Making Lemonade - the Treadmill, Books and Life Lessons

What's the old saying? "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Well, today I'm making lemonade, or rolling with the punches, or finding new pathways out of the forest, or any other way of switching directions on a dime. I don't often have to do that at 4:00 am, but today seems to be one of those days. 

I've never really been fond of this saying, but I 
certainly seem to live by it often enough - LOL. 

I decided that even though I'm not able to access my virtual reality scenery and runs on the treadmill until I speak to Treo and renew for another year, that I couldn't use that as justification for skipping a second day. So I decided to listen to my current audiobook instead, which worked out just fine. I use my audiobooks when I'm swimming - swimming can be a very boring activity and I've found over the decades that I thoroughly enjoy the swim when I'm listening to a book. (Then again, I thoroughly enjoy life in general with a book in my hands, so expanding that to audio wasn't much of a stretch.) 

I love listening to audiobooks while on the treadmill. I'm 
a voracious reader in any case, always having a book on 
my phone that I can grab and read at any time. Teachers 
used to have to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention 
when my head was in a book. I should have been a 
librarian just like Sharon was, but archaeology called to 
me instead. 

So I grabbed my headset for swimming and listened to my current book on the treadmill this morning and it worked very well. The time just flew by. I also ended up finishing that book today, so it's time to load the next one. I've already converted the format of the next book in the series to MP3, so I just need to load it onto my headset to be ready to listen to the next book in the long series. I think there's only one book left after this one before I'll leave Drizzt Do'Urden and Menzobarrazon behind me and start a new, lengthy series for my swims. 

The character of Drizzt Do'urden is complex, tortured, 
sometimes happy and triumphant, often confused, and 
possesses a strong moral compass and a stream of 
compassion that simply didn't work well with his heritage 
at all. As a character, he's complex, a bit super-human, and 
shows unexpected angles that make him interesting and 
an excellent focal point for a LONG book series. 

I'll contact my treadmill people today and renew my virtual runs, although I really didn't mind listening to my book at all while on the treadmill. That actually worked better than I could have imagined. I still enjoy looking at scenery instead of a white-screen with advertising on it, however, so I'll re-up the virtual. Usually I listen to Sirius XM while on the treadmill, but I might switch over and listen to my books instead, while looking at my scenery. The only thing I'm addicted to in this life is books, and I have no intention of attempting to overcome that addiction ... nope! Not at all - LOL. 

There are many things in this world that I could become 
addicted to. Books are my addiction of choice, and having 
audio books as well as the ability to download my books 
to physically read onto my phone, means I always have a 
book available at any time. It's nice to not have to carry a 
physical book along. Since I always have my phone with 
me, I always have a book that I'm reading without the bulk 
of a physical copy. These modern times are a book 
addict's dream! LOL

So, I'm wrapping this up and grabbing some breakfast. DH awakened more than an hour early, which also doesn't help me get grounded and into work mode. So, breakfast and some tea will have to suffice. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Sleep, Treadmill Updates and a Book Series to Recommend

I'm exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. It wasn't overly hot, although it's beginning of summer warm. I didn't have anything to worry about, although with the world as it is right now, worry is subliminal and constant. I have no reason why I couldn't get more than four hours of sleep last night, I just know I'm going to seriously regret that over the next few days. 

I awakened shortly after 2:00 am and simply couldn't 
get back to sleep. So I finally gave up, did my morning 
meditations for an hour, and now I'm here, writing my 
daily blog at least an hour early. *sigh* I'll be dragging 
by the end of the day. 

What do you do when you can't sleep? Usually I just turn over and tell myself I'm being ridiculous, that I still have X hours left in which to sleep before I have to get dressed for the pool/treadmill. I then turn over and return to sleep. Not last night, however. I'm quite frustrated and rather upset at myself, but it's the way it's going to be today. I'm just going to look like death warmed over. I can't even catch up tomorrow because I have to work for Chickie who has appointments at Mayo Clinic. *sigh* *grrrr* 

When my treadmill is in the full upright position, it 
locks into place using that metal piece that sticks 
out from the left side of the frame. To release that 
lock, you pull up on the orange handle that you 
can see peeking through the arm closer to you. 
One thing I really love is the full panel on the 
underside of the machine. We pulled that off, as well 
as disassembled other parts to make sure everything 
was ok, and it's really nice how clean the interior 
of the machine was because it has this full panel. 

