (or whoever owns that garbage truck) is footing the bill. What is wrong with those people? It's hard to *not see* a parked car....

My mum is doing as well as can be expected, all things considered. I just got home from a week in Montreal. Only my second visit since covid and I have to now stay at a hotel as I am no longer allowed to sleep over at her apartment. I understand and am happy they are strict about things like that but it gets expensive and it a pain in the ass to commute on public transit between her place and the hotel. I suppose I could rent a car but that's another expense I am trying to avoid and while the weather is good, I'd just as soon walk or take the bus. As for no more drama, my life is not likely to be drama-free for the foreseeable future, as long as she (and her wretched spouse) is alive. I am loving this weather, though, at least this week. The sun is out, the temps are cool and so far, we are not getting any of the smoke-related issues from the west coast, though I heard on the news that we could. And yes, your word *apocalyptic* to describe this 2020 life has occurred to me, as well. Only 3 more months of it then hopefully, it (and t-Rump) will be gone and the planet and the people can begin to heal from all the damage done.

Shana tova to you and your family too.

>240 jessibud2: Oh goodie! New episodes. I really have missed Jeopardy and do not enjoy the repeats.

>237 jessibud2: She still gets arrested for activism! Kudos to her, I love that.

Good question about the title, I saw it on TV in a documentary series, and they had the title translated to Dutch, but it must have been a French documentary: Citizen Jane.
See the link of channel Arte the distributor. https://distribution.arte.tv/fiche/CITIZEN_JANE
There are more movies/documentaries about her, this wasn't the only one I found.

>243 figsfromthistle: - The set looks pretty much the same except the contestants are now at separate podiums. Old habits die hard, though and you could tell that it as hard for Alex NOT to walk over and shake their hands at the end, as he used to do. LOL

>244 EllaTim: - Thanks for that link Ella. The film is called *Citizen Jane Fonda*. There is another documentary I saw recently called just *Citizen Jane*, about another activist named Jane Jacobs. She was American, living in New York City and fought to prevent a major highway from being built right through a residential neighbourhood. Then, she and her family moved to Toronto and she ended up doing the same thing here, preventing a big highway from being built. She died several years ago but in her honour, every spring there are neighbourhood walks around town known as Jane's Walks, so Torontonians can learn about their city of neighbourhoods.

But back to Jane Fonda. Here is a recent article I found: https://time.com/5885452/jane-fonda-climate-change-what-can-i-do/

Hi Shelley!

>221 jessibud2: Thanks for both explanations. Israel, Germany, and Virginia. Hmmm. All very different experiences, I would imagine.

>225 jessibud2: I have two books by Kurlansky but haven’t read either – Salt: A World History and The Basque History of the World. Sigh.

As re Jane Fonda, Bill and I have enjoyed Grace and Frankie.

>246 karenmarie: - I also have (but haven't yet read) Salt: A World History by Kurlansky.

Technical question for anyone who can help: I usually use Microsoft Edge as my default browser. I had to switch to google chrome for awhile this morning and forgot I was on it when I tried to come over to LT. It would not allow me to log in, even when I inputted my password manually. My password and my screen name were correct, contrary to what LT was telling me. So I am now back on Microsoft Edge. Does anyone have an idea why it won't allow me to log in through google chrome? As long as I can get in through somewhere, I am not going to stress it but it really makes no sense to me. But it's technology. What else is new?

>247 jessibud2: Just a thought (I'm a Mac person, so know sweet tweet about Microsoft Edge):

You might have to log into your google account to then get to LT. I have to do that to access anything through Google. It's maybe better to make sure you have the LT url in the browser bar, not google?

Or perhaps your operating system is blocking something? And it's not Chrome.....
I'm just guessing here. Laura is pretty good with these fixes.

>240 jessibud2: Oh, I'm curious how they are dong Jeopardy! during covid. I'll have to tune in.

Glad you are home from your most recent trek to visit your mum. I agree that it's great that they're being strict about staying over, but the added expense for family members can add up quickly. I'm also glad you're willing to walk or ride public transit while the weather is good. Were it me, the walk would be a good buffer between visiting and being back at the hotel.

I saw (and posted) a meme on FB:

"You just have to take it one "are you f*cking kidding me" at a time."

Hi Shelley my dear, the Nerve Conduction test is nothing to worry about and is relatively painless, with mine being my fingers and wrist she attached some sticky contacts to my wrist and then two small metal loops tightened on my finger and then used a keypad to give me increasingly higher electric pulses, it is a bit like using a Tens machine. The only reaction from me was that it made my finger twitch a bit like testing reflexes, obviously the higher the pulse rate the sharper the twitch. To be honest i found it fascinating watching the graph on the computer although i had no idea what it all meant, lol.

Hi Shelley!

That, I fear, is the limit of my repartee generator's capacity at the mo.

Can someone please just end this hellish year already? I just heard that Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died. This is terrible news on so many levels. Tragic, and scary, for Americans and just an unfathomable loss to anyone who values truth and integrity. And strength and all that is good and right.

Question for my American friends: of course t-Rump will be rubbing his hands in glee and will now have a new focus: replacing her as quickly as he can. Is it possible for the Democrats to stall the appointment or contest it or delay it or something, until after the election? Because, you KNOW he would do just that if the tables were turned.

The republicans prevented Obama from appointing 10 months before the last election, but of course they aren't going to impose the same on themselves Shelley. I hope they can be obstructed.

>253 Caroline_McElwee: - No kidding, Caroline. Why should rules - any rules - apply to t-Rump if they don't suit him? Why start now?

Grrrr...

>252 jessibud2: The republican ghouls have already marched in - no sense of decency at all.

>253 Caroline_McElwee:, Me too, Caroline. The politics are pretty much lacking in foresight, not to mention ethics, when it comes to stacking the deck in the courts.

HI Shelley, I have no idea how your thread got un-starred but it did and now i"m caught up. Hope all's well with you!

>257 mdoris: - Hi Mary. Actually, it's been a rough day. I had to put down my sweet Lexi. At 20 years old, she had a good run, but turned a corner yesterday. It was time. I think I will start a new thread and put in a few pics of her.

New thread up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/324609