Not so Secret Halloween 2006

My fabulous present from Sarah, Thanks so much.











A halloween extra! Thanks so much!

Holiday reading

mood: relaxed

We got back from Hay on Wye yesterday. While away I managed to get lots of reading done and finished A breath of Snow & Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, about to head out on a bookring.

Earlier in the year I did a trade with a book crosser who sent me 5 of the 6 books which make up the series of A book lovers Mystery. I love sitting with a set of books and reading them back to back. I read 1-3 while away and finished book 4 this morning. I've just started book 5 and know that I will get book 6 read also this week then I can get back onto my rings.

Book 1 = Unsolicited
Book 2 = Unbound
Book 3 = Unprintable
Book 4 = Untitled
Book 5 = Unsigned
Book 6 = Uncatalogued

I am pondering what to do with the Kaewert series. I am tempted to send them out on a book spiral in the UK. Anyone interested?

One Day in History - 17th October 2006

17th October 2006 is for me not a typical day. I would usually be working with a mobile phone stuck to my ear most of the day, but this year it is holiday for me, time to spend with my husband, to read, relax and reflect.

As part of the relaxation process I spent some time working on a couple of genealogical lines that were irritating me. The Will I ordered from the Probabe office arrived. Drat it is not the will of my great grandfather, and neither is the death certificate that also arrive from the ONS in Stockport. Ironically the Will and Death certificate are related to the same person, just not to me!

I spent also spent some time looking through a very large pile of book rings that I have received from Book Crossing. This time last week I had 10 of them, this has now dwindled thankfully to two and I have started my latest read, a huge tome the latest by Diana Gabaldon. I've read the whole series this year, that is something like 6,000 pages in addition to the other 75 books already read this year.

I also replied to several emails that were outstanding to friends oversea,one in Canada and another in New Zealand.

We then spent the evening in front of the telly, watching a film. It is almost unheard of for me to sit in front of the telly, let alone remain seated for the duration of the film.

A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House

From Amazon.com

"In 1917 rural Kentucky, a young Cherokee woman named Vine, rumored to cast spells on unsuspecting men, falls in love with local Irishman Saul Sullivan, whom she eventually marries. This second novel by Appalachian writer House (Clay's Quilt) tells the story of Vine and Saul's tender relationship and the prejudice they face and eventually overcome. While Vine was not raised according to Cherokee customs, she is still aware of being seen as an outsider when she leaves her Cherokee community to be with her husband. People are drawn to her gentle and generous personality, however, and soon she forms enduring friendships with her hard-working mother-in-law, Esme, and feisty and independent midwife Serena. When World War I erupts and Saul temporarily takes a better-paying job far from home, Vine finds herself trying to ward off the unwanted advances of Saul's restless younger brother, Aaron, who declares his own love for Vine. A deep respect for the natural world and the enduring spirit of the human heart are what make this book worth reading and remembering."

I really enjoyed this book. It was written in such a gentle way that I felt that I really got to know the characters and was walking along side them.

Here is the Journal Entries

One Day in History - 17th October

I spotted the following on the Live Journal belonging to ladymondegreen_

"Make history on 17 October by taking part in the biggest blog in history.

'One Day in History' is a one off opportunity for you to join in a mass blog for the national record. We want as many people as possible to record a 'blog' diary which will be stored by the British Library as a historical record of our national life.

Write your diary reflecting on how history itself impacted on your day - whether it just commuting through an historic environment, discussing family history or watching repeats on TV." http://www.historymatters.org.uk/output/Page96.asp

I'm going to participate.....are you?

Exchange by Paul Magrs

What a delightful book. Written in such a style that it has a gentle innocence about the storyline and characters.

Young Simon is orphaned and he moves in with his grandparents. His grandmother shares his passion for reading and together they explore the neighbouring town and discover the Great Book Exchange.

Through exchanging a book at this wonderful shop (I wonder if such a place exists?) Simon's grandmother comes across a selection of books written by someone she knew from her childhood. We then follow through the memories of Simon's grandmother. Simon makes friends with Kelly, a young girl who works at the Exchange, and they devise a plan whereby the three of them can attend a reading from the author that grandma knows. What follows is a renewing of an old friendship.

This is a wonderful story, containing dealing with the sensitive issues of grief, friendship and understanding.

Thanks so much for sharing; without Book Crossing I probably would not have come across this book. The Journal Entries are HERE

Ex Libris : Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

In part I found this book to be amusing and incrediably accurate about loving the written word. I was deeply amused by the concept that even though the author and her husband had been married for some while, they still hadn't merged their books. When they do merge the books, the author writes"We were really married"

The Journal Entries are HERE

In this house, the books are still pretty much seperate. Hubby's fishing and angling books, which total about 20 or so, there are a few miscellanous books that belong to Stuart, nearly all collected since our marriage. Actually when we got married 12 years ago, Stuart only owned three books!

Small Change: The Secret Life of Penny Burford By J Belinda Yandell

I read this in one sitting, and loved it. It is especially moving once Penny has died and her husband and children are coming across exactly what Penny did with her life outside of her family home. She became her own person and I found that I was sad that Penny could not have shared part of her life with her nearest and dearest.

The Journal Entries are HERE

The Woolworths Virtual Museum

The Woolworths Virtual Museum

Flowers & Birthday!

mood: Mixed Emotions!

Thanks to everyone who sent me virtual or real cards or messages of Happy B day. I have really been overwhelmed.

I was in a meeting, when a lovely bouquet of flowers arrived addressed to me. They were placed in water and when I had chance to nip out I had a look at the card. They were from one of my team, she is leaving and sent me the flowers as a Thank you for being supportive. That is lovely and I was very touched.