My treadmill repair guy, Jake, came by yesterday./ We took the treadmill apart looking to replace the part that is sticking out of the treadmill on the right side. But ... apparently it's actually supposed to stick out. It's a retractable doorstop, in essence. When I move the machine to an upright position (for cleaning or for maintenance), this piece fits behind a metal bracket on the base which locks it into that upright position until a lever is pulled to release it to vertical once again. It's actually rather nifty and interesting. I'm not sure why I hadn't noticed it earlier, but I've been using the treadmill much more since my recovery from cancer, so that's probably the reason. 

I was really grateful that I had Jake there to talk me through 
lubricating my belt. I had watched the video online, but it's 
much easier to do it with someone else familiar with the process. 
My #8 Metric Allen Wrench is the perfect size for the back 
screws that need to be loosened to slacken the belt, and I 
now know how much lubricant to apply. After Jack left, I 
took a quick trip to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought my 
silicone lubricant. I'm ready for the next time I need it. 

I had a chance to get some cleaning done on the machine, though, and Jake taught me how to loosen the belt for lubrication and tighten it back up again, as well as how to adjust the belt from left to right so that it runs straight. All in all, it was a successful visit, even if we didn't really accomplish a great deal. 

The first book in the series is "Born of No 
Man" which is actually the story of Merlin, 
not Arthur. It's an outstanding series, she's 
really done her research into the history of 
the realm at the time, and she manages to 
bring all of the more "supernatural" aspects 
of the legend into a more realistic framework. 

Finally, to end up this post, I'm recommending a series of books to all of you. It's the "Once and Future Hearts" series by Tracy Cooper-posey. Right now there are 11 books in the series, with two more planned and in the works. It's King Arthur with solid research, a vast cast of characters, the politics of the day and times across the British Isles as well as in Normandy, and it's killer! She's done her research, she knows her characters and she knows her history. Everything of the legend is plugged into the history of Britain and it rings true. If you enjoy Arthurian literature (and I've read just about every book published in that genre over the decades), I highly recommend this series to you. And with that,  I'm off to the pool and my final swim of the week. Have an excellent Thursday and Slava Ukraini. 

A Drone and A Book - It Was a Bit of a Crazy Day Off

I bought myself a new toy last week, and had a bit of time yesterday to try and learn how to operate it. It's a little drone - LOL - cute as anything, less than $40 total, so inexpensive enough that if I can't learn to operate it, or if it won't do what I want it to do, I won't feel guilt giving it to my next door neighbor's kids, or simply tossing it. 

It's a cute little drone, and it probably will do exactly 
what I want it to do, I just have to play with it a bit 
more to understand how the software is set up. I did 
take it outside to fly it a bit yesterday, and it flies nicely. 
I ordered more batteries from Amazon too, since each 
battery only lasts for about 10 minutes of flying time, 
and my drone only had a single battery. 

It's Chinese, of course, which means instructions are minimal, at best. Although I managed to get it to fly, and learned how to avoid crashing it, what it's not doing - that I need it to do - is broadcast photographs of what it sees to my phone's camera setting. Digging into the internet for answers, I found a drone dude who uses a lot of them, and he said he had no problem getting the drone to sync with his Apple phone, but when he tried an Android phone, it was crickets - no image at all. I'll continue playing with it when I have some time, but since I bought it because I wanted to take a closer look at the condition of my roof and gutters, if I can't broadcast to my phone to actually see what I need, it's useless hardware for me. It's fun though, although a bit frustrating. 

The Terro Ant Killer DH has been using to get rid 
of our mini ants, seems to be working very well. 
I haven't seen any ants at all over the past two 
days. We'll keep this up for a week or so, and then 
see if that's the end of them for a while. We'll 
have to keep an eye on things, though. Just in case. 

The ants seem to have packed up and left town. We're not seeing any - alive or dead - but we're continuing to put down fresh poison. For those of you who have used Terro Ant Bait in the past, how long should we continue to freshen our bait? I'm thinking 1-2 weeks, but I really have no idea. It does work a treat, though. Within 24 hours, the ants were a short chapter of history. 

I owned this version of Anya Seton's 
book. I'm quite sure it's still a well-worn 
copy in the upstairs library. I read on my 
phone these days - my library is electronic 
and at my fingertips at all times. "Katherine" 
was one of the first e-books I purchased 
because I couldn't imagine not having it t 
hand to read. It's been a decade or more since 
I last read it, but I'm loving it just as much as 
the first time I cracked it open as a teenager. 

I've dived back into a book I've loved since I was a young girl. "Katherine" by Anya Seton, was a book I first read as a teenager. I totally fell in love with the character, as well as how well it was written, piling through all of the author's other books after I finished this one. I purchased a copy of it for myself later, and that copy has seen heavy use ever since. It was one of the first e-books I bought when I purchased my Nook e-reader, and I was out of current books to read, and looking for something when I came across it on my lists. I keep lists of the books I buy, by the year, on my phone. I would totally mess up and purchase things second (or third) times if I didn't have lists. 

