Sunday, March 31, 2024

So many books, so little time


What did I read in March?


The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Excellent for anyone interested in cellular biology, immunology in particular. To really understand the subject you really need a background in biology. Long. 
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce. Historical fiction. Set in London during the Blitz. 
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama. Interesting information about her family, her life, and her personal philosophy.

What am I reading now?

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone, 1932-1940 by William Manchester. (FM read aloud book)
The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton (JMM read aloud book)
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl




 

Signs of Spring

 

Redbud Tree

Fringe Tree

Barn Swallows

Redbud Tree

Bridal Wreath Bush

What I am not showing is the thick layer of yellow oak pollen which has JMM’s allergies astir. 

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Things I Like

 

Sunrise this morning

Things I like


Susan Branch admonishes us to find as many things to love as possible. She’s absolutely right. 

Books
   Way, way too many to list

Kittens/Cats

Puppies/Dogs

Food
   Cookies right out of the oven
   The bread and salad at The Olive Garden 
   My son-in-law’s burgers

Movies
   Miss Potter
   The Harry Potter series
   The Godfather series (Totally out of character for me, but true.)

My home
   Folding warm clothes right out of the drier
   Organizing a drawer or shelf 
   A clean kitchen

My family

Places
   Anywhere in Italy
   Anywhere in the UK
   Anywhere along the California, Oregon, Washington Coast

Sounds
   Classical music
    Bees on flowers
   Waves on the seashore
   Morning birdsong

Art
   Impressionists-Monet and Van Gogh
   Vermeer 

Botanical Gardens 
Birding especially in the Rio Grande Valley or the Texas Gulf Coast
Quilting

Smells
   Almost anything in the oven
   Roses
   Fresh Linens
   Fresh sea air



Thursday, March 7, 2024



I’m a bit late in posting my reading for February but better late than never. 

   Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus by David Quammen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is a bit dated and doesn’t go much into the clinical aspects but was very interesting in the hunt for the reservoir of the virus. It was heartbreaking in the parts about the deaths of the great apes from the virus. 

   Honest Aging by Rosanne Leipzig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent lists of resources. Much of the book I was already familiar with (eat right, exercise, get enough sleep) but learned several helpful things (kidneys don’t concentrate urine as well, need to consume more protein as we age).

   Graceland, at Last by Ruth Renkl. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️How I enjoy her essays on life in the U.S. South in the NTTimes! Having a whole collection of them to read at my leisure was a real treat. The book came out a couple of years ago and she now has another book of essays out that I am looking forward to reading. 


 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Book Lists

 


The lovely Brenda @ It’s A Beautiful Life had a blog post on Book Lists and since I am a very listy person, I couldn’t resist making my own lists. 


Book Lists
1. A favorite (or 2 or 3) from your childhood
  The Little House books (all of them)
  The Louisa May Alcott books (all of them)
  The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace

2. A book you read once but couldn’t stop thinking about

3. A book that shaped your life
     Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
     Today Matters by John Maxwell
     Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez & Vicky Robin

4. A book you couldn’t put down

5. A book with a favorite heroine

6. A book that creates a safe place 
     All of the Miss Read books. I go to Caxley or Thrush Green or to Fairacre to have tea with Miss Clare. 

7. A book that lifts your spirits and makes you feel happy 

8. A book you like to read over and over 
     I have read the Miss Read books countless times.

9. A book you just finished and loved
     Tom Lake by Ann Pachett

10. A book you just started and know you’re going to like
     The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama