Sunshine isn't all it is cracked up to be

I miss, miss, miss the sun....but when it came out, I realized that it blinds me when I am driving home near sunset, and reflects off of the shiny bits in my car and blinds me. So, maybe clouds aren't so bad! If we ever get sun in the winter, it doesn't last so long, anyway.

The man who mistook his wife for a hat (book): and other clinical tales, by Oliver Sacks. I read everything by this author, even though his themes are very wide-reaching. This is a book of essays, featuring stories involving the mind. So, I am glad I read it, but am going to give it away at our New Year's day book exchange.

Haunted (book) : a Hannah Smith novel, by Randy Wayne White. This is the third book in this series, by one of my favorite Florida writers. The character gets involved with quite fantastical people, confusing, I could say. Old deserted houses, far from civilization, witches and fortunetellers, strange druggie animal trainers, etc. A bit over-the-top.

Still working?

Boy, was it hard to get up and out today. Had to be in Camden to start work before 9 AM. Also, needed to do several errands on the way to work. To add to the misery, I was sick, had a TERRIBLE night and it was dark and cold. Well, now I am at work and it is quiet and peaceful and I am catching up on my computer work and sucking on cough drops.

This is what I hate about winter:
- the dark
- the cold
- the lack of sun
- the wearing of coats
- the wind

This is what I love about winter:
- the bare bones of the trees
- the pastel sunsets
- a tiny bit of snow

The zone of interest (audio book), by Martin Amis. This is a despicable book. I picked it up without much thought, thinking that Martin Amis was a good writer. I started off trying to figure out what it was actually ABOUT. I knew it was about some misogynistic men of the German persuasion. So, it is about men who work at concentration camps during World War II. Other unpleasant topics are suspected adultery, abortion, murder, torture. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Also, it was hard keeping the narrators straight.

Elizabeth and Hazel : two women of Little Rock (book), by David Margolick. Got this on loan from another library for a book club discussion. It is the story of an event, the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. More to the point, the story of a photograph taken on September 4th, 1957 of a black girl walking down the street surrounded by a crowd of angry white people. One face stands out, that of Hazel. The photo becomes an iconic portrait of America. The two women did get to know each other and even become friends later in life, but the raprochement did not last. The author examines the legacy of the Little Rock nine and the attitudes of the townspeople and the country in memory and in present time.

I have very bad luck with earbuds

Using my only set of headphones at the moment...ear buds I got with my new phone. I have only had them slightly over one month and only one bud is working. The ear buds my family gave me last Christmas have disappeared. The first time I lost them, I found them in my house, but the second time they have never turned up. OK, they were small, and in a small roundish case, but still. I have asked for more substantial headphones for Christmas this year.

Face off (book), edited by David Baldacci. Couldn't finish this book in the two weeks allotted for a NEW book from the library, but that was OK. Each story is written by TWO writers of thrillers. I wasn't a fan of most of the authors and wasn't even familiar with others, such as M. J. Rose vs. Lisa Gardner.
It was supposed to be a match up between their familiar protagonists. I didn't care for it.

The sun actually came out today....I can't believe that the sky is mostly blue. It has been cloudy for over a week and I really need a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) light. Tried to take a bit of a sunbath today, but the sun wouldn't stay out for a solid ten minutes.

The sun is struggling to come out with not much success

We had a few hours of sunshine this morning. I should have taken my sunbath then. Now it is back to chilly and dreary, how it has been for the past WEEK.

Texts from Jane Eyre (book): and other conversations with your favorite literary characters, by Mallory Ortberg. OK, so it is a gimmick. But I didn't enjoy it. Maybe cause I am not really a TEXTER or maybe because I haven't read all of the books featured for parody.

I am glad I finally finished a book so maybe now I can get something a bit more enjoyable.

Geting to know my new phone

Very slowly, that is. Especially enjoying the camera. Took a picture Friday night at a fundraiser and was told by the subject that it was the best photo he had from that night.

Youtube pleasing me. Haven't figured out how to do music on my phone. Have been very conservative on usage until I see how much is one gigabyte. That is all I have. Keep seeing better phone deals, but, oh well. I will now have two years of lusting after better deals. Have found that Verizon in NOT the answer to all of my problems....does not work at the Cohansey Café or at Gallery 50 and people sometimes tell me that I am BREAKING UP. Maybe I will give AT & T a try next.

VERY busy weekend. Thank goodness for a quiet Monday and Tuesday to catch up with myself. Fundraiser Friday night. Lunch with Santa Saturday morning (another fundraiser). Bridgeton House tour Saturday afternoon. Only went to one house but it was warm and cozy, with 20 fireplaces. Then a Prairie Home Companion evening (my favorite thing to do). Sunday was church, Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, football (Eagles lost) and singing at a church service for the Journey to the manger. Luckily, I live right across the street from church so left the football game to practice our song, then 15 minute service, and back home to catch the depressing end of the game. So I switched to 60 minutes, my other favorite thing.

Will I continue reading this series?

Maybe not. There are often some preposterous things that go on in a book involving humans, daemons, witches and vampires. A discovery of witches (audio book), by Deborah Harkness. The first in a series which includes SOME of my favorite subjects, such as books, libraries, history and French. Sentences like, "The library will be whatever the witches want it to be" don't make a whole lot of sense. Our witch masquerading as a human attracts the attention of a French vampire in the Bodleian library at Oxford University. A complicated plot ensues to find out why a particular book seems to be under a spell and can only be broken by Diana. Things only get worse since vampire/witch relationships are forbidden.

Am very pleased with the wreath I made yesterday. I couldn't wait to come home and put it on my front door. Took a nice picture and texted it to my sisters. Have only heard back from one of them. Not sure if the others are accepting/checking text messages. Getting to know my new phone is a slow process.

Waiting around the library to see the movie on movie night. Afraid that I have already seen it. All I knew was that it was in German. Seeing fewer and fewer films these days but I did see quite a few back in the day. Seems like I have missed months and months of this film discussion series. I am one of the few loyal attendees until I am not.

My holiday wreath

Went to a class today...to make a wreath for my door. We used all kinds of stuff to make little bunches of greens. Then we wired the 11 or so bunches to a wreath wire base. I was quite pleased with mine....greens, magnolia leaves, yellow berries, red berries and pinecones, oh my! Actually, everyone's wreath was great, if you like the wild look. I had to go right home and put it on my door. I was right to not choose the big frame.

Good poems for hard times (book), selected and introduced by Garrison Keillor. I rescued this book from the discard pile at the library. So sad. Enjoyed reading it, but I guess I will pass it on. Poems are divided into vague subject areas...and include poems by famous and not-so-famous writers. At the end Garrison Keillor writes a bit about each author and includes a few thoughts from each. My favorite poem is:

In praise of my bed, by Meredith Holmes.

At last I can be with you!
The grinding hours
since I left your side!
The labor of being fully human,
working my opposable thumb,
talking, and walking upright.
Now I have unclasped,
unzipped, stepped out of.
Husked, soft, a be-er only,
I do nothing, but point
my bare feet into your
clean smoothness
feel your quiet strength
the whole length of my body.
I close my eyes, hear myself
moan, so grateful to be held this way.

I thought it was going to be sunny today. Instead it is gloomy and dreary. At least it is not raining.

A dreary dismal day missing one tooth

My only consolation is pain pills, some really good ones. Plus I got my nails done. New color is by OPI - called "Color to diner for". It is a sparkly red.

Full planets, empty plates : the new geopolitics of food scarcity (book), by Lester R. Brown. Given to me by his brother-in-law, it is a nice thin book, detailing many of his thoughts which I have heard before. How the balance of the planet is off, how eating up the food chain contributes to food scarcity, how the increasing population numbers put a strain on our food resources, how political unrest contributes to food insecurity, how water shortages make it difficult to grow crops in the places where the food is needed. Food is the new oil, land is the new gold. One of our best environmental theorists comes from our area.

OK, so it is ONLY December 1st. But I have missed Black Friday, Small business Saturday, Cyber Monday AND Giving Tuesday. The fact of the matter is, I am totally uninspired as far as Christmas gifts go. On my list of things to do today was to make my Christmas list, both what I want, and all the names of all the people I should/want to get gifts for. Shopping isn't much fun for me. Deciding isn't much fun for me.

You are not going to believe this

Heard on the radio today that the most popular name for boys in Britain is MUHAMMED. Next is Oliver.

Thoughts about the sign "Black lives matter". If that is the case, please stop shooting each other.

Finished The handsome man's De Luxe café, by Alexander McCall Smith. The newest in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective agency series. Satisfyingly comforting in spite of things going wrong. Mme. Makutsi starts a new business venture without a whole lot of thought. Charlie becomes a detective and then a secretary. A cup of red bush tea helps with most problems, as usual.

It is harder to schleppe in winter

I have enough trouble getting my many bags from here to there without the addition of a COAT! I find that everything slides off of my shoulders when wearing a coat. I should just break down and clean up my clutter enough that someone can get into my house to install the wifi. I have been informed that WIFI is not the same thing as WIRELESS.

Starting a relationship with my new phone. It is probably smarter than I am, but I foresee many happy hours of getting to know it. Missing my KEYBOARD with my old LG phone. I can't deal with "pictures" of keys. My nephew and my brother-in-law tried to straighten me out on some procedures with the Samsung Galaxy S IV. There are scarily on top of technology. I am at the other end of the spectrum. What is the opposite of an "early adaptor"? I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into anything new. Not really the update kind of a girl.

It is so frigging COLD around here. I must try and plan some future vacations. A friend called and told me he got a round trip ticket for $60 on Spirit. How come I never see those kind of deals? Plus, I DETEST Spirit for their nickel and diming of customers.

Words I like to hear

"You've made it" the instructor says when we have reached the end of our 45 minute Senior stretch on the DVD. "No strenuous exercise for 2-3 days" said the dentist after he pulled my third wisdom tooth.