What makes the story interesting, isn't so much the romance 
between John of Gaunt and his third wife, Katherine, as much 
as their children - the children became the Tudor line in 
British history, and that was an important line indeed. Katherine 
was a mother of kings for generations to come. 

To return to the focus, however, "Katherine" tells the tale of a young woman, child really, who grows up to be and direct ancestress of the Tudor line of Kings and Queens of England through her second husband, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. She was the sister-in-law of Geoffrey Chaucer, and of course, John of Gaunt was a Plantagenet, a contemporary of Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II. It's a fascinating time in the history of England, and I had forgotten how very much I love this book. Picking it back up again after many years is like welcoming an old, dear friend to the door of my house for an extended stay. Just the Best Thing EVER. 

"Books are like people. Some you meet once and that's enough. Some you want to get to know better, and whenever you are with them you discover more about them. Some are old friends you haven't seen in years but to meet them again is a joy."

My mother never re-read books. She never understood why I would ever want to do such a thing. I, on the other hand, re-read books often, if they're good ones. I've read Tolkien's trilogy more than 100 times, and I've probably read "Katherine" at least 50, and "Atlas Shrugged" more than 30. I re-read books that I love because they bring me the same joy re-reading them as they did when I first cracked open their covers. It's like meeting old and dear friends again at a party, instead of getting to know new people whom I've never met before. Old friends are wonderful - in real life and in books. I'll close this now, return to my tea and my book, have breakfast and try to have a productive day at the shop. Too bad I can't fly my drone there - maybe I could resolve the software issue while at work. But no, I'm pretty sure I'll be far too busy with computer work to spend any time playing with my drone - LOL. Have an excellent Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday morning. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

A Book, Some Deep Thoughts and Hockey - That's Life

I'm in the middle of reading a rather sobering book. Now, normally I'm fiction all the way - adventure novels, fantastical novels, alternative worlds novels. But when the right nonfiction book comes my way and moves up on my reading list to be the next one, I dive into it with as much enthusiasm as I would with a new Tolkien tale or a new plate full of Narnia. So, here's one I'm recommending to you, even though I'm not even half-way through it yet. 

I strongly recommend this book to all of you. It's actually 
a really easy read but it tackles a very difficult subject 
with a thorough look at the historical path that has gotten 
us to the political point we're at. Whether you're 
Conservative or Liberal, or in the USA or elsewhere, it 
can help you understand where our politics is coming 
from, and possibly where it's going to. It's a bit 
frightening, to be quite honest. 

Politics confounds me, but it influences how I can live my life, as well as the lives of those friends and acquaintances both near and far. This book is a bit frightening, but I can absolutely see the pattern the author, Bradley Onishi, is pointing out in its' pages. The title? "Preparing For War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next". If that doesn't send shivers down your spine, it should. It should. Grab a copy, read it. If you're in the USA, read it and think hard about your town or city, your state and your national elected officials. Are you frightened? You SHOULD be. It's enough to turn my stomach, and I can so easily see the progression through his pages and my own studies of history over many years. 

Kids play together after school - they'll 
gather at one person's house for a few 
hours, or they'll hang out at the local 
library or the playground at the local 
park or school. Kids gather together. It's 
their nature - they are "pack animals" in 
essence. 

Those of you in nations which have existed for centuries probably look at the USA as an upstart - a baby in the world of great nations, movers, and shakers. You're right. We are the new kids on the block - the ones with the nicely paved basketball court and a large lot behind the house for baseball and football pick-up games. We're the house where Mom bakes cookies to give to visiting kids, and the TV has all of the latest games and 3-D headsets. In other words, we're the house where everyone wants to come after school. We've built it that way. 

In my childhood, we'd get home from school, dump 
our books into our rooms, change clothes, and run 
outside. I lived in a block where there were at least 
20+ kids within just a few houses, and there was always 
somewhere to go or something to do. It was great! 

But underneath that wholly welcoming exterior, is an interior that's quite a bit more selective. That interior welcomes everyone with open arms, and then cleans the areas where certain people came just a bit harder. Where the guests might get a meal that's a bit less in quantity, or a bit more burnt or stale than the meal the rest of the family is getting. We're jovial and hospitable on the outside, but we're really not on the inside. That difference is coming through loudly in this upcoming election, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to once again be ashamed of my own country within another year or two. 

