A friend making a new blog spurred me to check out mine - how can it have been two years since I last posted? Urkkkk.
When I think of the events I could have / should have posted about . . . well I will try to catch up this winter. There were garden visits galore; two wonderful Region 2 summer meetings (in Chicago and in central Ohio) and my own garden's evolution from "new" to "established" (but with a long ways to go). There were nice trips, new jobs, a new artistic career for my husband, Bob.
And looking ahead to 2011 - it's shaping up to be a busy but wonderful year! I hope to share it with you.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Books Books Books
This topic will be edited a lot! I love to read and hate to waste my time reading something unworthy! Now that sounds snooty and I'm not - if someone loves bodice rippers and sappy romances, more power to them. To each their own. I like something with a bit more substance.
Here are books I have read recently with comments. I'm sure I'll add more as I remember them and read more. My opinions and worth what you have paid for them . . .
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls - Loved every page.
Me and Emma, Elizabeth Flock - Horrible subject but the telling is brilliant. I loved this book.
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova - Started good; I turned off it about 3/4 of the way into it. I bought this one rather than got it from the library so I may start it again in the future. And I may not.
The Divide, Nicholas Evans - OK.
My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult- Absolutely riveting. I literally was up all night reading it.
The Other Bolyene Girl, Phillippa Gregory - great book; I've read it twice. I love this Henry VIII era and she knows her stuff.
The Constant Princess, Phillippa Gregory - about Katherine of Aragon. Good read.
The Bolyene Inheritance, Phillippa Gregory - I haven't read anything of hers that turned out to be a disappointment.
Autobiography of Henry VIII, Margaret George - really a novel but very good, gives "the other side of the story" to ponder.
Mary, Queen of Scotland, Margaret George - another wonderful historical fiction writer.
Katherine, Anya Seton - great historical fiction, as was another by her:
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lansaster, Anya Seton.
Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood - Riveting.
The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult - great read.
Fall on your Knees, Anne-Marie MacDonald - Great read. I gave it to a family member and probably won't get it back.
Pale Morning Done, Jeff Hull - snore, and I didn't finish it but I remember it well so it had more impact than I thought; I may pick it up again.
Marley and Me, John Grogan - Not my usual genre but I love dogs and this book was recommended to me; it was good and very human; I cried several times.
The Other Side of the Bridge, Mary Lawson - picked this one from the new releases at the library; it was so good I got her first novel, an award winner, which was:
Crow Lake, Mary Lawson - good but not as good as the above.
Music and Silence, Restoration, The Colour, Rose Tremain - all excellent. More historical fiction.
Dalva, Jim Morrison - great character, not so great read.
Resistance, Last Time They Met, Fortunes Rock, Pilots Wife, Sea Glass, Testimony, Anita Shreve - if you get that I like this author, you're right. No sappy happy endings here but great reads.
Ursula Under, Ingrid Hill -a book I may have missed but it's set in Michigan, a wonderful book
Kite Runner, Kahled Hosseini - wow, loved it. Learned from it.
The Lake, the River, and the Other Lake - probably wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't based in Michigan - liked it; kind of sad; great characters.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston - not impressed.
March, Geraldine Books - not impressed.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathon Safran Foer - wow. Very compelling. I wanted to talk to others about this book.
Fire Point, John Smolens - another Michigan Book, enjoyed it.
Cloud Atlas, David Stephen - the strong enslaving the weak and the few that fought back. Good read.
Black Swan Green, David Stephen - I enjoyed more than Cloud Atlas.
Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russell - Jews hidden by Italians in WW2. Very good.
Harbor, Loraine Adams - failed to endear me to Algerian illegal immigrants but it pointed out how ridiculous Homeland Security can be.
Small Island, Andrea Levy - Good read.
These is my Words, Nancy Turner - The diary of a young girl/woman in the American west - great read.
Sarah's Quilt, Nancy Turner - The Sequel to These is my Words, not worthwhile reading
Two Rivers, T. Greenwood - Good read.
Mercy, Salem Falls , Change of Heart, Keeping Faith, Perfect Match, Jodi Picoult- All great reads. I love this author. She has, over the last few years, become my favorite author.
Atonement, Ian McEwan - very good.
The Gathering, Anne Enright - Didn't finish. I may, at another time.
The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent - OK
Innocent Traitor, Alisone Weir - another book of my favorite historical period. This is the story of Lady Jane Grey.
The Last Summer (of You and Me), Anne Brashares - OK
My Husband's Sweethearts, Bridget Asher - not my usual style, but I read a review in the newspaper and decided to buy it. Worthwhile, if on the light side.