I am in a bit of a panic, having acquired a new phone about an hour ago. Feel like I have a new relationship, so many hours of learning to come. Have already lost it once as it is a slippery little devil. Am not paying even MORE each month, $80 before all of the taxes, so I sure hope it does a lot more than my previous phone. Am already missing some of the features on my old tried-and-true phone such as the keyboard and the comfortable size. But this phone has the TEMPERATURE on it, with which I am OBSESSED. Afraid to use it though as am totally perplexed about how much is 1 gigabyte of data. I had unlimited data with Sprint although I really couldn't DO much with it.

Through a glass darkly (e-book), by Karleen Koen. The book was about spies who were captured and milked for information. Not sure if any of it was plausible. How many spies are entertained and fed for months and never tortured to get info out of them? With all of the code names and double crossing, I didn't really GET it.

My trip to North Carolina

Cedar Creek Cabins, Black Mountain, North Carolina: Discount during November, all cabins $100. All you needed was provided. Friends has a more charming cabin, called the Bear's den. Ours was bigger, the Highlander. Electric heaters in each room, nice fake fireplace. Rocking chairs and glider on the porch. We had two bedrooms and a single bed in the living room. I liked the twig furniture outside, the labyrinth, the bubbling brook. The Bear's Den had a sliding glass window/door in one bedroom overlooking the stream.

Louise's restaurant, Black Mountain, North Carolina: Restaurant in an old house, with tables on the porch outside as well. You place your order and then they deliver it to your table. Interesting, natural foods and cool looking people.

Shoney's restaurant, Hillsboro, Virginia: We enjoyed the buffet at this place. Yummy mashed potatoes, fried fish, tarter sauce, banana pudding.

Is this my website?

Should I claim this blog as my "website"? Would more people read it if I mentioned it somewhere?

Sylvia Beach and the lost generation (book) : a history of literary Paris in the twenties and thirties, by Noel Riley Fitch.
Really loved this book since I love Paris and history and since Sylvia Beach lived briefly in my neighborhood in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Of course, she left and became an agnostic and a lesbian. I find most of the semi-famous people from my town are no longer here. Oh well. Sylvia ended up in Paris and had a bookstore/lending library. She concentrated on books in English, while her long-time companion, Adrienne, had a French bookstore on the same street. They fraternized with many famous writers, artists, etc. Her main claim to fame was as the first publisher of James Joyce's Ulysses, which was considered obscene in America. Joyce was, alternately, a blessing and a curse.

Going on a trip tomorrow. Can't decide whether to car-pool with a friend or drive to North Carolina by myself. By myself I can visit Hollins University (my alma mater) to see the new library or take any other side trips that occur to me and stay away an extra few days. With my friend, I will go along with what HE wants to do and have other adventures and save money. What to do, what to do?

The high cost of maintaining your 5 senses

Have just come from the dentist after having learned the hard cruel repercussions from having bitten down on an unpopped popcorn kernel last week - The "best" option involves 4 steps, two doctors, 10 months and $4500. (They tell you the other options but make them sound really unappealing). It made me think about the high cost of our senses. I will rank them in order of cost (just guessing here)
1. Taste - if it involves the TEETH it gets really expensive...cavities, root canals and now IMPLANTS
2. Sight - glasses and cataract surgery and laser surgery can get pricy
3. Hearing - an expensive, tiny, problematic object is a bitch to sic on the elderly person
4. Smell - those that lose their sense of smell just get by without it
5. Touch - pretty much the last thing to go

Am headphone-less and all the other people in this library are really getting on my nerves. All of my cheap headphones I acquired on airplanes have now bitten the dust. I have to listen to:
- talking
- phones ringing
- people quietly cursing to themselves
- the clicking as a woman photographs pages on the Internet
- one guy who is constantly turning the dial on the mouse to go down the page
- sighs and groans from people not doing well in their online games

Having a hot flash. It will pass. The weather is great outside and I am sort of warmly dressed.

Reading, reading, reading......

Rodin, sculptor (book), by Helene Pinet and Marie Sellier. I think I bought this little book at the Rodin museum in Philadelphia. Wish it was the original French edition. A kid's book with lots of illustrations. "Beauty is everywhere" said he.

The redeemer (audiobook), by Jo Nesbo. Now I see why they call it a THRILLER. Never have a seen more imaginative methods of killing people. But all is not as it seems. So many twists and turns in this mystery of a hitman hired to kill a ranking officer of the Salvation army in Oslo, Norway. And the weather is always hideously cold.

Whiskey, sun & fish : the early year of Fortescue, a fishing village on the Delaware Bay (book) by George Carlisle, illustrations by William Thomas Ternay. He wrote this thin book in 1959 and had to go back and edit it. Most of the people he interviewed for the book are gone, now. Illustrations are black line drawings which are given a two page spread whenever they occur.

The benefits of small towns

The town I am in today (Greenwich, NJ) is SO small that you can:
- drive really slowly and no one honks at you
- stand in the middle of the street having a conversation
- when you meet a few people you are bound to know some of them
- buy flowers from someone's garden

The downsides are:
- only one restaurant/store and it closes at 2 PM
- cell phone reception is very poor

The apple orchard (book), by Susan Wiggs. I probably put this on my list because it is about sisters? A young woman who discovers provenance of objects finds out that she has relatives she never was aware of. She leaves San Francisco to go to an apple orchard farm in Sonoma County where her grandfather has had an accident and may be dying in the hospital. She learns about family history and the delights of country living, which include a handsome neighbor who makes wine. She also gets to know the half sister she never knew.

The satisfaction of sorting STUFF

Buckled down this morning and went through a box of stuff my sisters gave me shortly after my father passed away. OK, he passed away in 2002. I knew there was some cash in there, but found $900, $200 more than I expected. Also some sweaters, shirts and many wet ones, kleenexes and travel and purse items. Oh, and OOODLES of socks, which I plan to wear. Never enough socks! Next, I will have to get the BOX out of the house, probably containing some things to give away.

Paris from $95 a day, by Haas Mroue. Borrowed through the Overdrive system at the library and read on my Nook. It doesn't matter that I am not planning to go to Paris. I did make a few notes but much will be outdated by the time I ever get back to Paris. It is a good idea to maintain a list of things to do, in any case.

Went to McDonald's today to organize my Monopoly pieces and enjoy at two-for-one Egg McMuffin. Guy at register somewhat baffled by my coupon. Perhaps I am the only one filling out the surveys online? I am gonna get SOMETHING out of this...either a job or a free something. A guy left his car running while he went in. I thought of confronting him about the damage to the environment but not sure how to do that nicely. I was dismayed to see a new sign: NO LOITERING PLEASE - TIME LIMIT - 30 MINUTES WHILE CONSUMING FOOD. Oh dear, there goes my two hour computer session! I was the only white person hanging around in there.

My very long day

Yesterday started off predictably enough, as I went through the motions of Arthritis exercise, massage, library and other errands. A friend called and invited me to go up to New York to see a play. I begged off on this one day trip, as I felt I had been away from home too much lately, especially in the evenings. A short while later, someone ELSE called and invited me to go up to New York City to see an art exhibit that I wanted to see. It was the last day! So, I surmised, SOMEONE wants me to be in New York today.
I cancelled another appointment and called the second person and said I would go up with them to see the art exhibit. It is a three hour drive and we got a late start. Also, the church where the exhibit was being held was closing early, so time was getting away from us. We arrived at the church at 4:45 PM. The art was still up but not lit so we had to work to peer at the art all around the church which was in semi-darkness. We got into the elevator to go downstairs to the bathroom and almost got stuck in there. Saw a sign that bathrooms only open during church services. Then the door wouldn't open back up so we had to go to street level, exit and come back in through the church main entrance. At closing time I wandered up Broadway. The church was at 60th and Columbus and the play I was going to was at Broadway and 72nd St. Stopped into a loew's AMC movie theater and though about going to a movie. Several lines of people and escalators going us several floors. It was too much for me. I would rather go to our quiet little Regal in Vineland to see a crappy movie. Came upon an Apple store. This has been on my list of things to do so I went in. Tried to get on my email on one of the many different sizes of devices. Yahoo insisted on calling me with an access code. I decided I will never be able to figure out Apple devices so I asked a man working there to help me log off of my email. He reprimanded me for logging into my personal account on a public computer. Continued on my way and found the Triad theater, upstairs at 158 W. 70th St. Went into the Turkish restaurant below (Seven's Turkish grill). Just got settled with my water and candle and realized MY PHONE was missing. Had to hightail it 6 blocks back to the Apple store, where, miraculously, they had picked up my phone. WHEW! (My life was flashing before my eyes). Saw Ruthless : the musical, where Brittany Spears got her start as a young girl. Delightful theater, intimate and charming. OK, the seats were impossibly hard and we were forced to buy two bad, expensive drinks. But the room was full of young enthusiastic people so you felt like you were at a cool event.
Stage was very small but OK for 6 people, some of whom played more than one part. I loved the music, especially a song called I hate musicals. After the show, we wandered down the street, stopping into a cool, huge, cosmetics and Halloween costume store. It was a lot of fun, but we didn't buy anything. We thought about buying a blond wig and a button that said ART JUNKIE. Three of us ladies me our friend, the producer and he drove us home. Got dropped off at my house shortly after midnight. A pretty interesting day considering that I didn't know I was going to NYC until lunchtime!

New drug names are laughable

Whenever I see a new drug advertized on TV, the names seem really outrageous and stupid. I don't know what it is for, but a new one is Latudo.

The lowland (audiobook), by Jhumpa Lahiri. Not wonderful, but I listened to the entire thing. Did it get better as it went along? Not sure. Two brothers, living in Calcutta, India. One goes to the states to study and live (Rhode Island) and the other one stays at home, gets married, is involved in revolutionary secretive activities and dies. The other brother marries his wife and takes care of his child, but everyone seems to be hidden and silent and unhappy. This problem continues into the next generation.

Good things about retirement:
- you don't have to set the alarm
- you can appreciate the fine days during the fine hours
- you don't have to rush out and get your car fixed in order to get to work
- you don't have to be rushing and speeding all the time
- I don't have a boss

Monday update

Rose Gold (book) : an Easy Rawlins mystery, by Walter Mosley. Was glad when this book was over. He gets a bit carried away with all of the characters...so many to keep track of.

Enjoyed starting off the week with yoga at 10:30 AM. Gained a pound of two so I was feeling quite sluggish. Also no exercise over the weekend. I would like to count the dancing I did at a wedding Friday.