Right now, we can probably add "No Immigrants" to 
this list. That would include just about everyone "else" 
and would make that far right quite happy. It turns 
my stomach, however. It makes me sick and ashamed 
of calling myself a citizen of the USA and what I had 
been taught that we stand for. That freedom, that only 
seems to actually be available to white, Anglo-Saxon 
people, not so much for anyone else. 

But, enough negativity for today because I'm really not pointing out anything you're not already aware of. My ice hockey team (MN Wild) are on an extended road trip, with the final game of this trip taking place tonight. Then they'll have a few days off until they're back home on Tuesday. They'll have several recovery days then, until their next game on Sunday the 3rd, but they return to the road until the 10th because this weekend and next weekend are the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament (just finishing today) and then the Boys State High School Hockey Tournament (starting on the 6th of March). These are MAJOR tournaments, great fun to watch, and a lot of stars of the future are playing in these games. They're FUN to watch, and I plan to be listening or watching all of the Boy's Tournament games. A lot of NHL players came through that tournament. 

This photo is from the Boys State High School Hockey 
Tournament in 2022. Do you see any open seats there 
in the Xcel Center? No? That's because there AREN'T 
any. Every seat is occupied, and many more were turned 
away at the door. The State High School Hockey 
Tournaments pull in the crowds (the boys tournament 
especially, but the girls tournament is picking up 
steam too). This tournament is where you will find 
the stars of the professional leagues and the scouts are 
most definitely watching every game intently. I'm hoping 
my nephew Flynn will be goalie here in a few more 
years. He has that level of talent. 

On that hockey note, I'm out of here. I need to find something positive to focus on, and hockey seems like the best idea today. I'm wearing my Kaprisov jersey, cheering the Minnesota Wild team on their road trip, and watching/listening to the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament which wraps up tonight. The girls may not skate as fast, but they can hit just as hard - LOL. Have an excellent Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Thoughts of Books - Wandering Off the Road

Do you take a daily vitamin (or two?)? If so, thank Casimir Funk, whose birthday is today. Check out Google for additional information, but I'll be thanking him when I take my daily vitamins later this morning. Right now, however, I'm sitting down with my first two cups of tea of the day, and old friends and acquaintances popped to mind out of the blue. 

Sometimes you just HAVE to leave the road, jump 
the fence, and explore what's on the other side - the 
side that might be less safe, but far more interesting. 

You know how when you don't push your mind to stay between the white fences and only walk on the road ahead, it suddenly jumps those fences and you end up thinking wildly divergent thoughts? My brain apparently is declaring a holiday from straight-forward thinking and instead, is gamboling through the flowers and pitfalls of memory. Crazy thing, brains! 

Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Darkover" series has a total of 
27 volumes in it. The Drizzt Do'Urden series I've been 
listening to while swimming has a total of 39 books, and I'm 
getting close to finishing that series. I'm looking for my 
next series, and Darkover might be the ticket. She did some 
amazing world building in that series. 

For some unknown reason, my mind shifted to book series I love, and Darkover came to mind, which of course led to its' author, Marion Zimmer Bradley. She's been dead for many years now, leaving a tarnished history behind her. She had been the Golden Girl - the author at the height of her profession, who had won every award it had to give her. Until her daughter accused her and her second husband of child abuse and the proverbial "shit hit the fan". Those castle walls she had been building around her with her many awards and her rightly-praised series of novels came crashing down. 

Marion Zimmer Bradley was accused of child abuse by her 
daughter. The main force of the accusations fell upon her 
second husband, but she was also an accessory and not just 
an innocent standing at the side. A lot of people got rid 
of their MZB books, and a lot of places pulled them from 
the shelves and refused to sell them any more. I have 
almost the complete set - they're beautifully crafted books. 
She might have been a horrible person, but she was an 
excellent author and world-builder. 

Her most popular series were two very different ones, the Mists of Avalon series which was set in Authurian times, and her Darkover series, science fiction at its' best. Every award it was possible for an author to win, came to her. She founded the well-known Society for Creative Anachronism, and the lesser known Center for Non-Traditional Religion. 

The Renaissance Festivals of the SCA members 
is far more than our light gathering of assorted 
costumes and mummers. It's a stickler for 
accurate costumes and court proceedings. We're 
rather low-key here for our Ren Faire, but 
these folks are the "real deal". 

