Seems like everybody is being afflicted in one way or another this spring... now the gov't is warning about the Swine Flu... what next? Pollen has been bad this month. Probably no worse than last year at the same time, but it seems like my dark green car has been 'yellow' longer. (I should get out and wash it, or at least hose it down, but I never seem to remember until I'm headed out to go somewhere, and then there's no time....).
Last week was a perfect spring week - weatherwise. Balmy days and mild nights, with breezes that could more rightly be described as Winds... keeping our windchimes singing all day and night. It has been a 'open door week' all week, but alas, this is changing now, even as I speak. The high of 85 yesterday and Saturday won't be reached again until the coming weekend. Rain is predicted, starting tonight and lasting for several days (depending, of course, of which TV weather forecast you listen to).
Rain is the Last thing I want or need for Tuesday, when about 12 or 13 women will converge on our house for the woman's club meeting and luncheon. About half of our group use walkers or canes to aid mobility, and they will all have trouble enough climbing the steps to get in... no matter which door they use. Rain won't help the problem (though it might settle some of the pollen dust, for a change).
We went to Holly Springs on Saturday for the Marshall Co. Gen. Soc. meeting. We enjoyed the drive down and back, and lunch at the restaurant on the Square was good, as always. Everyone says the Newsletter just 'keeps getting better and better', and I'm gratified that it's so well received.
This coming Saturday, May 2nd, is a Bridal Shower for our granddaughter, given by the ladies of the church in Jackson she has attended and loved while she's been living there.
I have complained, for years, that there are not enough Saturdays in April and May to accomodate all the activities that take place... in which I'm involved. I am not alone in wishing this, though. Others have expressed the same idea.
Now I will have a Full day today, getting ready for the Club meeting tomorrow. I will keep my fingers crossed that the friends will be able to come in between showers - if we should be so lucky!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Another Thursday
I wonder how Thursdays manage to crop up so fast every week. Monday segues into Thursday in a seeming 'blink of an eye', and it's time to go to the Book Store for another day of helping folks find the books they've been seeking. FUN !
Rather than discuss a long list of frustrations that have occurred for me since I last posted, I'll just say I hope everything works out and all those involved will try to understand the problems.
After I finished enjoying "Rhett Butler's People" (yes, I did enjoy the book - for the most part), I decided that I needed to reread "Scarlett", Alexandra Ripley's 'sequel to Gone With the Wind'. Fortunately a copy surfaced at the Book Store, and was set aside for me, so I didn't have to wait or hunt.
I did not remember how large this volume is! 800+ pages make for a weighty read.
Question: did the two authors confer before tackling the extended lives of Scarlett and Rhett? I would be interested in delving into the background of each writer, to see what their thinking really was when they tackled these huge projects. My questions arise as I read the two stories back-to-back, and find discrepancies abounding. Did Margaret Mitchell ever mention a brother in the Butler family? I don't recall ever hearing of Rhett having siblings... much less a sister and a brother. The brother has two different names, too, in the two stories ... he's 'Ross' in 'Scarlett' and something else entirely in 'Rhett Butler's People'. His personality differs, too...
I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run, but it does make me wonder. Now I may have to reread GWTW to refresh those memories, separating the movie version from the Mitchell book.
I am still questioning the 'happy ending' of the book about Rhett. When I get to the end of 'Scarlett', in a few more days, it will be interesting to compare the two. No, I won't allow myself to read ahead to find out.
Rather than discuss a long list of frustrations that have occurred for me since I last posted, I'll just say I hope everything works out and all those involved will try to understand the problems.
After I finished enjoying "Rhett Butler's People" (yes, I did enjoy the book - for the most part), I decided that I needed to reread "Scarlett", Alexandra Ripley's 'sequel to Gone With the Wind'. Fortunately a copy surfaced at the Book Store, and was set aside for me, so I didn't have to wait or hunt.
I did not remember how large this volume is! 800+ pages make for a weighty read.
Question: did the two authors confer before tackling the extended lives of Scarlett and Rhett? I would be interested in delving into the background of each writer, to see what their thinking really was when they tackled these huge projects. My questions arise as I read the two stories back-to-back, and find discrepancies abounding. Did Margaret Mitchell ever mention a brother in the Butler family? I don't recall ever hearing of Rhett having siblings... much less a sister and a brother. The brother has two different names, too, in the two stories ... he's 'Ross' in 'Scarlett' and something else entirely in 'Rhett Butler's People'. His personality differs, too...
I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run, but it does make me wonder. Now I may have to reread GWTW to refresh those memories, separating the movie version from the Mitchell book.
