If a day isn’t going well, I can search for a funny and if not laugh, at least feel better.
Besides, that orange cat reminds me of the kittens we are going to adopt as soon as they are weaned, fixed, and wormed. And guess what! There is a black one. So we may again have a black kitty and a ginger! And hopefully we can find homes for the rest. There are always feral cats around here. We are trying to contain what we can.
I can’t believe that I am almost finished with this book. And though I am not a fan of textbooks or history, I have enjoyed this one. This is the proof of the research Professor Deborah E. Harkness has immersed herself in. Kate Reading’s narration was fantastic. Sometimes, my mind wandered, but her voice and the energy she put into the reading brought me back and intrigued me.
I have always loved science and understand it as an evolving study. But how did anyone believe Newton, Galileo, and their contemporaries? How did we get to the point of believing in gravity and the planets around us? X-rays? Vaccines that have obliterated smallpox or polio? The beginnings of science came with alchemy, witchcraft, and people who understood herbs and gardening. If we think there is a lot of conspiracy now, consider how the idea of a falling apple becomes a fact.
This book shows how the idea machine helped and hindered our science heroes and villains. I found it freeing to think that if we listen to everyone and do our research, even the lowest of people, a child? can lead us to a new understanding.
Still, I can’t wait to see the 5th book of All Souls. I miss the characters and the time travel. I feel I learn so much better when a story is involved. I wish I had taken notes and read the book in my own textbook with a highlighter pen. I may have to reread it with those thoughts in mind.
After reading the first trio of the All Souls series, I was excited to find yet another two books. Sadly,
Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator) is no Jennifer Ikeda, who read the previous three books. Don’t get me wrong, Saskia did a fine job reading; I didn’t feel like she acted out the characters as well as Jennifer did. On the other hand, this book centers more on Marcus and his intended rather than Matthew and his wife, Diana. So the voices of our old friends don’t need to be the same.
What I liked about this book was all the time travel. Not instantaneous but through memories. Marcus has a lot of memories of the early colony days of America. Among the things he remembers is how he was made into a long-lived vampire. I do love his story. And you see what a person has to do as a ‘baby’ vampire as his fiancé has decided to become a baby to live as long as her mate. Deborah Harkness’s vampires seem different than other authors. I’m much more into the witches but that wasn’t the main subject this time.
What this series is best at is bringing in science and historical references. I think the author has researched these topics thoroughly. Yet I don’t feel her story suffers from factual diarrhea.
Since reading this book I looked for more of the series. I picked up The Jewel House thinking it was a part. I’m nearly finished reading it, and, sure enough, Ms. Harkness has done a lot of studying! But it wasn’t a part of the series. It is a stand-alone textbook of sorts. That review will come in a few days. Meanwhile, I found out she wrote book 5. I had to preorder it. I think it comes out after the 15th. I can’t wait!
I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading books 4 and 5. And if you like a little history of science, try ‘The Jewel House.’
A friend and I were chatting. The relentless sign came across the top of the screen: Low bandwidth. Yeah, our internet is unreliable. The song ‘Breaking Up Is Hard to Do’ echoed in my empty earworm filled brain.
“Yeah,” I countered aloud, “Breaking Up Is Easy on our Internet.”
The lighthouse is nearly finished. It was very inexpensive. And VERY POOR quality. The diamonds move around due to glue ‘rivers’. And the diamonds are not very smooth. So as soon as I finish the last little bit I may throw it away. At least I had a small painting to try out the light pad. This was all on my lap on the recliner. It worked.
But…
From farther away it looks better and sparkles.
I love this rechargeable long life battery light pad. Here is a little info about the light pad.
Remember how Linda had the coloring prompt? It kind of faded for a lot of us. I still want to, but find the setting up and needing a place to comfortably color difficult. Instead, my husband got into the coloring apps. He even found an app that does surprise pictures. There is no outline of shapes in the picture. You just tap the number of the corresponding color. Eventually, there’s a picture. It’s funny/cute when he and I are coloring together. Retirement has it’s surprises!❤️
After I tire of a game or two, while listening to my audiobook, I start coloring. I started the above last night. My eyes got tired so I finished this morning even before coffee. ‘Masquerade’ from Phantom of the Opera played in my head as I finished.
Though I’ve not done much knitting, I did manage 45 minutes on the stationary bike then played a couple pieces on the piano. Yay!
And not to brag, but to celebrate, lookie here! Sorry if you already saw it on Facebook. But I do feel good that even with the road trip I didn’t miss a day. One lesson takes 5-15 minutes. Some days I do all 10 languages but mostly the ones I feel most passionate about. Right now, Italian and Japanese are my favs.
What are you making, how’s your Monday? Have a great week!
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “paper.” Use it as a noun, a verb, or an adjective … or all three if you can, and qualify for ALL the bonus points! Have fun!
There was a time when my husband, brother, son, and I worked for a newspaper. I remember walking into a room full of large rolls of paper. Floor to ceiling rolls as big around as Sequoia trees.
I thought, ‘What a waste of our forests.’ I didn’t realize what we lost as we went paperless. I’ve yet to subscribe to newspapers and magazines online. They are much harder to read and enjoy in that form. I miss newspaper, magazine, and book smells. And I HATE all the ads!
My eyes don’t track well on real books, but I still have one or two to read very slowly and immerse myself in the experience. I still have a small library in my home.
And as much as I asked for paperless bills, there are still enough envelopes to keep lists of groceries or random notes scattered next to me every chair.
When everything came in the mail I had files to keep things organized. My eyes didn’t like reading things online. Even my thousands of Kindle books are difficult. Thank goodness for text-to-speech and Audiobooks.
I really want to save the trees. But a journal calls to my pen and artsy self.
Still, you won’t see me doing NaNoWriMo by hand. The yes are safe with that pursuit. Unless I ever reach a publisher desk!
I hope. I wish.
Meanwhile, can you do this with your electrical device?
I sound old fashioned. I used to love the new-fangled electronics. We started with a Commodore 64. Way back! I love all the apps and games we’ve experienced since. Just can’t sit with them 24/7. I learned to play Sudoku from some. But suddenly I’m apologizing to the trees. I love working the puzzles on paper books.
I hope there’s a way to work these things out that are pro-environment and easy on eye and arthritic hands.
The groove still sits empty. No bike, no walk, once with recorders–maybe when I finish writing this. A couple nights with the new Enya Ukulele. No piano. Haven’t straightened or sealed Dock Diamond Painting.
New slipper socks are moving along.
I haven’t touched these. Until this moment.
Same story here. Darn if touching these and writing this isn’t making a spark of desire click in.
So maybe this blog of self-awareness is keeping me honest to myself.
ADHD plays a part here. Flitting from idea to idea gets nothing done. Before I left the obsessive side was helping to get things done. And the arthritis side kept me from getting to the point of being crippled from any one hobby.
The only obsession this week has been finishing my old Sudoku book and reaching
On the other hand, it’s been nice to hang out with my husband this week.
Okay now time for Enya.
I know. Not a Uke but Bitmoji doesn’t have one for me.
Working on my series: Haven.
Doodler (zendoodle.com)
Music major: voice and piano
Mom of four great adults
Reiki II practitioner
I have been on disability/retired for 10 years now from depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.
Books, games, music, and life — filtered through the mind of a writer, drummer, and philosopher who thinks too deeply about all of it. If it moves something in your chest, I'm interested.
Darswords 
You must be logged in to post a comment.