Why did I think of her this morning? Because I'm in the middle of listening to one very long series (the Drizzt Do'Urden books) but I'm also thinking about what I might want to listen to next. I'm contemplating the Darkover series. I own all of the books, but if I listen to them, I'll have to purchase the audio books, and I'm not sure they're even available. At the time of the scandal, many book sellers eliminated her books from their offerings. I'm also unsure about potentially sending any royalty funds to a convicted pedophile, even though she's been dead for years. But I'd dearly love to return to Darkover - a fascinating world, complex and deep. It's a moral dilemma that I'll work out at some point. But I still have eleven Drizzt Do'Urden books to listen to, so it's not an immediate issue. 

"Darkover Landfall" is the first book 
of the series. I think I own almost all 
of the Darkover books. I might have to 
venture into our library and take a peek 
one of these days. But, listening to them 
on audio might be the perfect thing. 

So I'll leave all of you today, starting a very busy "day off" as usual. I want to get my repairs complete so that I can contact the owners and send them back home again. I don't think I need to cook anything, so it might be a non-kitchen day off - VERY rare. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

A Trip to "The Uncles" Was A Journey of Lost Trails and Complex Roadways - I Needed Aragorn

On Sunday, DH and I took a trip to the "Dark Side" - i.e., Minneapolis. We wanted to go shopping at Uncle Edgar's/Uncle Hugo's Bookstore - a bookstore that we frequented for many years. They got burnt to the ground in the riots following the George Floyd killing - a very bad time for Minneapolis, and one that caused riots throughout the Cities, even spreading quite close to my own shop (the pharmacy across the intersection from my shop was burgled and then burned to the ground. 

This is the old location of Uncle Edgar's and Uncle Hugo's 
bookstore in Minneapolis. It was 1/2 block north of Lake 
Street, right in the center of where the civil unrest led to 
riots and fires after the murder of George Floyd. It was a 
tough few days for the Twin Cities in general. 

The owner of "The Uncles" wasn't sure about reopening. But the bookstore is unique - very focused with a deep inventory and lots of signed copies and one-of-a-kind finds. Any book there has to be a mystery (Uncle Edgar) or deal in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Uncle Hugo). In the past, their old building had the two sections totally separate with a small hallway separating them. 

After the riots, this is what remained of Uncle Edgar's and 
Uncle Hugo's bookstore. Of course, most insurance policies 
have a clause absolving them of any responsibility in the 
case of civil unrest, so there was no insurance to help the 
owners start again. They were very unsure about bringing 
"The Uncles" back to life again. 

It was an adventure getting there. Although I had directions written down, I still managed to miss the correct exit off the freeway and that dumped us into roads we had never been on before. I found out where the Rapid Transit Maintenance station is located because I ended up on their grounds for a while until I found a place I could turn around to get back off their property. I'm quite sure I was trespassing! 

Don Blyly's a stubborn old goat, and he has a lot of support 
from customers and from authors around the world. "The Uncles" 
is unique as a store, and has always been strongly supported 
by the authors. This was no exception. They rallied around him, 
did fundraisers, auctioned off signed copies of their works, and 
dug into their own pockets to help Don open once again. Don 
found a space that had been used by a craft store and supplier, 
and moved in. He opened in late August/early September, less 
than two miles away from his old location. 

But finally, after going too far north, then too far West, and finally East and a bit South, we found the new location. It's actually not hard to get to, I guess Minnion just wanted an adventure - LOL. The store took over the location of a stained glass and handicrafts store that went out of business after COVID. It's a large open room, but looking around, seems as if it also has a basement with an elevator up and down - handy for heavy boxes of books. Of course, they had lost everything in the riots, so all of the shelving was new, and they already have boxes and boxes of used books available. There weren't a lot of customers, but it was a steady flow in and out, and the store "welcome" dog was as welcoming and sweet as always. 

They just got their new marquee mounted a week or two 
ago. Their space is now officially theirs. There's a US Post 
office directly to the left, and a church to the right. It seems  
like a good space for him. I'll have to contact him and 
resubscribe to his newsletter. It's good to have him back 
once again. And now that I've been there once, I know 
the route I want to take to return there. It'll be MUCH 
easier and won't require trespassing onto anyone's property 
any more - LOL. 

I ended up with a single book and DH purchased four. There was one Dr Strange book that I wanted, and it's still perched in my mind. I might have to go back and check again for that one - if it's there when I go again, I'll buy it. Their new books are always at a discount, and the book, originally $24.99, is listed at $15.40. A great savings. But where will I put it? That's the question. No books are allowed in this house unless we have the space for them. One more reason why I read e-books. 