The Other Queen, Philleppa Gregory - another winning story of the Tudor era; this one focuses on Mary, Qeen of Scots.
Sail, James Patterson - another on the light side, it was OK.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski - Very good read.
Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh - started it, put it down. I was having trouble following the pidgin language.
Here are books I have read recently with comments. I'm sure I'll add more as I remember them and read more. My opinions and worth what you have paid for them . . .
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls - Loved every page.
Me and Emma, Elizabeth Flock - Horrible subject but the telling is brilliant. I loved this book.
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova - Started good; I turned off it about 3/4 of the way into it. I bought this one rather than got it from the library so I may start it again in the future. And I may not.
The Divide, Nicholas Evans - OK.
My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult- Absolutely riveting. I literally was up all night reading it.
The Other Bolyene Girl, Phillippa Gregory - great book; I've read it twice. I love this Henry VIII era and she knows her stuff.
The Constant Princess, Phillippa Gregory - about Katherine of Aragon. Good read.
The Bolyene Inheritance, Phillippa Gregory - I haven't read anything of hers that turned out to be a disappointment.
Autobiography of Henry VIII, Margaret George - really a novel but very good, gives "the other side of the story" to ponder.
Mary, Queen of Scotland, Margaret George - another wonderful historical fiction writer.
Katherine, Anya Seton - great historical fiction, as was another by her:
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lansaster, Anya Seton.
Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood - Riveting.
The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult - great read.
Fall on your Knees, Anne-Marie MacDonald - Great read. I gave it to a family member and probably won't get it back.
Pale Morning Done, Jeff Hull - snore, and I didn't finish it but I remember it well so it had more impact than I thought; I may pick it up again.
Marley and Me, John Grogan - Not my usual genre but I love dogs and this book was recommended to me; it was good and very human; I cried several times.
The Other Side of the Bridge, Mary Lawson - picked this one from the new releases at the library; it was so good I got her first novel, an award winner, which was:
Crow Lake, Mary Lawson - good but not as good as the above.
Music and Silence, Restoration, The Colour, Rose Tremain - all excellent. More historical fiction.
Dalva, Jim Morrison - great character, not so great read.
Resistance, Last Time They Met, Fortunes Rock, Pilots Wife, Sea Glass, Testimony, Anita Shreve - if you get that I like this author, you're right. No sappy happy endings here but great reads.
Ursula Under, Ingrid Hill -a book I may have missed but it's set in Michigan, a wonderful book
Kite Runner, Kahled Hosseini - wow, loved it. Learned from it.
The Lake, the River, and the Other Lake - probably wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't based in Michigan - liked it; kind of sad; great characters.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston - not impressed.
March, Geraldine Books - not impressed.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathon Safran Foer - wow. Very compelling. I wanted to talk to others about this book.
Fire Point, John Smolens - another Michigan Book, enjoyed it.
Cloud Atlas, David Stephen - the strong enslaving the weak and the few that fought back. Good read.
Black Swan Green, David Stephen - I enjoyed more than Cloud Atlas.
Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russell - Jews hidden by Italians in WW2. Very good.
Harbor, Loraine Adams - failed to endear me to Algerian illegal immigrants but it pointed out how ridiculous Homeland Security can be.
Small Island, Andrea Levy - Good read.
These is my Words, Nancy Turner - The diary of a young girl/woman in the American west - great read.
Sarah's Quilt, Nancy Turner - The Sequel to These is my Words, not worthwhile reading
Two Rivers, T. Greenwood - Good read.
Mercy, Salem Falls , Change of Heart, Keeping Faith, Perfect Match, Jodi Picoult- All great reads. I love this author. She has, over the last few years, become my favorite author.
Atonement, Ian McEwan - very good.
The Gathering, Anne Enright - Didn't finish. I may, at another time.
The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent - OK
Innocent Traitor, Alisone Weir - another book of my favorite historical period. This is the story of Lady Jane Grey.
The Last Summer (of You and Me), Anne Brashares - OK
My Husband's Sweethearts, Bridget Asher - not my usual style, but I read a review in the newspaper and decided to buy it. Worthwhile, if on the light side.
The Other Queen, Philleppa Gregory - another winning story of the Tudor era; this one focuses on Mary, Qeen of Scots.
Sail, James Patterson - another on the light side, it was OK.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski - Very good read.
Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh - started it, put it down. I was having trouble following the pidgin language.
Moving a Garden
Can't believe it, but over an entire growing season, I was not able to get all plants from my old garden to new. It didn't help of course that I work full time and commuted an hour each way. It also didn't help that the soil in the new place was almost all sand - a soil analysis showed only 2% organics - and large amounts of compost had to be hauled and tilled in before any planting could be done. Then I started digging, hauling, planting. Over and over until late June when the plants started to die rather than transplant. They didn't appreciate having their roots molested in the heat and dryness of summer. And yes it was dry. We went months without rain which was unusual for Michigan.