I am still questioning the 'happy ending' of the book about Rhett. When I get to the end of 'Scarlett', in a few more days, it will be interesting to compare the two. No, I won't allow myself to read ahead to find out.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Easter Week
Last week was full of a variety of things - appointments, meetings, preparation for our family gathering/Easter supper at our house, and so forth.
The appointment with my 'new' doctor was less than inspiring after a 2-hour wait, which he explained when I finally saw him. His partner was not there that day and 'emergencies happen'. But the apology did not make the wait any shorter. AND I don't look forward to changing all my meds because he 'didn't like my BP numbers'.
I actually made two buttermilk pies from a recipe one day, to be shared at our Easter supper. I enjoyed the process even if it was a bit tiring. But the pies were not as tedious to put together as the chocolate chip cookies later in the week. The cookies are for the club meeting today, and I cautioned hubby not to eat a single one...but wait for leftovers, if any.
Easter service at our 'old' Church on the Square was well attended, and we were joined by our daughter and one granddaughter - always a delight. I was surprised and pleased by a mid-afternoon phone call from Paris, France. Jessica and I had a nice Easter Visit by phone. She'll be returning home in mid-July! Our supper that evening was a lot of fun, with 15 members (out of 28) of our family present. Lots of laughter and lively conversations around the table that was loaded with good food. The buttermilk pies didn't get the attention I'd hoped for since others brought three kinds of cakes and goodies for dessert, too.
In the meantime, I have enjoyed reading "Rhett Butler's People" by Donald McCaig. The cover says that this is "The authorized novel based on Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind". Depending on your personal point of view and background, this can be a 'good' read or a boring one. It gets mixed reactions. Starting before the "War Between the States" (aka the Civil War or The War of Northern Agression") the author chronicles the events that formed Rhett Butler into the man we first met in GWTW.
I enjoyed the book, except for the parts that were exceeding tedious reading. I kept relating to "Scarlett" and the original "Gone With the Wind" and the movie version.
Ironically, I turned on the TV looking for a program that hubby had mentioned and found that the Cecil B. DeMille classic was playing in its entirely on one channel. I had to force myself away from the TV, or be hooked for the rest of the evening.
Now i'll be watching for a copy of "Scarlett" to surface at the Book Store so I can reread it and remember why I did not like it very much.
The Friends of the Burch Library's big Spring Book Sale starts tomorrow at the Library, and I'll be serving as cashier for the members-only presale from 5 to 7 p.m. This is always a fun time for me to meet new friends and visit with old ones while helping with the sale.
The appointment with my 'new' doctor was less than inspiring after a 2-hour wait, which he explained when I finally saw him. His partner was not there that day and 'emergencies happen'. But the apology did not make the wait any shorter. AND I don't look forward to changing all my meds because he 'didn't like my BP numbers'.
I actually made two buttermilk pies from a recipe one day, to be shared at our Easter supper. I enjoyed the process even if it was a bit tiring. But the pies were not as tedious to put together as the chocolate chip cookies later in the week. The cookies are for the club meeting today, and I cautioned hubby not to eat a single one...but wait for leftovers, if any.
Easter service at our 'old' Church on the Square was well attended, and we were joined by our daughter and one granddaughter - always a delight. I was surprised and pleased by a mid-afternoon phone call from Paris, France. Jessica and I had a nice Easter Visit by phone. She'll be returning home in mid-July! Our supper that evening was a lot of fun, with 15 members (out of 28) of our family present. Lots of laughter and lively conversations around the table that was loaded with good food. The buttermilk pies didn't get the attention I'd hoped for since others brought three kinds of cakes and goodies for dessert, too.
In the meantime, I have enjoyed reading "Rhett Butler's People" by Donald McCaig. The cover says that this is "The authorized novel based on Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind". Depending on your personal point of view and background, this can be a 'good' read or a boring one. It gets mixed reactions. Starting before the "War Between the States" (aka the Civil War or The War of Northern Agression") the author chronicles the events that formed Rhett Butler into the man we first met in GWTW.
I enjoyed the book, except for the parts that were exceeding tedious reading. I kept relating to "Scarlett" and the original "Gone With the Wind" and the movie version.
Ironically, I turned on the TV looking for a program that hubby had mentioned and found that the Cecil B. DeMille classic was playing in its entirely on one channel. I had to force myself away from the TV, or be hooked for the rest of the evening.
Now i'll be watching for a copy of "Scarlett" to surface at the Book Store so I can reread it and remember why I did not like it very much.
The Friends of the Burch Library's big Spring Book Sale starts tomorrow at the Library, and I'll be serving as cashier for the members-only presale from 5 to 7 p.m. This is always a fun time for me to meet new friends and visit with old ones while helping with the sale.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Mutual friends
I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting a new old friend last weekend at a DAR-connected meeting. She is new to me, but I've heard of her for several years in relation to DAR project activities.