Four Non-Fiction Books in a Row! Some Book Recommendations For You

Yesterday was a quiet day off. Not a lot happened, so I can finally move off and talk about books. I always have my nose in a book - physical books before the digital age, books on my Nook app for the last 10 or so years. I'm a voracious reader and always have been since the time I first learned how to make sense from those squiggly characters printed across a colorful page. I get my love of reading from both parents - Dad loved more scholarly books (history was his favorite genre), Mom was more a reader of current "literature" - aka basic contemporary novels. Dad treasured and cared for his books, Mom absolutely desecrated them - tearing off the pages and tossing them away as she finished them so as not to have them cluttering up the house. (I always found that to be appalling, even when my own home was being overrun by books). 

As I mentioned several days ago, although I normally am a reader of fiction, I ended up with four non-fiction books in a row on my TBR list. I'm currently almost through the last of the four, and thought I'd review them with all of you, my readers. (All four books were, of course, purchased as e-books). 

I ended up buying and reading this book because 
it sounded intriguing. I liked the approach of the 
author, and it was an easy read. I was reading this 
while I was on Jury Duty, so I got a lot of reading 
done in the hours of waiting and waiting some 
more - LOL. It kept my interest despite my 
circumstances. 

The first book in the list is by J Warner Wallace - "Person of Interest - Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible". This is far from normal reading for me. My computer guru, the son of a former Baptist preacher, and I argue theology often. I'm an unapologetic pagan, he's a "born again" Christian who loves to debate. We banter back and forth, neither giving up ground but each appreciating the arguments of the other. The POV of this particular book is quite different. It's written by a homicide detective and he constructs his argument in much the same way that he reconstructs a cold case that remains to be solved. It pulled me in, and I truly enjoyed reading the book and recommend it. 

"The Danish Girl" was new to me, probably 
because I'm not really a watcher of much 
film. I gather the film was quite popular and 
well done, though. I found the story to be 
fascinating. What a brave woman she was. 

Book #2 is "The Danish Girl" by David Ebershoff. Although not 100% accurate as a biography, it was a fascinating read about an amazing person - Lili Elbe, a transgender woman who was one of the first to undergo gender confirmation surgery in 1930 - really a LONG time ago. Although I have several trans acquaintences, I had never heard of Lili Elbe before. I didn't see the film (2015) and knew nothing of the artwork in which she was a featured model. But there was a Google Doodle about her and reading a synopsis of her life made me interested. So I purchased the e-book and read it. What a fascinating woman and what an amazing life she had. Again, highly recommended if you haven't read it. 

I'm well aware that this book won't be for 
everybody. But I've been studying and 
reading about Auschwitz and the other 
camps, etc for most of my adult life. My 
own ancestors were almost all killed 
here at Auschwitz. It's my heritage, I 
guess you could say. 

Book number three was a slow read - not because I slowed down my reading, but because of the subject matter. "The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World" by Jonathan Freedland is highly recommended, but not an easy read. This is a new book, published in June of 2022. It tells of Walter Rosenberg (who later changed his name to Rudolf Vrba), one of four young men who managed to escape from Auschwitz to bring the information to the world about what the Nazis were doing in Southern Poland. This is NOT an easy read, even for me who has read hundreds of books about the Holocaust and more than twenty just about Auschwitz. However, it reads well and is well researched and presented. After reading this you will have a better appreciation for how the few can dominate the many and how easy it is for people to just follow orders. It makes me want to hunt down The Auschwitz Report that Vrba and his companions released to the governments of the world, expecting that they would rise up against the Nazis and stop further transports of Hungarian Jews. That didn't happen, although Britain immediately increased their bombing raids. Most of the world governments, however, sat on their hands when they finally read the report. Shame on them! Shame on all of us. Read this book, if you dare. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from "Spare" but 
I was pleasantly surprised. It's highly readable, 
very well constructed, and I'm really 
enjoying the book (while being appalled 
at the British Press). I'm glad Harry moved 
to the USA. Our press is also a PITA, but 
not nearly as bad as the British press is. 

I'm almost finished with the fourth of my non-fiction books - "Spare" by Prince Henry. I wasn't sure what I would get when I started this, but what I did get was an eminently readable, coherent, and comprehensive book about the machinations of the British Monarchy and the British press. The press is reprehensible, and the Monarchy is excellent at turning a blind eye to them. Again, it's a very readable book about the younger of the two children of Princess Diana. I never thought I'd ever say this, but "I recommend this book" - LOL. I'm amazed and appalled at what the British press is able to get away with. I read this and understand without any hesitation, exactly why Prince Harry and Meghan moved to the USA. Our press is obnoxious over here too, but it's not nearly as horrid as the British press. Awful people, fun book to read. 

