Sunday Salon...

Well it's Sunday, and winter has reared it's very white head, here in the GTA, not sure how cold it is, but it's white again, or more white I should say.  I've done fairly well with my reading this week, finished How the Light Gets In, Louise Penny.  In my effort to read more Canadian authors, I chose this book on the recommendation of Shonna of the Canadian Book Worm.  Thanks Shonna.  I read at the bottom of the book description this is the ninth Inspector Gamache mystery, where have I been?  I love Armand.  I know I have read Louise Penny before, not sure which one though, I enjoyed it obviously as much as this one.  This was a murder mystery, with historical implications, all tightly woven in a thriller.  I was trying to cast the part of Armand (Hollywood style) and could only come up with my all time fav  Gregory Peck, now that says a lot, because I normally would cast Tom Sellick or Aidan Quinn, but they don't have that wonderful Peck quality.  It would have to be a young Peck. Like the time of Atticus Finch.  Now of course I have to go and read Pierre Berton's the Dionne Years, I remember having this on our reading list in highschool, but it never arrived in time for us to complete it, quite a lot of controversy about this one.  As a matter of fact, I've now searched 3 different cities in their libraries and had no luck,  is it a "forbidden read"? The mystery continues... I'll be calling the library board in the a.m.  A five star read.

“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” —Leonard Cohen. ( Love Leonard Cohen even if he is a bit weird.)

The next reading adventure was all Trish's fault.  I'm not big on graphic novels and Jenners almost had me convinced, but when Trish said she enjoyed this one, I thought "o.k. time to stop being so old, and venture into a new reading experience".   So I chose to read Maus,1: A survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History.

I was not disappointed, and I can see the purpose for graphic novels, they offer an avenue to tell a story in a format perhaps more appealing to a younger reader. I'm not a younger reader, but found the book easy enough to read.  Love the language used, even if it was a little stereotypical. Now I suppose I'll have to read the second part.

A four star read.



Beyond my reading adventures, I'm well on my way to finishing and oak desk for my son, to replace the one he lost in our flood.  wish I could get new arms, that sanding really does shake things up on an old babe, like me.  Needless to say pictures will follow.  AND, I'm almost done with a little painted sign for a friends business, for her ladies room.  It's coming out pretty cool.

My sister Donna is coming along very slowly, (she thinks she's fine) THANK YOU LORD.  We did a small road trip with her on Friday.

It was a good news week here on other fronts as well, so once again, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, if good news is coming our way we can handle the shoveling

Up next in reading, hmm...Five Little Pigs, Agatha Christie (thanks Margaret Books Please)  

It's Monday what are you reading...

Sheila at Book Journey hosts this weekly event where we celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.

Although I got a nice little delivery last week, I didn't receive any books this week.  I'm trying to clear up my stack of books from the library.

Up next is The Welsh Girl:

Summary

Set in the stunning landscape of North Wales just after D-Day, Peter Ho Davies's profoundly moving first novel traces the intersection of disparate lives in wartime. When a POW camp is established near her village, seventeen-year-old barmaid Esther Evans finds herself strangely drawn to the camp and its forlorn captives. She is exploring the camp boundary when the astonishing occurs: Karsten, a young German corporal, calls out to her from behind the fence. From that moment on, the two foster a secret relationship that will ultimately put them both at risk. Meanwhile, another foreigner, the German-Jewish interrogator Rotherham, travels to Wales to investigate Britain's most notorious Nazi prisoner, Rudolf Hess. In this richly drawn and thought-provoking work, all will come to question where they belong and where their loyalties lie. (from library description)

I just finished reading Once, Morris Gleitzman.  This is a short YA novel, written from the point of view of a young boy, who apparently has no clue that there is a war on.  His parents have placed him in a Catholic orphanage to hide him from the Nazi's.  One day he gets a whole carrot in his soup, this is very unusual, and he takes this as a sign that he is to search out and find his parents.  As he sets out to do so, he encounters the war elements and is soon engaged in survival tactics.

my thoughts:  I enjoyed this short novel.  Perhaps enjoyed is the wrong word, but I suppose we never think of how young children view the horrors they witnessed and how did this affect them.  I am always amazed at the strength that comes forth in these difficult times.  I'm also always amazed at how uncivilized some behavior becomes in difficult times.  Fighting for survival is ugly, no two ways about it. I saw the review for this book on one of the book blogs, and thought I'd give it a try.  When my mom and I visited Poland we walked through the area known as the Warsaw Ghetto, it's hard to believe such things existed, but they did. 

Sunday Salon...

Sunday Salon finds me feeling like crap.  I've gotten this cold back again, and can't seem to shake it.  I ache, and blow my nose most of the day and night. I sound like I'm going to cough up a lung. 

It's a beautiful day here in Ontario, and I'm going to catch my breath and get out there.  I'd love to cut my hydrangeas for a door wreath, but last time I did that my plant didn't bloom for several years.  We are at the end of September, when did that happen?  

The books I enjoyed this week were Chains, and I'm presently reading Once.  Once is a short little book, written from the perspective of a Jewish child in Poland.  I'm about half way through and with coughing and such, am having a difficult time reading, but maybe today.  

I'm getting old.  On Tuesday I returned to my furniture refinishing class and I have a locker there, can't remember the combination, isn't that silly.  I had it written down someplace if I could only remember where?  I'll be chopping off that lock, and getting another. 

My companion in the "sick room" is looking out and keeping the birds in check.  He's such a sissy, the birds could have their way with him any day of the week.
Have a good week, I'm going to try.

P.S. I've been down and out for about 3 days now, and never in my married life have I sat/layed around not worrying about "stuff", it's a wonderful feeling.

And now in English...

I know for me regular readers you know I'm a research junky, and family history is something I've been trying to gather for years. Unfortunately neither of my parents ever wanted to talk about details. So it's been a long and winding road, not many records available after the war. But I'm still trying. So a salute to my mother country today in Rememberence. When I was in grade two in Polish school our wonderful teacher told us this legend of why this melody us unfinished, it intrigued me so much that when I went to Poland I'm sure my cousins were not too happy with me as I insisted we go to Krakow and listen, they were wanting to shop. I did hear it for my own ears. Apparently legend has it that the bugler was shot with an arrow in the throat and was therefore unable to finish his tune.

OH! Donna

When my parents came to Canada some 60 years ago, they tried very hard to become part of the communities they lived in. But no matter how hard you try it's hard not to remember your homeland. As more and more immigrants from Poland came to the Hamilton area a real sense of Polish Community

The Bucket List

With my many interests I receive just as many e newsletters one of which is Quietfire Designs. Suzanne sends us blog prompts. Sort of an inspiration for our blogging. A few weeks ago she suggested " The Bucket List". The Bucket List was a movie starring Jack Nickelson, and Morgan Freeman. It's a list of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. Well I must say, I have several buckets going. I have a bucket list for my painting interests, a bucket list for my art group, and of coarse one for writing. There is most definetley one for my family and the list goes on. So far I have checked off two items with my painting group. I had the privilege of painting with Maureen McNaughton at her studio this past May, and I painted with Shelley Prior earlier this year. Both experiences were well placed on my list. After talking to my cousin in Poland this week, I thought HMMMM.... should I have a bucket list for places to visit. There are always more things to do, I'll have to live for awhile I guess.