Friday, September 06, 2013

Going Solar Weekly Link Round-Up



This time next week, Casa Kittling should have an array of solar panels on its roof. Denis and I are looking forward to this with a great deal of anticipation. I've been the recipient of some of Denis's research into solar power, and I think that many Americans are woefully misinformed about it because that's the way the power companies want them to be. If Denis and I can afford to do this, then many other Americans can, too. We're far from being monetarily rich. It's long been my opinion  that-- with the amount of sunlight it receives-- Arizona should lead the world in solar power and technology. Do we? Not even close. Germany leads the world in solar technology. Germany, a country that receives far less sunshine than the entire United States (with the exception of Alaska).

Okay... where did this soapbox come from, and how did I get on top of it??? Someone give me a hand to get off this thing before I hurt myself....

Louise Penny
On a completely different note, it was four trips to The Poisoned Pen for me in less than a week. Two of them were consecutive packed houses for Louise Penny and Kathy Reichs. I've got my autographed copy of How the Light Gets In, and after finishing the excellent The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester, I'm going to dive into Louise Penny's latest this very afternoon.

When getting my book signed, I thanked Louise Penny for her Scene of the Crime interview here on Kittling: Books, and I brought up something that I'd wanted to say for a long time. What caught me by surprise was the lump in my throat and the tears springing to my eyes when I told her that her Acknowledgements were always an important part of her books for me "because you write about Michael [her husband] the way I feel about mine." Gracious lady that she is, Louise Penny did not bring attention to my sudden and unexpected discomposure, but focused on the heart of what I was trying to say. "We are both so very lucky, aren't we?" she said with a gentle smile. Yes, Louise, we are.


Bookish News & Other Interesting Tidbits

I  ♥  Lists

Book Candy
  • Can you imagine the patience and creativity it would take to create fore-edge book paintings? Take a look at a few!
  • And my favorite link this week: built and used as a recording studio, this log-cabin-on-wheels looks like a neatly stacked pile of logs. With its windows, desk, bookshelves, and lounging facilities (that you can see in the small video at the end of the article), I think book lovers and writers would love to have one of their own for more literary pursuits. I know I certainly would!

That's it for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure. Have fun!
   

6 comments:

  1. Keep us up to date on the solar power! I would love to do that. We generally got a lot of sun, too, but, haven't been lately. We've had a gloomy, cool summer.

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    1. I would imagine I'll be keeping you all posted, complete with photos, Kathy!

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  2. Good luck with your venture into solar! My sister and brother-in-law have a solar hot-water system, which they like a lot.

    P.S. - I envy you living so close to a fabulous bookstore like The Poisoned Pen!

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    1. We were thinking of solar hot water at first, Lark, but then Denis began checking into going "the whole hog" and the rest is history.

      And... I'd envy me, too, if I didn't live here!

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  3. Cathy - I love it that you're getting solar panels! I hope that the process of putting them in will go smoothly. And thanks for the links. As soon as I saw the Dr. Seuss one I got a big smile. So good to hear that his books are now going to be available as ebooks for a new generation.

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    1. I think we had identical smiles on our faces about Dr. Seuss, Margot! :-)

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