So there you have it. Four non-fiction books that I've read recently IN A ROW! I'll probably finish "Spare" today and return to fiction, although these books prove, in many respects, that fact is far stranger than fiction in many cases. If you're looking for a new book to read, however, I've offered some up for your consideration. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Nightmare Alley (the Book) - Not for the Faint Hearted But Worth a Read

Today I'm giving you a book recommendation that will NOT be for everyone. I'm fairly familiar with books regarding carnivals and sideshows from the Depression era on into the early 1940's and the setting and genre of books of this era fascinate me. Over the past two days I was engrossed in "Nightmare Alley", by William Lindsay Gresham, and although I'm off on my next book now, I wanted to share the introduction to the book with all of you (just click on the link). Some of you may be familiar with the various movies that have been made of this, but I really can't see that this would translate well to the screen. It's something that perches in your gut and gnaws on you from the inside out, the way a good tale will do. It's also an interesting window into a lifestyle that most of us couldn't imagine. The intro is long, but worth the read (just follow the link above). The author, William Lindsay Gresham committed suicide a few weeks after his fifty-third birthday. 

"Nightmare Alley" is a book that will haunt 
me for a long time. There's some exquisite 
prose in here, and the characters are 
really well presented. The scene isn't that 
far away from us - less than 100 years 
distant. Although it's been made into 
film twice (1947 and 2021) I can't see this 
transferring easily to the screen. 

On a brighter note, I spent most of yesterday working on the next group of crystals for Etsy. I've been working on the set-up sheets for the photographs - making sure that every crystal is labelled with the name and the appropriate product number, and that those are accurate. Changing an incorrect listing once it's been uploaded is a total PITA. I got totally through all of the round crystals and the 10 mm, 8 mm and 6 mm sizes of the bicones, so it was a lot of work. I'm still working on the 4 mm and the 3 mm bicones before I'm ready for the actual photography sessions. I'll have to reprint all of the layout sheets before I can begin that, and I'm waiting on a part for my printer before starting the project. Still, it was a day of progress and I'm pleased with that. 

I haven't had any time to work on my Etsy listings for 
more than a month, so I grabbed the opportunity to get 
some work done yesterday. I've got the rounds ready 
to reprint and photograph now, and I'm almost finished 
with the bicones. 

It looks like I'll be busy doing computer work at the shop today too. DH warned me that he left a lot of work for me - tons of price tags. We used to have a fairly easy way to generate our price tags, but our sales program hiccuped and we have to hand-enter every tag now. It affords us some flexibility, but it also slows us down - a LOT. Telling the computer to generate 50 tags vs actually typing in 50 tags is a real time sink.

I looked into whether I can have my HSA funds applied to my braces. IF I can get either my Dentist or my Orthodontist to "recommend" braces for me, then the expense will be justified and allowed. I went ahead and transferred some uninvested funds into my personal account yesterday just in case, so that I can afford the downpayment. I'll talk to the Orthodontist when I see him next week regarding a recommendation. I think straightening my bottom teeth will save my gums and teeth, I'll have to see if I can get him to agree to that. 

It's nice to have the ACC show back again. It used to be 
a Spring show, now it's in the Fall, but there's always 
something wonderful to look at. DH says he can go 
through the show in an hour. It takes me a bit longer 
than that - LOL. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have a glorious Saturday and a good weekend. We have the last weekend of Renaissance Festival tomorrow, so we'll go out for a few hours to enjoy Fest for a bit, and to purchase our season tickets for next year. Then my Sundays can return to normal ... except the ACC Craft Show is next weekend, so I'll be attending that next Sunday morning. At least that's indoors and doesn't require cosplay clothing choices - LOL. Enjoy your day - Slave Ukraini 

Reading and Education For All - I'm An Addict

This week's writing prompt has been whirling around in my head and I have to break down and actually write something - it's not going to be submitted on time if it's only in my head. But I'm also foot deep in decisions about photographing the next batch of crystals, finalizing my master sheets for this next shape, and exploring things like temporary adhesives, thinking use of one might make the photography easier for the round shape. 

The problem with round beads is they roll. But they're 
still going to be easier to photograph than the next shape - 
the bicone shape. I'll have to use an adhesive with the 
bicones which will add to the processing time. 

But all of that can be put off until after my swim. It's Thursday, and the final day of my swimming days this week, and I plan to enjoy it to the max. I left my audio book in a crucial place, so I'm excited to get back to the plot as well as into the water. Listening to my books while I swim is one of the better things I do for myself. I'm a voracious reader, and that's one more way to get some reading time in. 

I love nothing more than reading. I always 
have a book ready on my phone at all times, 
and I listen to books while I swim or 
fast-walk on the treadmill. I'm a proud 
addict of books. 

