(no subject)
Wow, hot yesterday - up to 28C (82F) and this morning back down to 8C (46F). The rest of the week it's gradually going up but not past 20C (70F), which is just fine, and they say sunny till Saturday. Here endeth the weather report.
I had a fun birthday on Sunday - cake 'n' all, with great prezzies. My white orchid is now repotted in a new larger glazed clay orchid pot - and as this one is big, it's the last time for repotting - I could hardly lift the empty pot let alone one with wet chips and a lot of rooty orchid. The little one will be repotted when the blooms fall off - I have a lovely smaller orchid pot for it. And Number Two daughter Lizzie also came up with a darling little bowl about 3" across with a cat lolling along the edge on one side. She spoils me.
At the moment I'm sitting with my back properly supported with the Orbus Back Rest that Barry gave me, and it really does help that under-the-shoulder muscle - it even works if I prop it up on the sofa, though slouching is my preferred mode while watching tv.
My poor husband is visiting his surgeon today 10 days after surgery - he's been in a terrible state of fatigue most of the time, aside from living a loo-to-loo existence and suffering other difficulties. I hope there'll be a few solutions to some of the problems - most of which stem from the surgery, but the exhaustion worries me most.
The super and the interesting Jamaican chap from the heating firm have just come to say they'll be back to change the filters on the a/c system. I shall be gone by noon, though, as library and shopping are on my agenda for today.
I've been trying other writers besides the ones I like and whose latest book is not yet available. I found one who is terrific - Ariana Franklin. I've yet to read one set in Berlin end WWII, but finished her first foray into the era of Henry II, 1152 AD, and the adventures of a female doctor from the University of Salerno who is in England to do some investigating and curing. The dialogue is superbly written, the humour is subtle and sly, and Barry could not wait for the library to come up with the sequel, he went out and bought it yesterday. Being a writer and ex-producer of radio drama, he is a very picky reader...and he devoured Ms Franklin's offering. I recommend her to any who like period settings, intrigue, mayhem, murder and so forth, all very well-written.
As for most of the other writers I've sampled - thumbs down - far too wordy. Where the hell are all the editors? Most of the stuff is packed with filler - so I've stopped getting any books that have more than 350 pages unless the print is huge. Juvenile fantasy writers seem to be the best of the newer lot. They seem to keep the books fairly short, and the writing for the most part is extremely readable. These days I've no ability to read anything other than trivia - I can't make myself get into meaty stuff at all, it will all just have to wait till we're through this bad patch.
I have a class reunion coming up on the 4th June in Woodstock (Ontario, not the REAL Woodstock!), but much as I hate to miss it, we may just not be able to get there. This will be our 57th, and all the members are getting older and older. Our oldest was 90 last December or so, but the rest of us are around 75 average. Sixty-two of us graduated, and there are 44 on the list of the living. Usually about 25 or 30 attend the reunions - some live much too far (Israel, Guatemala) to come to every one, some just are not able to travel very far. My classmate in Israel came for the 50th, and the one who lives in Merced, California comes every year. Starting after supper tonight, I shall begin to phone those on this continent to get their news, and then after the reunion I'll send out my newsletter. If I can't get to the reunion, I'll have to delegate responsibility for noting who attended, and when the next reunion is to be. We left it for 18 months this time, and I decided that was too long - 12 months between is better, considering the health and cababilities of many. Not that all this is terribly interesting for y'all, is it!! I'm thinking with my fingers, I guess.
The wonderful bouquet Barry gave me is still looking beautiful - snapdragons strong, gerberas gorgeous, and two branches of star lilies are opening gradually and creating a scent that sent the cleaners yesterday into fits of sneezes when they first came in! It's pretty powerful, but after my initial sneeze when I go into the living room in the morning, there aren't any more sneezes. I can smell that perfume around the corner into the office too, and it's diluted enough just to be lovely.