Learning her name, I introduced myself and immediately we connected! She formerly taught at the school three of my grandchildren attended, and she knows them all. She also knows their mother, and admires Pam greatly.
It's always fun to meet someone who knows the same folks I do, and especially when they're my relatives. That gives us 'mutual friends' automatically.
The meeting took place in a new-to-me Library in another part of the county. I was amazed at the size and scope of that building, and once inside I was overwhelmed with the busyness of the whole place. Granted the parking lot was pretty full, but I really didn't expect to see that much indoor activity on a beutiful spring Saturday afternoon.
The traffic on Germantown Parkway was horrendous on Saturday afternoon, so I chose a different route for my return trip. Traveling that way was a revelation, too. I didn't realize how much building and growth has taken place in that part of the county. No wonder that Library was built with such enormous dimensions. It serves a huge segment of the population. The meeting and my return trip took longer than I expected, and hubby was 'just beginning to worry' when I walked in the front door.
Learning her name, I introduced myself and immediately we connected! She formerly taught at the school three of my grandchildren attended, and she knows them all. She also knows their mother, and admires Pam greatly.
It's always fun to meet someone who knows the same folks I do, and especially when they're my relatives. That gives us 'mutual friends' automatically.
The meeting took place in a new-to-me Library in another part of the county. I was amazed at the size and scope of that building, and once inside I was overwhelmed with the busyness of the whole place. Granted the parking lot was pretty full, but I really didn't expect to see that much indoor activity on a beutiful spring Saturday afternoon.
The traffic on Germantown Parkway was horrendous on Saturday afternoon, so I chose a different route for my return trip. Traveling that way was a revelation, too. I didn't realize how much building and growth has taken place in that part of the county. No wonder that Library was built with such enormous dimensions. It serves a huge segment of the population. The meeting and my return trip took longer than I expected, and hubby was 'just beginning to worry' when I walked in the front door.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la...
Gilbert and Sullivan had the right idea when they wrote that song... '...bring promise of merry sunshine'. (The Mikado)
Our weather forecast for today is less than optimistic, Gilbert and Sullivan notwithstanding. We'll wait and see. Hubby's friend just called from Minnesota saying the TV shows tornadoes possible for our area today, and the friend was worried about it. I hope his fears are unfounded! I don't see anything like that on the weather map I consulted. Yet.
I keep enjoying all the beautiful flowers that are blooming now - the vinca, wisteria,azaleas,lingering red bud tree blossoms, whitening dogwood blooms, and all those other flowering trees that I mentioned the other day.
We lost a huge hedge of wisteria to the renovation/reconstruction next door last year. I miss those beautiful cascading showers of lavender! We do still have a few vines on the other side of the yard, in the fence row, and they're beginning to show color - but nothing could compare with what was on the west side of our property.
The neighbors' azaleas and tulips almost make up for the loss of wisteria. Those azaleas in both neighbors' yards are magnificent. We also lost a late-blooming azalea plant to our new driveway installation. I'll replace that bush sometime. It's encouraging to see the old hydrangea bush at our back steps putting out new green. The mate to that bush succumbed to the deep freeze of winter-before-last. I kept hoping it could come back from the roots, but it did not. These bushes were ones that my grandmother planted and nurtured during her lifetime in this same old house.
Our weather forecast for today is less than optimistic, Gilbert and Sullivan notwithstanding. We'll wait and see. Hubby's friend just called from Minnesota saying the TV shows tornadoes possible for our area today, and the friend was worried about it. I hope his fears are unfounded! I don't see anything like that on the weather map I consulted. Yet.
I keep enjoying all the beautiful flowers that are blooming now - the vinca, wisteria,azaleas,lingering red bud tree blossoms, whitening dogwood blooms, and all those other flowering trees that I mentioned the other day.
We lost a huge hedge of wisteria to the renovation/reconstruction next door last year. I miss those beautiful cascading showers of lavender! We do still have a few vines on the other side of the yard, in the fence row, and they're beginning to show color - but nothing could compare with what was on the west side of our property.
The neighbors' azaleas and tulips almost make up for the loss of wisteria. Those azaleas in both neighbors' yards are magnificent. We also lost a late-blooming azalea plant to our new driveway installation. I'll replace that bush sometime. It's encouraging to see the old hydrangea bush at our back steps putting out new green. The mate to that bush succumbed to the deep freeze of winter-before-last. I kept hoping it could come back from the roots, but it did not. These bushes were ones that my grandmother planted and nurtured during her lifetime in this same old house.
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