When I couldn't plant, I spent every available moment fighting the weeds which had gotten away from me while I was trying to move, and mulching. In September, I resumed moving but ran out of weather before plants! Luckily my nephew bought our old home so I can go back to get my daylily seedlings and a few plants in the main garden which are still there.
When I couldn't plant, I spent every available moment fighting the weeds which had gotten away from me while I was trying to move, and mulching. In September, I resumed moving but ran out of weather before plants! Luckily my nephew bought our old home so I can go back to get my daylily seedlings and a few plants in the main garden which are still there.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Almost spring, 2008
Can't believe I've neglected this blog so long - gardening, then family health/death issues, and then a move were all-consuming last year. Now it's time to take a breather for a week or so before starting to move my gardens. The ground is still mostly frozen and there are drifts of snow still melting but I have been outside a couple of times, cutting back and cleaning up. In a week or so I will start preparing planting beds at the new home and by the end of April will start to move all my garden plants over. The old property is half-an-hour away. It's a lot of work but I've done it before and will do it again. This was move #14 in my adult life, and move #7 which entailed transplanting garden plants. They get more numerous as time goes on! I will leave plantings around the house at the old place but plan to eliminate the huge garden and fill in the pond. There aren't too many people that want (and can maintain) a garden that size.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
New Camera!
Anybody that knows me knows I take a gazillion photos. I love my Sony Cyber Shot for the ease of use and most of the bells and whistles (movie mode, manual abilities), but I wanted to be more artistic and DH Bob wanted more telephoto abilities.
So after months of research and intense negotiation with DH (we plan to buy two bodies and share the lenses, so we needed to agree on a system), last weekend I ordered a DSLR Nikon D80 and watched the shipment tracking across the country with a lot of excitement! Got it Friday and was shooting before dark. I had family commitments yesterday but today after it warms up some (it's 21 degrees now) I'm heading out to a nearby nature center to see what I can see. Which probably won't be much for a few weeks, but that's not the idea; the idea is to get familiar with all the controls. Next weekend a friend and I will head up north to an area where migrating snow geese congregate.
I always wondered at those photographers who rattled of the details of what lens setting, aperture, etc. with each pic; how could they write everything down when snapping so quickly? Find out the shooting details are recorded with these cameras! Duh . . . but boy will that help me learn!
So after months of research and intense negotiation with DH (we plan to buy two bodies and share the lenses, so we needed to agree on a system), last weekend I ordered a DSLR Nikon D80 and watched the shipment tracking across the country with a lot of excitement! Got it Friday and was shooting before dark. I had family commitments yesterday but today after it warms up some (it's 21 degrees now) I'm heading out to a nearby nature center to see what I can see. Which probably won't be much for a few weeks, but that's not the idea; the idea is to get familiar with all the controls. Next weekend a friend and I will head up north to an area where migrating snow geese congregate.
I always wondered at those photographers who rattled of the details of what lens setting, aperture, etc. with each pic; how could they write everything down when snapping so quickly? Find out the shooting details are recorded with these cameras! Duh . . . but boy will that help me learn!
Spring (almost)
This says it well and applies to Michigan as well as the South!
Summer in the South
The Oriole sings in the greening grove
As if he were half-way waiting,
The rosebuds peep from their hoods of green,
Timid, and hesitating.
The rain comes down in a torrent sweep
And the nights smell warm and piney,
The garden thrives, but the tender shoots
Are yellow-green and tiny.
Then a flash of sun on a waiting hill,
Streams laugh that erst were quiet,
The sky smiles down with a dazzling blue
And the woods run mad with riot.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Summer in the South
The Oriole sings in the greening grove
As if he were half-way waiting,
The rosebuds peep from their hoods of green,
Timid, and hesitating.
The rain comes down in a torrent sweep
And the nights smell warm and piney,
The garden thrives, but the tender shoots
Are yellow-green and tiny.
Then a flash of sun on a waiting hill,
Streams laugh that erst were quiet,
The sky smiles down with a dazzling blue
And the woods run mad with riot.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Monday, February 19, 2007
Pictures??? Test???
I was wondering how to make my garden pictures where if a viewer clicks on them, they get a bigger size. Mine don't do this and maybe because I made them elements instead of a post? So let's see; I'll upload this another way and see if it's clickable . . . by the way it's the lovely Sabine Baur.
Oh! That worked. Let's see if I can change the ones on the right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