Did get a few things done staying home all afternoon and evening on Sunday. I needed to be home since I have something to do every night until Saturday. And I don't really LIKE to go out at night. But not reading anything really engrossing now and that is primarily what I do after dark. It is getting unpleasantly cold. But the winter nightgown and socks and the two blankets were a bit much. Woke up HOT in the middle of the night.

It's better if I stay home

Had to go pick someone up yesterday in an unusual place since she is living with her son. Started out following my MapQuest directions as I was trying to find a shorter way to get there than the one she suggested. First problem is I run into a TRAFFIC JAM on a highway where I usually just tool along at 65 miles per hour. They were repaving Route 55 and not only was it slow, they had CLOSED MY EXIT. So, I was really stewing and cursing and wishing for an anxiety pill and had to drive about 15 minutes to get extra far from my destination. Then I underwent a sudden panic attack and had to pay $2.99 for 24 hours of Sprint Navigator on my phone. I was suddenly very unsure about where I was and where I was going. So, it took me about an hour of driving to get to the first phase of my journey. Then another hour to get to Philly and was forced to drive fast due to fears of being late for the theater. Two setbacks in Philly....my street was closed and then more streets were blocked off due to the annual OUTFEST. The play was good (Rapture, blister and burn), the dinner was good and the drive home long and dark. More streets blocked off but I overcame it. Was in a bit of a snit about the whole thing. The entire expedition took me from 11:30 AM until 8:15 PM. At least I got home in time to watch the Eagles beat the Giants. I had to turn it off at half time cause I can't stand to watch the sacking and the grandstanding. Happy that the Eagles did well anyway.

Those darn squirrels! (book), by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. Spoke to my condition as I have a squirrel living in my ceiling. A very cute children's book about a man trying to defeat the squirrels and then giving in and appreciating them.

Younger next year...for women (book), by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge. Got this book on interlibrary loan. So hard to follow their advice which is to exercise HARD 6 days a week and don't eat crap. Already, I feel my will to exercise today sinking. Their philosophy is that you are either growing or deteriorating and the only way to grow is to move. I agree but it is so hard.

Feeling invisible

Sometimes feeling invisible is bad and sometimes I WANT to be invisible. A woman of a certain age gets to feeling invisible. Flirting works better with infants than with men these days. Also feel like a follower not a leader, an attender not an organizer.

Things that make me feel old:

- the restaurant where my 60th birthday party was held has been torn down
- my mother and two friends that were present at that party are dead
- I still think tattoos are LOW CLASS
- I am still LEASING a telephone
- I have never spent money on a television

There is a lot of new music I want to hear/get - Stevie Nicks, Jackson Brown, Prince, Leonard Cohen. Right now am enjoying a new album on Hoopla
- 24 karat gold - songs from the vault (album) by Stevie Nicks. Especially loving the songs Twisted and Lady!

A very self-indulgent day

Had a manicure AND a pedicure AND a chiropractic adjustment AND an hour massage all in one day. Plus, eating out all day, which is very self-indulgent and not so healthy.
Now I don't feel like going to the training I was going to go to tonight. But, I guess I should since it is only one hour. Training to work with the homeless this winter for the CODE BLUE program. Sheltering the homeless only when it is really cold or really wet. I SHOULD get involved, but do I really WANT to?

I work at a public library (book) : a collection of crazy stories - - from the stacks - - ., by Gina Sheridan. First, let me say that I should have written this book. It is filled with some of the outrageous, stupid, unbelievable, annoying, surprising things that can happen while working with the public. Nothing I really highlighted but some laugh out loud moments, for sure.

Feed (audiobook), by M. T. Anderson. Quite clever book for teenagers making me reevaluate my dislike of science fiction. Fast forward to the future, to the post-print society, when all information is beamed directly into your brain by "the feed", including peppy music and advertizements all geared to your interests. You can shop online, chat with your friends, watch TV, get high and so on. Titus meets a more serious girl on a trip to the moon (which is on the way to becoming the 51st state). Her old fashioned attitudes ruin his good time and make him think.

Headphones on.....

Enjoying Youtube....Train and 50 ways to say goodbye. Using the computer at the Millville Public Library. I enjoy the quiet sounds of a library. Had to get out the headphones when I started fixating on woman sniffling, patron with that really annoying bird-like phone cheep, other ignorant, too loud patrons conversing.

Tuck everlasting (audio book), by Natalie Babbitt. Has been on my list a long time, not sure why. Charming tale of a young girl who meets a rather strange family. They tell a tale of living forever and try to convince her it is not a good idea. Who will learn and use the secret?

Yikes! I tried to get into the library before the school kids. Now they are driving me a bit crazy.

It has been four days since I got online. My pile of things to do is growing, as my piles are wont to do.

The never-ending two-for-one deal

So, I go to MacDonald's, buy something and fill out the survey form on the Internet. For doing this, I get two for the price of one. When I go to pick them up, I get ANOTHER receipt and fill out ANOTHER survey and get yet ANOTHER two for one deal. It may be that this campaign has an end...otherwise I am trapped in this endlessly repeating cycle! I spend a lot of time filling out surveys online and so far I have not won any free movies or any sweepstakes. The best thing I got was a free chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-a and I didn't even have to buy anything. It was a bit salty and came with only a pickle and some white bread but the price made it extra delicious even though it is not the most healthy choice and I shouldn't really be frequenting Chick-fil-A at all due to their anti-gay stance.

Aimless love (audio book), by Billy Collins. It was only one CD but I LOVE Billy Collins. He is just so accessible as a poet. My favorites are The trouble with poetry and The golden years.

Hanging out at my previous place of employment today. Trials and tribulations there. I call it "the law of untended consequences". They are getting a new roof, but a recent rainstorm FLOODED the place where the roof hadn't been very well finished. Upgraded the memory on the computers, but now they are printing an extra blank page at the end of everyone's documents for which they need to be reimbursed. The best laid plans.....

Nausea?

Nausea can be a symptom of FEMALE heart attack or EBOLA. Luckily, I rarely experience this symptom.

All the light we cannot see (audio book), by Anthony Doerr. Cried near the end, not sure why. Very moving the way the author brings together the stories of the young German soldier and the blind girl from Paris and St. Malo. Quite long and involved, detailing the flight of a young girl with her father from Paris at the start of the war. Always surprising to learn the trail of events in various countries during the war. A mystery of a missing diamond and its three copies. Almost wanted it to be over before it was over, but after that was when I cried.

Went to Philadelphia yesterday. Lured by a lecture called "Paris awakens". Was dismayed when I realized that I have been a member of the Philadelphia Museum of art for 10 months without going once. Now I am in the mood. There is a lot to see...sculpture garden, trolleys to the Perelman Center and the Rodin museum and who knows where else. If I go once a week for the next two months, maybe I will get my money's worth? I liked the feeling of being a member. Spending money to save money on parking, food and gifts. My favorite discovery was Charles Demuth...gentle watercolors. Part of a show of Steiglitz and his associates. That section included works by Steiglitz, O'Keefe, Demuth and Dove.

What was I going to say?

Interesting subjects occur to me, but after sitting here listening to an album, my brain is all afuddle. I had to access Hoopla due to fretting children in the library. (God, don't these people know how ANNOYING cranky children are to the childless?!?!?!)

Enjoying All this bad blood (album), by a group called Bastille. I borrowed it on Hoopla, available at some libraries. Their most famous song is Pompeii, I think. Interesting turns of phrase and a big sound.

Back to my weekday routine of getting online and exercising. Those two goals fall to pieces Friday through Sunday, when there seem to be a lot of conflicting events getting in the way. Was quite happy this morning when I got out my calendar to review it and found NOTHING on it for today other than yoga at 10:30 AM. Now, isn't THAT a good way to start out your week? And tomorrow nothing on the calendar except for a public meeting about CHICKENS. I am not really into that topic but it is sponsored by a group I am interested in....CAWA - Cohansey Area Watershed Association (?) Gee...I should have gone on VACATION this week. But I really do need to go to choir practice on Wednesday night. I hear we are supposed to sing some challenging music in some African languages on Sunday. Haven't been to one practice yet, due to my many conflicts.

Too many sweets

Have been eating too much...a snack every hour. Big lunch with an exercise group. Now another dinner meeting tonight. Yesterday I broke my Diet Coke fast because I had a free beverage coupon at our local movie theater that was about to expire. So I had one GINORMOUS Diet Coke cause that is how they serve it there. Plan to get back on the wagon today. Had movie buttered popcorn for dinner and then we went to the dollar store and bought pints of Hagan-Daz to eat for our snack.

The drop (movie) - A bit more violent than I can cope with but it was a slow moving, suspenseful, seemingly-low-budget story of two small time hustlers in Brooklyn. Wanted to see it as was James Gandolfini's last film. Woman looked kind of familiar, but don't think I have seen her in anything. She was in the Swedish crime series films (American edition).

Chains (book), by Laurie Halse Anderson. A young adult book. One more book about slavery. Interesting twist as during the Revolutionary war and in New York City. Read it for a book club. Got better as it went along. Family who owns the two girls are Tory sympathizers and not very nice. Mother of the husband is nicer and slave girl and grandmother develop somewhat of a relationship. There is a story of a slave boy who follows the rebels and gets incarcerated. Isabel helps him and moves messages around town. There are some charming little turns of phrase....like her "remembery". "My head was broke and my sister was stole and I was lost" was the most poignant line.

Not a role model

I always pay attention to the messages on people's T-shirts. There is a trend for BIG BLOCK LETTERS. A young black guy in my town was sporting NOT A ROLE MODEL.

Have spent too much time at home since after church yesterday. Ignored a classical concert and a Jersey fresh fundraising dinner to stay home and watch FOOTBALL and then 60 minutes. Football was quite engaging, despite the brutality and fights and injuries. We won! (The Philadelphia Eagles, that is).

Just finished up a lot of books, which gives me a sense of accomplishment and allows space for some new books to enter my life (not today, though)

Paris in love : a memoir (book), by Eloisa James. Borrowed on my Nook through the library Overdrive program. She is a historical romance writer who spent one year in Paris with her Italian husband, two children, and dog. I like the stories and especially the list of her favorite stores, museums, etc. at the end.

