Communication problems

The problem is I just don't feel like communicating.  I feel out of it since the world seems to be all about communicating.  Facebook, twitter et al.

Light from heaven, by Jan Karon.  The audiobook is read by John McDonough.  I was so excited to find this audiobook in the Vineland Public Library.  I thought I had read or listened to all of the Mitford series.  In this one, Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, are housesitting out in the country several years after his retirement.  A new project comes his way and more and more people get involved in his life.  He is put in charge of an old abandoned church in the mountains.  I know these books are kind of corny and quite religious, but I just love them.  So what if people say things like "Dad gum it!"  On the container it says it is the last one in the series, but I think she wrote one or two more (that I didn't really like).  Mitford is a small town in North Carolina and Father Tim Kavanagh is an aging Episcopal priest.  According to the box, the books are "welcome reminders of the simpler and gentler pleasures of life".

Washington : a life, by Ron Chernow. I got this book on my Nook and it was quite fascinating.  You can only borrow the books for two weeks through the Overdrive system available through many libraries.  The book was 1193 pages and I didn't finish it in two weeks.  I have to keep a paper list to record such problems as this.  So, I borrowed it again and like a miracle, the book didn't expire.  I don't know why.  Sometimes they hang around for an extra week as long as you don't go around a wireless connection.  But this one lasted more than one week longer than it was supposed to.  Now I want to go to Mount Vernon.  The book followed him through his military career and through his presidency.  The inauguration was in New York City and I was reading it during the inauguration of Barack Obama.  Some of the features of George Washington's inauguration are still with us today, such as using the actual Bible and having the ceremonies outdoors.  I forgot that Philadelphia was the capital for awhile around 1790.  In fact, even though Washington started planning Washington, he never got to live there.  Interesting sidelights were his difficulties making ends meet and his actions and thoughts around slavery.  He didn't want to sell anyone, but did not want to deal with the problems of liberating his slaves.  But, as more and more children were born, he ended up with over 300 slaves (many of them elderly or young) to support.  His goal was to live until the year 1800 but he died shortly before the previous year ended.

Oreo's cookie or creme whisper fight

This was my favorite super bowl ad since it takes place in a LIBRARY.  It was funny because people are having a knock down, drag out fight, but they are whispering since they are in a library.  Even the firemen and the policemen are whispering.

It looks really cold and windy outside.  Am  enjoying hanging around my sister's nice, clean house and puttering around with her husband, using the computer and reading the New York Times.  Not real enthusiastic about returning to my life.  I am losing interest in my life. Big event for the day is going to the eye doctor, which I desperately need to do.  I am having trouble seeing the computer and many other things. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and buy new glasses, which cost as much as a small vacation.

It was fun watching the super bowl.  I won $15 and got to watch some of it from the hot tub.  It was a pretty exciting, nerve-wracking game.  I wanted Baltimore to win just because of Michael Oher, who was the subject of a book and a movie called The blind side.  He is on defense so you don't hear much about him, but his rags-to-riches story is very heart warming.

Not much to say

I think I am losing interest in this blog, along with many other things.  Is it the winter blues?

Dedicating a large part of today to reading the Sunday New York times.  I usually only do that when I am visiting my sister in North Jersey as she has a subscription.  I find the actual paper so much more enjoyable than the online version.

Managed to fit everything in this weekend.  Friday night I volunteered at a concert of Ben Williams and the sound machine.  It was jazzy and very compelling and exciting.  I should go to more concerts, even if I don't know what I am going to hear, like with this group.  Out to breakfast Saturday morning at Dodge's Market in Elmer.  A tasteful array of healthy foods.  Joined some woman friends for a lunch at a friend's house and then up to North Jersey for a family reunion of sorts.  The highlights of the evening were watching Downton Abbey (unfortunately a segment I had already seen TWICE), watching one episode of The killers and going out into the hot tub while it was snowing.

Another week of winter

Not forecast to get out of the thirties for the next week.  I hate it.  Today snow (OK, it was pretty), sun, and wind.  Not fun shoveling, but I did it.  Schlepped all of my stuff to the library but an hour will pass and I won't have time to USE any of my stuff. 

I DID throw out one bag of trash today and took one box of stuff to the donation store.  I SHOULD feel some sense of accomplishment but I just feel overwhelmed.  Trying to part with anything which has fallen to the floor.  Also, I found a box of stuff which said "too small, 2001".  So, I just got rid of it.  It was somewhat painful, but I am overwhelmed with clothes, papers, books, etc. 