I guess I'll put a picture of the bouquet in here so you can all enjoy it, even if you can't smell it.
Time to get on with other stuff like finding out what's in my email, and in the café.
I had a fun birthday on Sunday - cake 'n' all, with great prezzies. My white orchid is now repotted in a new larger glazed clay orchid pot - and as this one is big, it's the last time for repotting - I could hardly lift the empty pot let alone one with wet chips and a lot of rooty orchid. The little one will be repotted when the blooms fall off - I have a lovely smaller orchid pot for it. And Number Two daughter Lizzie also came up with a darling little bowl about 3" across with a cat lolling along the edge on one side. She spoils me.
At the moment I'm sitting with my back properly supported with the Orbus Back Rest that Barry gave me, and it really does help that under-the-shoulder muscle - it even works if I prop it up on the sofa, though slouching is my preferred mode while watching tv.
My poor husband is visiting his surgeon today 10 days after surgery - he's been in a terrible state of fatigue most of the time, aside from living a loo-to-loo existence and suffering other difficulties. I hope there'll be a few solutions to some of the problems - most of which stem from the surgery, but the exhaustion worries me most.
The super and the interesting Jamaican chap from the heating firm have just come to say they'll be back to change the filters on the a/c system. I shall be gone by noon, though, as library and shopping are on my agenda for today.
I've been trying other writers besides the ones I like and whose latest book is not yet available. I found one who is terrific - Ariana Franklin. I've yet to read one set in Berlin end WWII, but finished her first foray into the era of Henry II, 1152 AD, and the adventures of a female doctor from the University of Salerno who is in England to do some investigating and curing. The dialogue is superbly written, the humour is subtle and sly, and Barry could not wait for the library to come up with the sequel, he went out and bought it yesterday. Being a writer and ex-producer of radio drama, he is a very picky reader...and he devoured Ms Franklin's offering. I recommend her to any who like period settings, intrigue, mayhem, murder and so forth, all very well-written.
As for most of the other writers I've sampled - thumbs down - far too wordy. Where the hell are all the editors? Most of the stuff is packed with filler - so I've stopped getting any books that have more than 350 pages unless the print is huge. Juvenile fantasy writers seem to be the best of the newer lot. They seem to keep the books fairly short, and the writing for the most part is extremely readable. These days I've no ability to read anything other than trivia - I can't make myself get into meaty stuff at all, it will all just have to wait till we're through this bad patch.
I have a class reunion coming up on the 4th June in Woodstock (Ontario, not the REAL Woodstock!), but much as I hate to miss it, we may just not be able to get there. This will be our 57th, and all the members are getting older and older. Our oldest was 90 last December or so, but the rest of us are around 75 average. Sixty-two of us graduated, and there are 44 on the list of the living. Usually about 25 or 30 attend the reunions - some live much too far (Israel, Guatemala) to come to every one, some just are not able to travel very far. My classmate in Israel came for the 50th, and the one who lives in Merced, California comes every year. Starting after supper tonight, I shall begin to phone those on this continent to get their news, and then after the reunion I'll send out my newsletter. If I can't get to the reunion, I'll have to delegate responsibility for noting who attended, and when the next reunion is to be. We left it for 18 months this time, and I decided that was too long - 12 months between is better, considering the health and cababilities of many. Not that all this is terribly interesting for y'all, is it!! I'm thinking with my fingers, I guess.
The wonderful bouquet Barry gave me is still looking beautiful - snapdragons strong, gerberas gorgeous, and two branches of star lilies are opening gradually and creating a scent that sent the cleaners yesterday into fits of sneezes when they first came in! It's pretty powerful, but after my initial sneeze when I go into the living room in the morning, there aren't any more sneezes. I can smell that perfume around the corner into the office too, and it's diluted enough just to be lovely.
I guess I'll put a picture of the bouquet in here so you can all enjoy it, even if you can't smell it.
Time to get on with other stuff like finding out what's in my email, and in the café.