The secret history (book), by Donna Tartt. An earlier book by the author of The goldfinch. I got a bit impatient with it and ended up kind of skimming. It was the story of a group of friends attending a college in Vermont and studying the classics. Their adventures and who knew what about whom and when.

Carsick (book), John Waters. John Waters hitchhiked from his home in Baltimore, Maryland to his apartment in San Francisco. The book has an interesting set up. First, he writes about the "good rides" and then the "bad rides". These are purely imaginary and almost made me abandon the book, they are so crazy. Then come the "real rides". I particularly liked the list in the back for his playlist of hitchhiking songs mentioned in the stories.

Letters to a fellow seeker : a short introduction to the Quaker way (book), by Steve Chase. The story from a young man from Vermont who discovered the Quaker religion. It is a slight book with 7 letters to a friend about various topics of belief.

What did we do before the Internet?

I should know that. I am a librarian. It has been sad to see the inexorable neglect of our reference collections of books. And, yes, I am guilty myself. When was the last time I actually looked at some of my favorite tomes, such as The statesman's yearbook or The encyclopedia of associations?

So, today, here is some of what I have been looking up:
- What is the name of the symbol that Prince, the musician, used as his name? I drew how I thought it looked and thought maybe it was called Ankara. Well, no, Ankara is a city in Turkey. Prince's symbol is unpronounceable but sometimes known as the LOVE symbol. It is a combination of the male symbol, the female symbol and the symbol for alchemy.
- How to grow poppies like I saw in Italy and are all poppies opium poppies?
- Why do I have a metallic taste in my mouth? There could be many reasons, but if the reason is unknown, it is called IDIOPATHIC DYSGEUSIA.

Finished an audio book, Seeds of hope : wisdom and wonder from the world of plants, by Jane Goodall (from the Millville Public Library - AUBK 580 Goo). Yes, that is the chimpanzee woman. She has many more interests. Talks about our relationships with trees and trees relationships with each other. Also clear cutting, rain forests, herbal remedies, how people ruin everything for greed, and GMO's, to just name a few of the topics covered. She travels most of the year giving talks. I found it interesting but hard to get through. Not exactly scintillating. And she actually reads all of the credits and thanks at the end. That was truly boring, but I stuck with it. I liked best the trees parts.

Advice from the cleaning lady

We were discussing how hard it is to walk up and down the steps and she mentioned a home remedy that has helped some friends of hers. Take one quarter teaspoon of borax in a glass of water and it makes your joint pain go away. I looked at her a bit quizzically and thought to myself, "Isn't that what I have at home to kill ants?" So, I looked it up on the Internet and yes, borax has MANY uses, just like coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.

Finished an interesting book on the Nook, Catherine the Great, by Robert K. Massie. She was quite a gal, with many lovers and children all fathered by different lovers and not by her husband. Got it from the Overdrive system, through the Vineland Public Library.

Was going to address "the law of unintended consequences" but now have forgotten the issue!

Life is good

Got to my 8 AM arthritis exercise class but it was a bit of a rush to get there. Traffic pretty horrible as it seems to be the first day of school around here. Only two of us in the class but I am trying to appreciate the teacher before she moves to another state.

Listening to T.I on Youtube. Live your life, featuring Rihanna. Love it, but can hardly take the video. It involves blood. I just have a thing for these gangster rappers. I know T.I. was in prison but I still listen to him. Yeah, I got no standards at all.

Picked up an audio book that I already listened to, but I didn't notice that until I got sort of far along. Selected shorts : a celebration of the short story is the series. The title is Are we there yet? (audio book) Bridgeton Public Library - AUDB F ARE). My favorite stories are James Thurber's A ride with Olympy, read by David Rakoff and Edward P Jones' An orange line train to Ballston.

More books I have read

The hurricane sisters (book), by Dorothea Benton Frank: Enjoyed the interaction between the generations. The story is told alternately from the viewpoint of the grandmother, the mother and the daughter. Theme of abuse of women comes along eventually. Author is lightweight but I like the southern milieu of her stories, which usually take place around Sullivan's Island, near Charleston.

Two boys kissing (audio book), by David Levithan: Heard about this book during a wedding of two gay guys. The preacher mentioned it during the service. Two boys try to break the world record for kissing. They have to stand up kiss for over 32 hours. Interwoven with this story are a few other stories. The author got the ideas from some true stories.

Last night was stuck in Camden in the DARK, and in the RAIN, with a FLAT TIRE. Now I remember why I try to get home every night and stay there before dark. Also had to drive for an hour to get home in a hideous lightning and rain storm. It was really scary. Going to the only gas station in Camden in the dark wasn't really that scary (sometimes I don't know enough to be scared). A nice man changed my flat tire. He put too much air in it, but I remedied that today. He did work for the gas station and charged me $22 but they weren't really even OPEN.

My town

Just some random notes about disturbing things that go on in my town:

- There was an armed home invasion by several people including a pregnant woman.

- A 14 year old boy was killed. He recently became a father.

- Statement by cursing guy in library, "They are harassing my girlfriend. If they'd like, she could wup their ass!"

Slowly but surely

I am making a bit of progress on cleaning up the house and getting rid of stuff. My philosophy is, if it fell on the floor and got bent or dirty, out it goes. I am sure I cut it out or saved it for some good reason, but I know I can't deal with everything in that category.

Read a book called Pillow talk (book) on the Nook. It might have been a "free Friday" book, by Freya North. A woman is a jewelry designer in London. She runs into a man that she had a brief infatuation for many years ago when he was a guitarist in a rock band. He is now a teacher in an exclusive boys school sort of far from London. After a chance encounter, they get back together. There is also a theme of sleep walking and not very good parents. Her main influence was a woman she was visiting for a service project. They became very close and the woman left her a beautiful stone which she finally uses to make a fabulous bracelet which starts her career on its way.

Feel like I have no life except through literature and film. Cried over the last in the series of Call the midwife last night. Today was all caught up in a new audio book called Two boys kissing that I heard about when I witnessed two guys getting married recently. The minister who married them quoted something from this book and I just happened to see it at the Vineland Public library so I got it.

Books, books and more books

Rome and the Vatican with the Sistine Chapel (book with dvd): A lot of nice pictures but the descriptions were kind of boring. A friend bought it when we were in Rome.

Beyoncé, by Beyoncé (CD): I like her and it, but was a bit shocked by the raw sexuality of the videos. Didn't really like them much. But she sure is beautiful and perfect. Picture on the front rather raunchy. Don't know why I thought she was more wholesome than that. There are a few woman power songs throughout.

The leftovers (audio book)
+ , by Tom Perrotta: Sort of ho-hum in the beginning. The end got rather suspenseful with a lot of events happening around the residents of one particular home. Metaphor for loss and continuation of life.

A fighting chance (book), by Elizabeth Warren: Enjoyed reading about a woman my age, with my political views, trying to help with the problems on the banking system and running for political office.

Allergies!

Must get to the store and buy some allergy meds! I used to take THREE medications all year round. But, when I retired, I had to confront the fact that all three of these meds were really expensive. Do I really need them? Have been getting along pretty well with none of them until right now, which is the historical, traditional time for hay fever.

The cat who dropped a bombshell (audiobook), by Lilian Jackson Braun. This was a repeat for me, a necessary break from the last book I read which was about the horrors of WWII. The cat who books are my relaxation, cozy mysteries about a humble billionaire who dates the local librarian (by now she owns a bookshop). His two Siamese cats provide clues to local deaths and mysteries. The series has long been finished so my only option is redoing them. This is the 28th book and features a visit from a young man (possible heir) and his fiancée, and the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the town. Local eccentrics and events entertain us throughout.

Time is running out to do customary summer things....getting peaches from Sunny Slope, going kayaking, swimming at a friend's house, using his paddle boat, riding a bike, buying fruits and vegetables from local stands. This is what I entertain myself with while others are going on vacation.

Start of another week

Started off the week well...with yoga class at 10:30 AM.

Have a nice guilt trip, by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella: I enjoy humorous essays and that is what Lisa and her daughter write. Lisa is more funny and writes of the single life in rural Pennsylvania. Francesca lives in New York City so it is a good balance of viewpoints. The paragraphs and the essays are short. so easy to read.

I can relate to that! : a toolbox for life's journey, by Linda Burd Howard. A self-help book written by a psychologist with ample examples from her life to illustrate the points. She has a good sense of humor. She includes sections on Finding yourself, On your journey, On responsibility, On control, and On love.
She talks about CCMD (choice making deficiency disorder). I've got that!

How to record books read?

Just switched over to a library contest webpage for a month. Now wondering if there is a better place to record the books I am reading...other than this blog, that is! Learned about Allconsuming and then learned it had closed down. Am registered with Library thing but it seems you only get to add 200 books for free.
I could go back to the old Excel spreadsheet idea, but then who would see it. At least it would be searcheable.

Just finished the audiobook of Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption, by Laura Hllenbrand. (CDBR 940.547 Hil at the Cumberland County Library). This book blew me away. I usually don't choose any book that promises violence or torture, but I decided to pick this because it has been on the best seller list for over a year. It was hard to listen to, and, I am sure, much harder to live! Just when you thought things could not get any worse, they did. The story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic runner, flyer during WWII and what happens to him after his plane crashes in 1943. I was laughing, crying, and horrified. It is an important book, providing insight on Japan during the was, PTSD, religion and many other issues.

Participated in a summer reading program at the Bridgeton Public Library. I won two prizes, a drawing and the GRAND prize for most books read and most programs attended. I am such a library nerd. I can excel in a contest that involves SITTING activities, not like LAST summer, when I was in a contest where you had to accomplish MILES on machines at the health club.

Bored with my blog

The billionnaire's curse (Archer legacy, book 1), by Richard Newsome : A 13 year old boy inherits great wealth from a great aunt he never even knew about. Some Harry Potter elements...mean parents, girl and boy twin hang out with him and solve mystery of stolen diamonds.

The last runaway (book), by Tracy Chevalier: About a Quaker girl who comes to Ohio from England in the 1850's. She ends up in a family of people who are not willing to act as she wants to. Interesting portrayal of Quakers and activities of the Underground Railroad.

Leave no Stone unturned (a Lexie Starr mystery), by Jeanne Glidewell. Must have been a "free Friday" book on the Nook. A woman starts to get suspicious of her daughter's husband and goes off to investigate his former life. She ends up in a kind-of-unlikely bed and breakfast with a man she met from another state.

In my computer haze

My ADD self enjoys getting involved in my computer chores. Stuff spread all around me, sitting in the air conditioned library, listening to Youtube (Anna Kendrick's Cups (Pitch `perfect's when I'm gone). I couldn't be happier!

The search (book), by Nora Roberts: The title refers to the profession of Fiona, who trains search and rescue dogs on Orcas Island. Also to the search for an abductor of women. I enjoyed the clever dialogue between Fiona and her new love interest. The evil parts were almost too evil, though. The audio book is particularly well done.

Off to another day of running around. Arthritis class, BP and RHR good, Vineland Public Library, then time for manicure and pedicure. Picking up a friend later to go see Tammy. Looks and sounds stupid but lots of famous people walking through and we have a good time at not-so-great movies.

A contest I can really get behind

Enjoying this summer's contest more than last summer's:
- last year had to log in miles riden or walked at the health club
- this year have to READ BOOKS (one of my favorite activities)

Prairie silence (book), by Melanie Hoffert. A woman living in Minneapolis goes back home to North Dakota and muses about whether she could live there. She talks to some people about her life and loves (women) and finds that it can be done. The image of the old barn evokes thoughts of change and place. She rescues some boards and takes them home to make a bookcase. Her father burns down the barn with no feelings about loss. She learns a new appreciation of roots but does go back to the city to pick up her life where she left off.

Newcomb's wildflower guide (book), by Larence Newcomb: This book was recommended for a workshop. Line drawings are easier to identify plants. There is a system, which makes it easier (it is still hard). Good for Northeast USA including Pine Barrens.

My Amalfi coast (Book), by Amanda Tabberer: Woman visits lovely place in Italy, falls in love with a gorgeous young man and lives there for 18 years. She shares many photos and tales of various towns, restaurants, people and their specialities. I wish I had read this book BEFORE I went to Positano. So much more to discover. A beautiful coffee table kind of book.

The billionnaire's curse (Archer legacy, book 1), by Richard Newsome: Young man inherits great wealth from aunt he never even knew about. His useless parents go off inspecting his properties and he is left to his own devices at mansions with servants. He meets some twins and they have adventures trying to find out who killed the aunt and what happened to her diamond.

Trying to drown out the sound of losers

Sade video of Soldier of love on Youtube helping to drown out the sound of losers cursing and carousing in the computer area. Sadly, there is nothing to be done about the odor of stale smoke emanating from an old man near me.

Peaceful day...hot and quiet in the neighborhood. Nothing I like more than watering the back yard and the bird waterer with NO NEIGHBORS. I did a few things in the back yard today in spite of the hideous temps. Tied a string around the fence, had someone put up lights that didn't work, tested lights. Garage door broke but I got it down manually.

I think I must return home. Can't take the unwashed public. Spend most of my life recently trying to AVOID irritating people and places.

Good book titles...

Well, I only have one that I just saw at the Cumberland County Library:
- I'm on Facebook. Now what?
Perhaps I should read it!?

Destroyer angel, an Anna Pigeon novel (book), by Nevada Barr. The usual elements of an Anna Pigeon novel are here...the great outdoors, the nightime adventures, the threats. I must say that this one was rather more scary than most, quite the page turner. Essentially, it is a battle between four women and the four men who abduct them, as they journey through a forest. Anna is the "wild card". There is a great deal of physical discomfort and damage and general unpleasantness. Let's just say it is quite a "revenge fantasy." One of the women is handicapped and two of the women are teenage girls.

Things that annoy me:
- the sound and the look of people chewing gum
- traffic
- change

I was unnecessarily rude to the woman who answered the phone when I called to complain about my paper not coming this morning. They are trying to have "better" customer service, but it riles me up when I have to answer so many questions each time that I call. I really PREFER to just leave a message. Especially when I have to call one or more times each week. I hate the message that "representatives are assisting other customers". I just don't like the big conglomerate feel of that.

Caramel budino

I wrote down the name of this dessert that was mentioned in the book by Dan Brown, Inferno. Looked it up today and wish I could get it somewhere. Looks too complicated for me to make. It involves filtering through cheesecloth. Not that I haven't ever attempted that.

Today the weather has deteriorated to hot and REALLY humid. I have art class tomorrow and there are two reasons why I MUST go, even though there is no air conditioning there. Just bought a book illustrated by my art teacher. And I have a date to go swimming and out to lunch with a friend who lives near there. Also, the owner of the art studio does not accept negativity in any form, political or weather-related. So I must persevere and try to ignore my hatred of heat and humidity. Am remembering now why people try to escape the heat by traveling to other locales.

Had to go to the Laundromat this AM. Next time, I should take MORE clothes (more trips, ugh) because my laundry is getting really backed up. It is a humbling (humiliating?) experience to go to the Laundromat. No air conditioning, not many places to sit, only the poor around.

Exercised...then ate

Felt good about getting back to aqua zumba class which just started up TODAY. I love exercising in the water - no sweat! Then met a friend for lunch and ate like a horse.
Lox and bagels and onions and tomatoes and capers and cole slaw.

South wind (book), Norman Douglas. No idea how, where or when I got this book for my Nook. It was a bit confusing with many characters living (when?) on some island (where?) talking about a lot of things. There was a volcano nearby. It seemed to be an island somewhere in the Mediterranean (Greece or Italy?) When in Italy, heard about one of the winds called a Sirroco. That wind figured in my book. Looked up Nepenthe when I got home and found that it is another name for the island of CAPRI - which I just visited! Norman Douglas lived from 1868 - 1952. He wrote this book in 1917 and it was very popular around the time of World war I. It has been described as "a conversation novel without a plot".

Inferno (book), by Dan Brown. Also read on the Nook, borrowed through the Overdrive system. Greatly enjoyed this fast moving thriller tracking down a virus before it can be released. All over Italy and then to Turkey. Many events happen in a 24 hour day and they are all life and death events and there is a lot of confusion about who is working for whom.

Getting kicked out...again

Thought it was nice that the library had put up a sign saying that the printer was broken. (They are never that thoughtful). Once I was in here, though, it seems that another printer is working. When I mentioned it to the librarian, she referred me to the circulation desk. Grrr...I give up! Am getting kicked out of the lab as there is a class happening in here at 2 PM.

Seeking peace (audio book): chronicles of the worst Buddhist in the world, by Mary Pipher. I kept thinking that maybe I had read if before? The author describes how her success brought her into a life style which was ruining her life. Her most successful book was Reviving Ophelia. She doesn't really go into the subject of her books at all. In the end, I did enjoy it, although I thought it went on too long. (AUD CD B PIPHER) Got it from the Vineland Public Library.

Feeling like a party pooper. Complained to a friend about a restaurant that he likes (Sweet Lula's in Pitman, NJ). To me it was just CACOPHONY. The are playing a movie on the wall (Little Rascals in black and white). The room is filled with large groups of people drinking and being very rowdy. Then, the hostess commences to sing and she has to sing really LOUDLY to overcome the noise of the patrons. I was with a group of five and we could barely hear each other talking. This, to me is not fun. So, I guess I AM a party pooper. Spend my time trying to AVOID parties and social situations, unless I know the people well.

Semi-famous people I have been told I look like

- Ali MacGraw (in her/my younger days)
- Jeanne Moreau (same downturned smile)
- Glenn Close (I never saw any resemblance)
- Laurie Metcalf (who plays Sheldon's mother in The big bang theory and Roseanne's sister in Roseanne) - (6/23/14)

Nice relaxing days in the air conditioned library looking up stuff as it strikes my fancy...Jersey boys, Laurie Metcalf, how to spell azalea, etc. Went to get a fig newton that I brought in but they had all been devoured.

Jersey boys (movie): directed by Clint Eastwood. Could see it again. All of the boys pretty charming, even the "bad" boy. I never felt that interested in going to see the play that others raved about so I finally got to see the movie. Fascinating. The family situations were a bit glossed over. Most of the focus was on the relationships between the band members. A bit of (suppressed) violence and interesting Jersey and mob references.

A feeling of well-being

Is it thanks to recent trip or summer or what? Or perhaps as was quoted in a New Yorker story..."He had worked as a carpenter and landscaper for years and was happy, as he often said, to have no other responsibilities but to watch the sun rise and set."

Approaching the ATM machine, I am appalled at the litter of all of the receipts people leave around. I feel sort of lucky when I see so many that say "insufficient funds" or have a balance of $8.94.

Getting more emails and enjoying them less.
- Yahoo: 20535
- Google: Hundreds
- work: thousands
- left at my previous job: thousands

Things I noticed in Atlantic City yesterday

- quite an intercultural mix - gorgeous bikini clad white folks - ethnic families - tattooed and pregnant folk - elderly casino lovers
- Hispanic woman wearing a silver revealing bathing suit covered with chains and necklaces
- Hispanic woman wearing a skimpy t-shirt that said "I (heart) black guys"
- Indians taking pictures of themselves in front of Trump Taj Mahal
- Italian woman participating in the World series of sand sculpting

Tuscany (book), photographs by Sonja Bullaty & Angelo Lomeo, text by Marie-Ange Guillaume. Since I did not take pictures in Italy, I enjoyed reading this large nonfiction book with many photographs of Tuscany. Siena was the only city I was in and I loved it. There were a lot of photographs of other cities and beautiful countryside much like what I saw.
- "The old haystacks, true works of art, can still be found but are gradually giving way to more efficient methods of storing hay." I think I only saw the big round bales of hay and not the old haystacks.
- "There are in blocks of marble images that are sumptuous and essential, if only we have sufficient genius to extract them. - Michelangelo"

The Keillor reader (book), by Garrison Keillor: I say I don't appreciate him as much in the written form as I do in the talking form, but some of these essays make me want to own the book. I especially like the final essay on Cheerfulness.
- From the introduction: "There is nothing like good material. You only had to say NEW YORK and there was an awestruck silence. You went, you saw, and now you tell the others." and: "The living wander away, we don't hear from them for months, years - but the dead move in with us to stay"

Niggas vs. Black people

This is a VERY FUNNY routine on the Chris Rock album Roll with the new. Today I went to a talk on Laughter as the best medicine. So, I got this album on Hoopla to assist me in getting laughter in my life. It is really doing the job.