I was always the person in class who had to be told to put the book away. Teachers never had any problem getting me to read ... just getting me to read the assignments was sometimes tricky. If it's a book I want to read, however, no problem, ever! I've had my nose in a book since I first learned to read, and I suspect a book will topple from my electronic screen when I die. Other people knit or crochet, paint or compose, I write and I read. Yes, I bead, I work with silver and copper to make jewelry, I make multi-media art projects, and I spin and sew, but underneath everything I do is a book. 

Of all the addictions I have had in my life, books is the 
only one I celebrate and venerate. I'm unashamed at 
this addiction ... in fact I'm proud of this addiction. 

Do you have something you're addicted to? I totally and proudly admit that I'm addicted to the written word - on a page or spoken in a recording. There's nothing much better than reading - that transportation to other worlds, meeting other beings, and being in totally different situations. 

I am a firm believer in education for ALL. It worries me that 
so often the education of women is pushed into the back 
or forbidden completely. Some of our best thinkers, 
scientists, authors, and others have been women. It's hard 
to be a mover and shaker in the world if you're unaware 
of the world outside of your village or nation. 

I suppose that's one more reason why I think education for all is so important. How can someone read if they are not taught how to do so? Yes, these days they can listen to a book, but you still have to choose a title, a genre, an author. For me, reading is a gift that I'm eternally grateful for. On that note, I'm off to the pool to listen to more of my current audio book. Have a wonderful Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Etsy, Reading, Planning, and My "Day Off" - Busy, Of Course

It's Wednesday, so my "day off", a day for grocery shopping and food preparation, a day for computer work and housecleaning, and in general, a pretty busy day. I did allow my 8mm Swarovski cube pages to go live on Etsy on Monday afternoon, after looking things over once again. I might still change my approach, but at least they are out there and I know my prices are low-to-middle-of-the-road. That's where I wanted them - I needed a bit of wiggle room in case I decided to do any sales down the line. 

I released the 8mm Swarovski crystal cubes 
section of my Etsy platform yesterday. I'm 
working on the next size - the 6mm cubes - 
and hope I can release those next week. Just 
nailing what I want for pricing right now. 

I'm still working on the 6mm cubes and hopefully will get some computer time this afternoon to continue work on them. I probably could have worked on them yesterday - it was a really slow day at the shop - but I was silly and just not in the mood, preferring to read my e-book. To be honest, I'll usually choose a book ahead of almost anything else, and have since I was a small child. Books are my friends - familiar, reliable, and constant. 

I'm almost ready to dive into the third 
book of the "Obsidian and Blood" series. 
Just a bit more of the appendix of the prior 
volume to finish up. I love a good book, 
but hate it in a way, because I'd much 
rather bury my nose into the book than 
do the various household chores I have 
waiting for me. 

I finished "Harbinger of the Storm" yesterday (although I'm still pouring through the end notes), and I'll start the last book of the trilogy "Master of the House of Darts" today. I know I spoke about the books just yesterday, but they are really quite extraordinary, so I'm a bit tied up in the series right now. I know this is one series I'll be sorry to see end, but ending one gives me the opportunity to begin another - it's a pleasant thought to this book addict. 

Next year's trip to New York City will more than likely 
be the last time I go there. I'm not really into the City, 
although I like the cultural elements. I don't do 
Broadway, but do hope to hit at least one museum. I've 
been through New York before, and was quite happy 
to leave it behind. 

Of course, DH is all "You're not going to New York" after yesterday's subway attack. I merely responded that I was. (This is all next year for my family reunion - so quite a way in the future). I told him that I don't take the subways - I've always taken cabs to get where I need to go. Actually, in this case I'd probably be taking a Lyft or Uber, but it won't be the subway. I've never been that fond of being underground, even though I rode them a lot in London. But, also, this doesn't happen for A YEAR! *sigh* 

Crime exists everywhere - in the cities and in the 
rural areas. I'll probably be just fine when I visit 
New York and then travel onward to visit a 
 couple of friends. DH will go crazy, though. He 
always expects the worst, I always anticipate 
the best. 

Like any major city, however, New York City has crime. So do we here in the Twin Cities, and so do the smaller towns and cities scattered across the world. There isn't anywhere without some crime in this day and age - a sad fact, but a true one. I'm still focused on my trip to New York in 2023, and I'm really hoping it comes to pass. I can't really do much about outside forces, however. 

OK, I'm wrapping this up and calling it done. My first laundry load is in the washing machine, my shopping list needs to be filled out and done, and I have the pool calling to me. Time to get my act together, go swim, and start my Wednesday. Hope yours is wonderful and I'll be back tomorrow.