I guess I should return this book, since I am in the library from which it came.  However,  I will miss it when the book club discussion comes around.  Galileo's daughter : a historical memoir of science, faith and love, by Dava Sobel.  I admit I wasn't very enthusiastic about reading this book as we just got done with another historical book and I am not that wild about science.   The book was pretty interesting and it was amazing how scientists were punished for coming up with theories which disagreed with the Bible.  Galileo's eldest daughter lived in a convent not far from where he lived in Florence.  He placed her there when she was 13.  Suor Maria Celeste wrote many beautiful letters to her father and they were both involved in each other's lives, even if from afar.  Hard to believe that someone would know enough about a topic to consider writing a book called, Discourse on bodies that stay atop water or move within it.  Galileo's contention that the earth moved around the sun was the cause of much distress for him as the Bible contradicts that theory and states that "Thou fixed the Earth upon its foundation, not to be moved foerever".  Because of his theories, he was brought before the Inquisition and had to live out his life under house arrest.  He and his daughter sent each other different types of birds that they liked to eat and she was his constant supporter.   Galileo Galilei lived from 1564 to 1642.  His clash with Catholic doctrines continues to define the schism between science and religion.

Too much going on at the library

Thought I would come to my local public library to have a peaceful computer experience.  I did not have the energy to drive one hour to The Free Library of Philadelphia in order to hear Dave Barry.  It is so cold and windy and I am not doing so well being alone.  He just wrote his first fiction books.  I greatly enjoy his nonfiction, especially his habit of exageration.

First I couldn't find a parking place.  Then I had to leave some stuff in the car because they don't have an access ramp.  So I arrived in the middle of a children's program, Tales of the H.E.A.R.T. magic and puppet show.  Kind of distracting, but the kids seem to be really enjoying it.  I also can hear the strains of The Save the library group because I know several of the people on that committee.  Only get an hour here and there is not much room for my STUFF around the computer.  Oh well, it is better than staying home.

The Irish Manor House murder : a Torrey Tunet mystery, by Dicey Deere.  I found that there were too many characters for me to keep track of.  Nice local color, though, at an Irish country manor.  Apparently, this same detective person was in another book.  Actually, she is a translator of children's books looking for a quiet place to work.  I picked up this book merely because it was a paperback and I keep a collection of paperbacks to read when I am sitting in a certain chair.

Internet access

Well, I still haven't bit the bullet and gotten Internet access at home.  Don't know where to start with all of the things I "need"...Do I get a new phone, apps, Internet, wireless, Siruis XM radio, a camera, or what?  Article on Technorati about a lot of students using the Wi-Fi at McDonald's.  I don't see it in Bridgeton.  I am usually the only one using it when I go.  I thought this fact was interesting: " McDonalds have 12,000 Wi-Fi equipped locations across America, with Starbucks adding another 7,000. Combined they provide greater access to the Internet than the 15,000 Wi-Fi enabled public libraries in America."

Driving home from my class last night, I took a wrong turn and ended up in Millville.  That is somewhat disturbing.  I don't seem to recognize where I am in the dark, even when I know the way home.  This is when I venture an hour or more away from home.

"60 apps in 60 minutes" was quite inspiring.  Our instructor was a substitute but he was really knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  If he said "How cool is that" once, he said it 30 times.  Of course, now I "need" and want apps...but will I really use them?  It was inviting in a very librarian-like way.  How could I NOT enjoy all these extra ways to find things out?  Not sure I need a news aggregator or a personal magazine.  I kind of like newspapers and magazines the way they are and the way I am using them.  The music and photo apps were really cool, though.  I can see myself using Shazam or Dropbox.  And the "find your phone" app could come in handy.

Beach access closed until further notice

I found myself in Cape May Courthouse and saw that I HAD to drive a little further to check out the ocean in Stone Harbor.  The street just off the beach was in really bad shape and closed for construction.  I tried just one street over (97th St.) and was confronted with this sign when I attempted to go up the wooden walkway to the beach.  I could HEAR the ocean, but obediently, I retreated and didn't try to bypass the warning.  This is obviously Hurricane Sandy damage.

Just a beautiful day.  Finally, the sun came out and it got up to 58 degrees according to my car.  I did my "Vitamin D bath" routine, sitting in my car, listening to an audiobook.  Drove for an hour, passing places I always think I should stop at and take a walk.  Vowing to come back with my cross country ski poles and use them as walking poles.  Had soup for dinner.  Trying to eat more SOUP and SALAD instead of my favorite food, sandwiches.  I could eat sandwiches all day long, no problem. 

I came to this library to use the computers (of course) and take a class tonight.  60 apps in 60 minutes.  I don't even HAVE apps, but am thinking about getting them.  I am at the Cape May County library in Cape May Courthouse.  I actually have a card for this library system, being the library nerd that I am.