It is a gorgeous day outside but I have been spending a lot of time indoors. Breakfast at the Amish market, lunch and a lecture at the health club, lifting weights at the health club and now stuck in the library using the Internet.
Looking forward to getting home tonight and staying there. I love being home when it is sunny. I have quite large windows and I enjoy the sun coming in them. When I get kicked out of the library, I will take a little "Vitamin D bath".

Found out that the wildflower workshop I signed up for tomorrow is OUTSIDE. I guess that is better than inside.

Yearning to take a picture

Wish I had taken a picture yesterday of the SEA of schoolchildren marching in front of my house. They all wear the same uniform so it was quite a sea of maroon and tan. Except for an aide (?) or a mother who was wearing a really inappropriate outfit of big gold hoop earrings and a bare midriff (and not a very attractive midriff, at that). It was ALL of the kids (or all of the SMART or well-behaved kids) from all of the schools in my town. It was a very hot day and they were happy when they got to my house because I have a big tree and there was SHADE.

Dreading a house revaluation that is coming to my town. Do they expect to get water from a stone? And how are they going to get into all of these apartment buildings with no one in charge. When I was working, I had a better excuse to avoid them, but now they might even catch me. The question is, do I let them in? Perhaps if they see the state of my house, the assessed value could go DOWN? I have decided that this is what I want. There is no way we can sell our homes for a profit anyway. Of course, they could just send in my name to the TV show, Hoarders.

The St. Zita society (book), by Ruth Rendell: I listened to the audio book. This is a very lightweight mystery. Sort of an Upstairs/downstairs thing but with too many characters. Kind of like who lives at one address but it is the neighbors and their servants this time. Not much of a mystery as the reader is privy to all of the goings on. It is just the other people who don't know what is going on. I enjoyed the Britishisms.

So ready for shavasana

That is the time in yoga at the end when we relax. I am SO happy when we get to it. Am in the mood for it RIGHT NOW!

Picture, with Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, is one of my favorite songs and I am listening to it on Youtube right now. Funny, though, when my Mexican neighbors were playing it the other night, I couldn't even enjoy it. Something about the fact that they are just plain DOMINATING the entire neighborhood with their loud parties gets me all bent out of shape. I first heard the loud music as I was leaving my house at 3 PM. Got home at 9 PM and it was still going on. So, I called the police. Enough, already! So inconsiderate.

The opposite of loneliness : essays and stories, by Marina Keegan. Poignant stuff by a young woman. full of promise, who was killed in a car crash a few days after she graduated from Yale in 2012. Questions, musings, hopefulness, all made more intense by knowing what happened to her and her plans. Borrowed it from the Vineland Public Library (818.609 Kee).

Old travel books

Can't quite bring myself to take a 2008 Rick Steves Rome travel guide on my trip. I love old travel books but it would probably be missing a lot of important info, such as the name of the Pope! Shall I just wing it? Going to Italy with no phone, camera, computer....back to the olden days of pencil and paper. Not so bad except I might miss stuff, but that is OK. I have already DONE Italy, even if it WAS 46 years ago! Also, I don't speak Italian.

Will probably return my audio book unfinished. The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star, by Susan Wittig Albert. I think I enjoyed one of hers before but this one just seems trivial and with too many characters. I have to keep reminding myself that it is supposed to take place in 1932. Don't like the readers so much, either.

Everybody's got something, by Robin Roberts. Trying to finish it before my trip. She had breast cancer and then another disease requiring a bone marrow transplant. What a great personality! Always smiling, she has a ton of friends. Has recently been more open about her girlfriend. They live separately and have no plans to tie the know anytime soon. Difficult days such as finding out her diagnosis on the same day that her morning show topped the ratings for the first time. And her transplant was proceeded by her mother's death by only a few weeks. Luckily she has sisters.

My schizophrenic day

Perhaps that is not the name for it, but I have gone from serene to angry to pissed off to happy again. Started out at Cape May Point listening to the ocean, painting in the sun, smelling the flowers, enjoying the peace and quiet. Then I drove to my town and up to get an emergency manicure for a party tonight. Top nails is so unpleasant I had to leave. No one acknowledges you and when I spoke to a woman she looked like I had done something HIGHLY inappropriate. I was hating it so much I couldn't even stay. Accidentally walked out with one of their nail polishes. That's what they get. Then working up a sweat at home trying to get all of the things done for party tonight and spending several days away from home. I am all discombobulated. Laundry, phone messages, trash, sheet of sister appreciation, stuff to wear, etc. Left with only a few minutes to get an audio book for my long drive and check the email at the library. Lo and behold...in addition to air conditioning, they had new big screen computers and the kind of mice that I like, the small, dainty ones. I am in seventh heaven! And they got FASTER too.

Am in a real Diane Keaton phase. Finished the audio book of Let's just say it wasn't pretty, humorous essays about her life and loves and kids and beauty and aging. She has 48 pictures of men "imprisoned" on her wall and is a serial house renovator. She has lived in 10 houses in 15 years. I can't imagine that!
Really enjoyed this audio book and laughed out loud in several spots.

Now someone is hacking and coughing next to me. OK, I forgot about the other irritating thing after the nail salon debacle. Came home and ALL THREE of the annoying dogs in my neighborhood were barking at once. I really do resent dogs that bark at me when I am just minding my own business. That was the best thing about Cape May Point, no friggin' barking dogs.

Things I learned about birds

There are 426 species of birds in Cape May, New Jersey. In the month of May is when songs of birds are most heard. In the Spring a lot of birds are colorful. Their plumage becomes duller in the fall. I saw a bunch of birds in Heislerville, East Point Lighthouse and Thompson's beach. The best named bird is the Ruddy Stoneturn. The cutest bird was a barn swallow. Yesterday was a great day for bird watching and rescuing horseshoe crabs. Today it was rainy and windy but the hardcore birders kept at it.

Cape May was a bit sad today in the rain. It is only limping into the summer season anyway. Saw a jogger and two women riding bikes like it wasn't even raining, but generally speaking, not much is going on. Nice and quiet in Cape May Point, just the way I like it. The body of water across from our rented house got very active later in the afternoon. It was enjoyable to watch and listen. But the very BEST part of the day was waking up and seeing the sun rise over the pond out the window while I was still lying in bed. I am looking out of a window right now and seeing the beam of the lighthouse. It is nicely framed by the window.

Read the current edition of the newspaper called Exit zero. That is the exit off of the Garden State Parkway for Cape May. It is a rag filled with advertisements and pictures of people posing and posed. You get a good idea of what goes on around here.

41,959 people

That's how many of us were at Citizen's Bank park for the Phillies game last night. I was really there to see Mike Trout, local boy and success story who still loves his home town of Millville. Let's just say it was an experience. Many nice, helpful people and then some who just gave totally erroneous information and didn't seem to care. It was all quite confusing, what with the elevators, the escalators, the condiments bar and the freezing cold wind. I found escapes....the VIP elevator entrance, the freight elevator closet and the ladies room. Mike's team won. He didn't do much exciting but then again he didn't make any errors, either. He was very SMALL as I was sitting on the fourth row up (the "nosebleed section") Our home team (the Phillies) is not his team (The Los Angeles Angels) so there was a lot of cheering to both sides. Hope I am not going to catch a cold from the extremely frigid and windy conditions. Some people had on ski jackets and gloves and there were a lot of young girls with even less clothes than I had on.

Came down to Cape May Point where my sister has rented a house for a couple of days. Unfortunately, it looks like a couple of raining, cool days.
But fun to get a change of scene.

Spent the day cancelling newspapers and mail and doing I don't know what.

I finally finished The goldfinch

Didn't get tired of it and kind of sorry it is over. Finished the 26th CD after reading only one third of the book and starting all over. A coming of age story about a few friends, all with very unusual circumstances. A fictional story about a real painting, which I saw at the Frick Gallery in New York City. A great tale of dissipation, lying, neglect and many surprises. The goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, received the Pulitzer prize for fiction.

A somewhat nice Mother's day, even though I am not a mother and I no longer have a mother (living). Whiled away the morning at church and then went out to eat with two women and their son. Discovered saffron mussles at the Green Olive. May have to replace my usual item which is a feta and spinach omelet. Of course, the BEST thing was the warm really delicious bread and the butter which helped to sop up some of the creamiest sauce I have ever had on mussles.

The day was marred by my Mexican neighbors on Oak Street who think they OWN the block. Many loud parties in the back yard. Laughing, yelling, music, two barking dogs and many friends and relatives cluttering up the place. Once in awhile I wouldn't mind....but all night THursday and now all day on Sunday. I can't even enjoy my yard and have to turn on music and TV and air conditioners to even enjoy the inside of my home. I did call the police about the extremely loud Mexican music, but I am not sure if they turned it down. I am determined to call the police once a day every day they are bothering me. It could be worse, at least they are not cursing or fighting, but still.

I love the beach off-season

Being sort of a hermit, I love the beach when no one is around. Today I lay right down on the sand as I couldn't find my beach blanket in the trunk. I had a big lunch and after driving for an hour I felt a bit sleepy. 15 minutes on each side was for my "Vitamin D bath". My, but it was relaxing! Seems like I spend my life avoiding people, crowds, bothers of any kind. Like the mother of all the arts in Millville, who insists that negative topics not be discussed in her art studio.

Returned my library book and the fine was only 15 cents. Now I am ensconced in the computer lab (no windows) at the Ocean City Public Library. Also wonderful to be in the car so I can listen to my audiobook of The goldfinch. (I LOVE Boris). I am approaching the end and am always on pins and needles about what is going to happen.

