04/06/23
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Ann @ 5:21 pm
Technical difficulties on my end. My blog site was down and I had to use a ‘chat room’ to consult with the 24/7 technical support. But let me be clear, there was NO chatting at all, only typing. I’m a slow typist and struggled to keep up the so-called dialogue. After 20 minutes the first chat person passed me on to a Level 2 chat person, who soon passed me onto a Level 3 chat person. I was promised a resolution to my problem within 48 hours. It took 72 hours. They recommend I find a new web hosting site since my current blog platform is almost obsolete. I’m hoping this blog will find its way to my readers, as I attempt to navigate the online world of blog sites, etc. Yikes!
Spring is officially here and I’ve been prepping my lawn and gardens. I removed the burlap wraps from around all our bushes and shrubbery, and each burlap wrap was placed in separate labeled bags for next winter. I’m also trying to do some spring house cleaning which, of course, includes trips to the Goodwill Store with donations. Then I’ve prepared a large box of plastic eggs - each one with a small prize inside for our annual Grandchildren Easter Egg hunt on Sunday afternoon.
On the Saturday before Easter family and friends will be gathering for a Bridal Shower for our Mechanical Engineer granddaughter who will be married next August. It’s a happy exciting time for them and all of us!
On Sunday we will host a traditional Easter family dinner, expecting only18 this year as some are unable to attend. It will be a good time, though a bit of work with all the preparations. Thank goodness everyone brings something to contribute to the meal.
I’ve read only four books this month.
(And I’ve had no time to write. But trust me, stories are percolating in my brain.)
The Spirit of the Horse by William Shatner. 2017. Nonfiction. Autobiography. Surprisingly the author is now in his 90s and very articulate. His lifelong love of horses is documented on every page. It’s a well-researched book with lots of history woven into his tales. If you like horses, this would be a good book for you to consider reading.
Wish You Well by David Baldacci. Fiction. 2000. (Inspired by the author’s mother.) This is Baldacci’s 6th novel. He and his wife started a foundation for adult literacy after it was published, named Wish You Well Foundation. He’s written dozens more best-selling novels since then. In this novel the protagonist is a 12 year old New York city girl. Her distracted father crashes the family car and dies, Louisa and her brother were protected by their mother, she’s been in a ‘wide awake coma state’ ever since. Virtually leaving the children orphans. All three are sent to live with their great grandmother, their only relative, on a mountain in western Virginia, the same grandmother who had raised their father. The children’s adjustment to rural life is engaging and beautifully written. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. Wish You Well was our book club’s choice for March and it generated a very good discussion. It was a strong factor in the club voting to read another book about the women of Appalachia.
Heartburn by Nora Ephron. 1996. Fiction - based on autobiography of her life with her husband, Carl Bernstein. Her wit and heartache ripple through the pages. The protagonist is a young mother with a two year old son and seven months pregnant. It covers a six week period of her life from the time her husband tells her he’s in love with someone else until a few weeks after her baby is born. She’s an excellent and acclaimed writer. I found the book to be more sad than funny.
The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women. Edited by Kami Ahrens. 2023. Nonfiction. Oral History. This anthology includes the stories of 21 women of varying in ages from their 20s to their 90s. But it’s almost like the mountains are a constant second character in each of their stories. These women are strong in their convictions and work ethics. Most came from very large families. However, these women had only about half as many children as their mothers had birthed. They all had a strong sense of community too. It was our book club choice for April and I look forward to the discussion later this month. It’s an excellent book. I’d never heard of the Foxfire series before, it’s all in the women’s own words as they were interviewed and taped by high school students starting in 1966 in the southern Appalachia mountains of Georgia and South Carolina. It’s a worthwhile enlightening read.
We became hooked on Michael Connolly’s Bosch series on Prime. There are six seasons and then two additional seasons, called Bosch Legacy. Only season one of Bosch Legacy is currently available for streaming. They are so well written and acted. The author is one of the show’s executive producers and also a frequent writer of the weekly scripts. We also streamed the mini-series, George and Tammy. I was never a big fan of George Jones and Tammy Wynette but after watching that I became one. I cried after watching Elvis as I did after watching George and Tammy. It’s horrific how managers drug up people to stand out on a stage and make them earn every last dollar they can.
Till next time, stay well and keep reading my friends.
Later, Ann
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