It is such a shame that she is leaving, I tried hard to get her to stay, no pressure, but just making aware of opportunities for the future, but everyone needs to follow their own dreams. This is one member of staff that I will gladly re-employee.

Between Friends by Debbie Macomber

This is the story of essentially two friends and their lives through all the tears,laughs,sad and happy moments. The book is written as a series of letters,postcards,telegrams and emails and spreads across several three families and more than 4 decades. Written in such a warm and caring manner and deals with the regrets and lossed loves ones of both women. A wonderful and gentle read, focusing on the most wonderful gift of all.....friendship.

The Journal Entries are HERE

My Birthday RABCK Experiment pressie

My pressie arrived at the weekend, I recognised the sending address, so kept it sealed until the 10th! Thanks for sending RoryG

The Crimson Petal & the White by Michel Faber

I tried several times to get into this book, and then decided I would have one more attempt before sending on its way.

The truth is, I enjoyed it. Perhaps it was the way it was written or perhaps that I needed to go down with a really bad cold and have a few days in bed to get me to enjoy it. I found that I had to just keep turning the pages; and I guess that is what makes a good book.

Details of the Journal Entries are HERE

Eat Drink and Be Married by Eve Makis

I was really disappointed to see that this book failed to make it across the Atlantic as part of a book ring. The jiffy bag and the claim form were wrapped in a Royal Mail plastic bag. I rang Royal Mail, I can't make a claim against Royal Mail as this is international post. The claim must be made against the United States postal service. I emailed LyzzyBee and we came to an arangment.

So, I was delighted to receive an email from the author offering me a copy of the book to replace the missing one. Isn't that lovely. I have accepted and once read the book will continue this on a ray.

How many of me?

This is rather nifty, and appeals to the genealogist in me.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 3 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

This is the results in my married name.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 42 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

...and this is the result for my maiden name

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2006

TexasWren has just posted to the BookCrossing LJ about the Christmas Ornament Exchange. What a fabulous idea this is.I sent my parcel off last year to someone in the US and received a fascinating parcel back from someone in Canada. Who enclosed a peice of fruitcake. The cake was the same receipe that an ancestor of her husband's had taken with them to Canada from England. It was delicious and I was cheeky and asked for a copy of the recipe, which was kindly sent to me. I really must try the recipe.

Eye Colour.......

I saw a link to this fascinating web site on someone's LJ.

Basically, you insert the eye colour of yourself, your spouse/partner and both sets of parents. The calculator then predicts what the most likely eye colour any off spring will have.
An interesting site, if the subjects of Gene's interests you.

http://museum.thetech.org/ugenetics/eyeCalc/eyecalculator.html

Will of John Goucher - died 1873, Proved 1875

The will of John Goucher, one of Stuart's great,great,great grandfather's arrived today.

There was something rather sad about it, he was obviously aware that he wasn't leaving anything to most of his Children and only three out of 8 were named, but he mentions that he prays that God will watch over them and help them. I wonder what or who determined which children inherited. John was born 1799, he wrote the will in 1867 and died in 1873. The will was proved in 1875.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

Although a work of fiction, the storyline is based on one of the ancestors of the author. The storyline is about William Thornhill, a Londoner who worked on the Thames. He marries his childhood sweetheart and following being caught and tried for theft, is destined to be hung. The sentence is later commuted to transportation to New South Wales, where he and Sal, endure a life of hardship, but remain loving, strong and determined throughout.

A fascinating read for anyone who loves this period of London or Australian history, or perhaps like me has a convict ancestor.

I think that I will open this up as a book ray. Here are the Journal Entries

What a coincidence.......

Yesterday, one of the genealogical lists I am on received a posting from someone who has been involved in cataloguing a personal book collection. The owner of the collection had died last year and each book title was added to a database along with detail of photographs, notes on index cards found in the books. The chap they belonged was 80 when he died, and this collection probably spanned the best part of 50 years. Many of the books had inscriptions in them, and again these were recorded.

Then the postman delivered a slim bookring, called Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman. A delightful little book that has a certain charm about it. The storyline is amusing in parts - on merging her book collection with her husband's the author comments that they are truely married - in reality they had been married at least 5 years by this point.

As if that wasn't enough,Loopy on the BCUK list this morning posted about the excitment of reading, with these questions "What's it like for you? Do you still experience that total magic? What's the last book you read that you couldn't put down? How long ago was it? Do you still feel you enjoy reading as much as you did as a child?"

These three coincidence have all made me think about books, and actually what they mean.
When I discovered Book Crossing, I hadn't culled my reading material in 20 years. Every book I had ever bought, I still had. I had lost a few books along the way, lent them to people who had not given them back,but in the main 20 years of books sitting in my study, at the top of the house, The poor removal men,when we moved in, had to carry all the boxes of books up at least 32 stairs! Most of the books were from the wonderful,and much missed Thorps Bookshop in Guildford. I spent much of the summer of 2004 going through my books, keep or eBay. Then I discovered BC and a third pile was formed.

I developed my love of reading because of my Mum, who would buy me a book a week. I still have my set of Noddy Books all clutching the price ticket of 12p! and these are much treasured. Now, I view fiction books are Book Crossing material. There are a few that I have enjoyed so much they are part of my permenant collection, but in the main they can be replaced if I really want another copy.

Despite Book Crossing I do collect various books - those about Thyroid and various local history & genealogical books, and a few special cook books.

Yes, I still enjoy reading as much as a child. I can loose myself completely in a book and apparently, If spoken too, I grunt an answer. I recently read A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber and this was one of those books I could not put down, another book that I enjoyed was called the Granger Chronicles which was the story of a man who migrated to the US from Hungary. That particular book is the genealogy of a fellow Book Crosser, and in someway echoed parts of my own ancestry.

These three coincidences have given me much food for thought!