Finished another book that was assigned by my book club. I didn't like it so much. Dirt music is by Tim Winton. It takes place in Australia and involves a love triangle (?) between three people who have a lot of unpleasant histories, not necessarily together. I liked the fact that there were a lot of unfamiliar words, which I am going to look up. But there was so much unpleasantness of various kinds and the ending was really confusing. Too much about bodily fluids and the sentences are often fragments and when someone is speaking, there are no quotation marks. Not sure about other books on that point but the difficulty comes when he moves between what they are saying and what they are thinking and you are not sure which it is. It was also in large print and I sometimes wonder if that affects my view of the book.

"The Villages"

Imagine over 107,000 people over 55 living within 5 square miles. It is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country! I don't think I would like it. Too crowded with wealthy retired people. It was founded by a billionaire and is known as "Disneyland for adults". It is in Florida, not sure exactly where.

A job has become available in my area of expertise. However, it is a "starter" job, downsized to 20 hours in order to save money on benefits. While it would be nice to have some extra money, the thought of having to commit myself to a schedule is not appealing and I would rather escape from some of the people who hang out at his place rather than help them. I am not proud of that sentiment, but there it is. I was there yesterday and some people came in and sat at the adjoining table. I couldn't wait to leave. Two people, one handicapped, curse words every other word, and a rank odor of cat piss. I am very sensitive to the smell of urine and unwashed bodies and stale smoke. (Hmmm...maybe I WOULD like the Villages?!)

Nice to wake up today with only the prospect of my usual research haunt and choir practice. Sometimes I wear myself out running around to all of my various activities. Like tomorrow, when I have arthritis exercise class at 8 AM, followed by art class from 9:30 - 12:30. Then I have to run down to Ocean City to return a library book. I tried to renew it, but someone had put it on hold. French women don't get facelifts talks about aging gracefully without too much intervention.

The goldfinch

Remembered a little bird I saw in a museum so I tried to find it online. I believe it IS what gave the idea for the book The Goldfinch. It is in the Frick Gallery in New York City. I started the book and only got 1/3 of the way through it before it became overdue. Then started all over again with the 26 CD audiobook. It is quite compelling!

Finished Then again, by Diane Keaton. I love reading autobiographies and finding out who knew whom and such like that. I am eager to read her new book as I enjoyed this one on my Nook. She never married (I like THOSE role models) and adopted two children. She also went through a lot with the decline of her mother.

Someone has been in my yard and it gives me the creeps. Came home and found one of the wooden pieces broken off on my gate. Then we found a SWEATER and a CELL PHONE under the steps. Just what I need, a careless, vandalizing trespasser. I have enough dislike of my neighbors without them invading my space. Called the policeman and he was very polite and took the cell phone although he thought it was broken and useless.

Feelings of impending doom

Torrents of rain and hours of gloom tend to depress me and give me feelings of impending doom. Let me count the ways...
- small ants are back in the kitchen
- tenants have given notice that they are moving
- Ceiling is wet with leaks
- doubting all of my decisions (thank God I didn't have to have jury duty!)
- this is the second day I have not exercised (country western dancing tonight?)
- heat (oil) still needed
- it will be gloomy and rainy for art class tomorrow
- neighbors with annoying barking dog have now gotten a SECOND dog

There must be some reasons to be happy...
- my grandmother is being honored tonight
- I finally got ahold of someone I have been trying to get ahold of for a good long time
- neighbors who had the most annoying barking dog may be moving?
- weight went down overnight

Which is worse, high blood pressure or slow resting heart rate?

So, I stopped taking my blood pressure pill as it was making my heart rate too slow. Now my blood pressure is too high. Darn, I thought maybe I was overcoming HBP with my modicum of weight loss and my pathetic, half-hearted efforts to exercise. Jeez...when you get to be 66 you just think about all of the things that can go wrong. And you see them happening to many of the people around you, even the ones YOUNGER than 66.

Taking an art class. I guess I like it. It is nice to get involved in something for three hours and I have noticed that I don't think about EATING during this time. I do, however, have a lot of competition anxiety. I don't think I am very good at it and have already mentally moved on to the next project. That is one reason I don't want to go out and spend a lot of money on fancy art supplies. Yes, my materials are possibly limiting what I am able to accomplish. Today I painted a sunset that I took a picture of down at Bivalve the other night. Now, I need to think of a project for NEXT week. Every week that I have been there the day has been sunny and gorgeous. And today a woman who fell down with a stroke a couple of weeks ago was BACK and none the worse for the wear. The nurse who had guided the rescue crew went home and painted her a picture and presented it to her in a frame today. After the class, I went out in back of the barn and relaxed by the pond. Was taking my "Vitamin D bath" and waiting for my watercolor to dry. Enjoyed greatly the sounds....wind chimes in the trees, waterfall fountain in the pond, wind blowing through the bamboo trees. Add to that the heavenly odors and another artist painting a fabulous pink flowered tree. It was rather heavenly!

On my way home soon. It is a struggle to get to spend time at home so I can read and organize (ha ha) and look out the windows at the sunny day. I was supposed to have a French club meeting tonight but one and then another dropped out so we ended up rescheduling it. I am just as glad as I had too many activities today. Started off with arthritis class at 8 AM, then art class, then a substantial lunch at the Olympia Greek restaurant, then chiropractor and massage, and now computer time at the Millville Public Library. It is a difficult life (not). I guess I should feel guilty about all of my self-indulgence, but, hey, don't I deserve it?

Bollywood dance class

Went to a one hour class on Bollywood dancing at the Vineland Public Library. The teacher was in casual clothes and taught us the steps slowly. I had the usual problems of remembering all of the moves and doing some of them. I am not too good at jumping and doing things fast. The class seemed lost on the really young and the really old. The teacher kept giving us positive reinforcement ("Good job!") even though she wasn't really watching us. Some little girls were acting crazy (what did THEY have to eat?) and I couldn't keep myself from speaking to them..."Girls...we are TRYING to concentrate here". The teacher thanked me, but the mother was oblivious to their distracting behavior. One little plump boy tumbled to the ground, more than once. His explanation was, "I am not used to standing on my tip toes."

Don't know much about mythology : everything you need to know about the greatest stories in human history but never learned (book), by Kenneth C. Davis: This was a fascinating book. In the end, too many gods for me to remember, but interesting to see the similarities between various myths and religions. I was interested also to learn things that might come in handy while doing crossword puzzles. And there were some good quotes.

People around me are trashing Ancestry.com. Woman can't find name of her family in the newspaper database...she has found the names using newsbank which is supposed to be linked to Ancestry. Very frustrating interaction with customer support. She thought the woman was an idiot. My experience with Ancestry was to find my grandmother linked to the wrong parents! They even included a photograph of her gravestone, which I have visited. THAT is scary!

Feeling like a sausage again

I have lost the feel for losing weight. Clothes are getting tight again. It is just so much work and deprivation to eat the right things.

Have NOTHING check out on my library card right now. THAT feels weird. Resisting the impulse to pick something up. I need to concentrate on the 5 books I am reading right now before I get one more.

Murder of a stacked librarian (book), by Denise Swanson: Picked this up as I thought it was a library series. Instead, it turned out to be a murder series. Just happened to be a librarian this time. I found that I have read her before. About an investigator who lives in a small town and has a lot of relatives. Usually, she is deciding amongst various men, but now she has married one. Most of the chapter titles had something to do with books. The murdered woman was a stickler for the rules, libraries being just one of the places where she exerted her wrist slapping behavior. So, there were a bunch of people who she pissed off.

Every pose is not for every body

So says my Yoga instructor. It was good to be back at Yoga today. What a good way to start out the week....with a Yoga class at 10:30 AM on a Monday. A co-worker asked me how I get out of bed being retired. I realized I have something to do every day of the week that gets me up and out. Lazing about in pajamas has only been a "problem" a few days.

I am in the cocoon which is the computer lab at the Ocean City Public Library. Good things are nicely behaved people and you can have up to three hours of computer time. I don't mind asking dumb questions since I don't know anybody. I always feel like I am being a PAIN at the local libraries where I know everyone. Hope I don't forget to pick up my book, which is the reason I came down here. For the price of the gas, I could have BOUGHT the book, French women don't get facelifts.

Tried to go for walk on the beach, but it was mighty windy and cold, as I might have expected. Beautiful, nonetheless. Walked for about ten minutes with shoes on. Ankle felt OK, but felt a twinge in the right hip by the end. I don't want to be one of those people who has a hip or knee replaced or has to have a triple bypass. All of that would be HIGHLY inconvenient since I am a single lady living on the second floor.

Spring has sprung

Such a delight to walk outside and see sprouts on the trees. Even on my dogwood about that I suspected of being dead the other day. OK, I only have ONE daffodil on all of those green sprouts in the back yard, but now I know they ARE supposed to be daffodils.

Under the Tuscan sun (book), by Frances Mayes - I REread this book in anticipation of trip to Italy this May. Getting in the mood for something old and charming. About a couple who buys an old house in Tuscany (wasn't it a SINGLE woman in the movie?) They spend a fortune on renovations and are back at work in California much of the time. Goes into detail about construction gone wrong and wonderful meals and exploring trips.

Tomorrow is Easter. Playing the chimes and singing three songs with the choir. Gotta come up with something pastel-like to wear. Looking forward to the flowers and perhaps a taste of Easter candy? Not so much fun since our local candy store went out of business.

35 million of us

This is now many people are filing at the last minute. This is how I have been every year of my life. It really ruins the days approaching April 15th. Tax preparation, like cooking dinner, can expand to fill up all of the available time. I did it and redid it and had great nashing of teeth, alternating between thinking it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to do and then perhaps possible. I just don't like the RESULTS...as in owing almost $4000. BUT, I am going to pretend I didn't notice that you should pay penalties for this. (Isn't that just like adding INSULT to INJURY!)
All is not lost. I shall proceed to ask Social Security to take hundreds of dollars from my measly paycheck each month so that I can come out perhaps about even next year. Came to the library and attempted TaxAct, a free service. But I kept going around in circles and getting sort of like error messages. Then I switched over to fillable forms, but that got on my nerves, too. SO, I am back to copying each form over in blue or black ink and sending it by US mail. See, once I go online, I will no longer receive the booklet in the mail and I really look forward to reading the booklets from cover to cover (twice).

The museum of extraordinary things (book), by Alice Hoffman. Liked the title and I like all fiction writers with the first name of Alice although I have trouble telling one from the other. The book takes place in the New York of the early 1900's and the Hudson River figures prominently. Also freak shows and the Triangle shirt waist fire and mean fathers and daughters who swim like mermaids and want more out of life.

Today went on an excursion with some friends...to the National Archives of Philadelphia (a well kept secret) and to the Reading terminal market. We went to see an art exhibit called Archives alchemy. The archives was getting rid of a lot of stuff...books, papers, microfilm. They donated it to an artist group called the Dumpster divers and suggested that they make ART from those materials. My friend had one of the best ones.....they really used to wrap things in cotton and secure them with cotton RED TAPE. She somehow got words on the red tape and hung it like a door screen, weighted down with US and foreign coins. It was called, "No scissors sharp enough to cut the red tape of immigration". There was a lamp decorated with microfilm and microfilm reels going all up the pole. The exhibit has been extended until the summer and the end will coincide with the closing of this branch of the archives. They will be merging with another location which is in some far away Northeast section of Philly. A handful of archive locations are being closed down for budget cutting. Sad.

The masochism that is doing your own taxes

Why am I doing this? Is it FUN reading the booklets from cover to cover each year, twice? Am I good at math? No, no and no. Double checking my numbers in order to get the amount down that I owe, I am only finding mistakes that take me in the wrong direction. Certain mind fucks like....why do I have to pay taxes on dividends and gains NOW and then again when I cash them in? It seems wrong, so wrong. Just learned about a new form, 8949, so you can summarize from this one onto schedule D. Why did I ever think that my life would get less complicated after retirement? It still seems to be getting worse every year. I seem to owe over $3000 and that is giving me a royal pain in the ass.

We are water (audiobook), by Wally Lamb: It seemed way too long. Excruciating in spots and I wanted it to be over. Then it got OK again. Story is told from too many viewpoints and jumps around in time. First I liked it as it just went from husband to wife and you saw how they got to be the way they are. Then the kids got into it and the new girlfriend and the evil cousin. The basic theme is family secrets and how they mess up generations of people. I felt a bit more sympathetic when I listened to the interview with the author and found that he teaches writing in a women's prison and has second-hand knowledge of abuse issues with a great proportion of the prison population.

Warm today, too warm. We had guests at breakfast, which was very nice since out breakfast club has been decimated by illness and death. Sat out in the back yard as I ate my lunch and was pleased to hear only birds and cars, no barking dogs or cursing neighbors. My neighbor left me a variety of gorgeous daffoduls in a honey jar. He's a sweetie.

ERRANDS...(what I do best)

Recent legal news about a photography company which is being FORCED to take pictures at a gay wedding. Why would you even WANT someone opposed to gay marriage to be photographing you? How could they even do a good job?

Tao: Phoenix rising (performance group): Japanese drumming including dance, cymbals, flute, costumes. It was truly special. High energy made me want to go to Japanese drumming camp (if there only was one!) I loved the whole androgyny thing they had going...all part of the tao. White and black, good and evil, feminine and masculine, positive and negative. All things are really their opposite or eventually get back around to that. I loved the women not acting ladylike: dressed in gorgeous floor length white gowns with bustles and slamming the drums with all of their strength. Men with long hair dressed in skirts. Touring from Japsn and passing through Vineland, New Jersey. I thought of about 20 people I should have invited, who would have loved it.

Amish businesses have a 95% success rate and they only have an 8th grade education. What is the secret of their success?

Crossing three things off of my list

Got online - a daily need (like sunshine). Completed arthritis class this AM. The good thing about an 8 AM exercise class is that you can cross it off the list. A friend took me out to breakfast and then we went to see the Muppets most wanted movie. Seeing a movie is a weekly goal of mine.

Big beat Miami 2014 (album), by David Guetta and a lot of friends. Enjoyable as techno background but no songs that really speak to me and say SAVE ME on Youtube.

Muppets most wanted (movie): Funny with lots of famous people on for about 3 minutes each and good songs. Then I went to Hoopla and was able to borrow the album, which made me very happy. Nice seeing the Muppets travel around the world as I like seeing the world. Went with a friend to the early show (11:35 AM) and we were the only people in there so we could laugh as loudly as we wanted to without bothering anyone. It is very disorienting to come out of the movie theater and it is only the middle of the afternoon. Particularly enjoyed Tina Fey. Usher was....an usher. We had to get the popcorn, even though we had just had breakfast, because it was $2 popcorn Tuesday.

Am I multitasking?

Trying to listen to an album by David Guetta while writing. Very dance beat and techno. Song is Shot me down. On the album Big beat Miami 2014. As close as I am going to come to nightclubbing in Miami. He is of the DJ era...not sure what he actually DOES.

Enjoying using my own laptop at the Cumberland County Library. Their computers are getting so old, so slow and so undependable, that I can hardly use them.

Hoopla: New library service where you can borrow music, audiobooks, television and movies. I am enjoying the ability to borrow and listen to entire albums....what an old-fashioned concept!

Growing up Amish, by Ira Wagler: Learned a few things but, really, this book just went around in circles and wasn't very compelling. An Amish boy feels like leaving the community, so he does and eventually returns, again and again and again. I selected this from the system Overdrive (also provided through the library) because of all the Amish markets around here.

On the turntable....

A feature I like from a Japanese blog I follow. Less glamorously, I only listen to music on Youtube....right now original With a little help from my friends, by Joe Cocker at Woodstock. Boy, what was he ON?

El mariachi (movie): Saw at Cinema series at the Bridgeton Public Library. Way too violent for my current day tastes, but the protagonist was charming and innocent and was forced through a case of mistaken identity to kill a lot of people who were trying to kill him. I saw it when it came out in the early 90's at the Philadelphia film festival.

Enjoyed Amish market yesterday. Breakfast and then ran into a bunch of people I knew. Quite a pleasant place. The Amish are so restful..which is weird cause I know they work very hard.

Where does the time go?

No time to exercise today. Getting worried due to upcoming trip to Italy. Will I be able to keep up, handle it? Old, charming stuff....I love it. BUT...hard to be away from my car...walking, walking, walking and lots of hills. I can hardly walk up the steps to the second floor without getting winded. Must lose some weight and go into training. (Also getting nervous about spending, spending, spending)

Well, I WAS "busy" all day. Stopped by my doctor's office to get tested for thyroid level. Then got some cheap gas, only $3.25 a gallon. COuldn't resist! A bit late to my art class. I did a nice drawing of a glass pitcher of daffodils and a plate of fruit (apples and pears). The watercolor I did was less successful. Tried to do another glass pitcher with tulips. Teacher complimented me but then wanted me to "complete" the background. I think I ruined it. I am a very hesistant painter. Working small and constrained. When I went to paint, I had lost my paints...left them there last week. So then I stopped by the Bagel place and had an onion bagel sandwich with shrimp salad. Not that great and quite expensive. Next, to the chiropractor where I had a substitute massage person. She did it so slowly, I wasn't sure she was going to accomplish much in 1/2 hour. Also music was dirge-like. Then stopped by the new Shoprite for something different. This resulted in my being lost. And ran into an old patron who used to sing to me in Spanish and ask me out in the library. Then was tired and could not resist driving through the McDonalds to get a chocolate milkshake. Next home to rest for an hour. Listening to the radio (NPR) was not so restful so I had to turn it off. Rather difficult to get up out of the bed to come to the library but now that I am listening to Youtube and printing out some essential paperwork, I am glad I did. Really came out to be supportive of cinema series. GOing to the basement to sit in a hard chair and watch El mariachi, which I already saw many years ago at the Philadelphia film festival.

I shouldn't have hugged all of those senior citizens yesterday

Feeling a cold coming on. I HATE sick people and do not wish to become one. In fact, I PRIDE myself on my ability to not get sick. So the somewhat sore throat and the sort of sniffling is bothering me. I last had a bit of a cold around Christmas. I should have kept my distance from all of those elderly ladies who have retired along with me. What was I thinking?!?!?

At least the sun is shining. Sprung a new leak in my ceiling and am hoping it only happens when it is pouring? Usually hoping does no good with roof leaks and they rarely get better.

Don't know if I am going to be able to SING tonight. Choir practice at 7:30 PM. Taking wipes. I probably CAUGHT a cold from those stupid chimes. I seem to be the only one who cares about cleaning them off.

Bacon cupcakes?

Someone offered me a bacon cupcake, but I declined. Am trying to get back to my sensible eating because.....a woman I used to work with looks and feels FANTASTIC....I am going on a trip with much walking and MOUNTAINS.

I'm not much into April fool's pranks but here is what they did at my health club to the boss...put yellow crime tape across his door. When he opens the door to his office he will find it FULL of pink balloons. They were blowing up the balloons when I was there for exercise this AM.

Book of ages : the life and opinions of Jane Franklin, by Jill Lepore: A biography of the youngest sister of Benjamin Franklin. She lived a life quite in contrast to her brother and they did not spend much time together but did correspond throughout their lives. She was not very literate. She loved to read but had limited access to books. Her spelling was a bit iffy as she was never schooled. She spent her life bearing children, many of whom died young. She kept a Book of ages, wherein she recorded the births and deaths of family members.

Get rich carefully, by James J. Cramer: I like Jim Cramer and the way he yells his advice on the TV. The book is much more serious and I just scanned it for ideas about companies. There is no way I am going to take the time and energy required to be as careful as he is figuring out where to invest. I think that I would rather just follow his advice! He recommends listening to conference calls of CEO's and doing complicated charting.

The burglary : the discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's secret FBI, by Betty Medsger: This book was recommended by a friend and it all happened 40 years ago in Media, Pa. Really near me, but I didn't know any of the people. I was involved in the peace movement and the anti-war movement and these were the groups targeted by the FBI. The burglary brought to light the actions of the FBI quite reminiscent of the NSA revelations of today. The identity of the people involved in the burglary has remained secret for many years, but is exposed in this book. I still don't know any of them. Ended up skimming a bit near the end. I think I am more of a fiction person.