This has certainly been a period of adjustment, and although I wonder how long it's going to last, I know that it will take as long as it takes. My sleep patterns have been disrupted, and now it seems that I'll be sleeping a few hours in bed at night then taking an afternoon nap in my recliner. Whatever works, eh?
I'm also finding it difficult to get back into the swing of blogging. When I come in here and look at my desk and computer, I have the tendency to see them as objects of torture. These past few months, I've spent countless hours on the computer and speakerphone dealing with one uncooperative business after another. As I conquer the last holdouts, this spot will no longer feel like a medieval torture chamber.
I was shocked and saddened at Robert Redford's death. I guess I thought he would live forever. I've been having a Redford movie marathon and remembering the three years I lived in Provo and got to meet the gorgeous man himself a few times. He's the only man besides my husband who made my mind go completely blank.
And speaking of Denis, this photo reminds me of all the days we spent exploring this wonderful state. This is how I picture him. He's out on the trail, ahead of me, but he's not impatient. He knows how much I love to dawdle.
Virtual hugs to you all. Enjoy the links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- How polio was eradicated using millions of sugar cubes that helped the medicine go down. (I remember those sugar cubes.)
- How to raise a reader in an age of digital distraction.
- Author Hank Phillippi Ryan goes behind the scenes on a book tour.
- Why would a county evict its public library over $1?
- The Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools ban on cell phones has created a surge in library visits.
- The fear and fascination of Gothic fiction.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- The man who tried to smuggle 600 looted ancient Egyptian artifacts in three checked suitcases is going to prison.
- An "extraordinary" Roman helmet from a war-ending battle was found in the sea off the coast of Sicily.
- Archaeologists have unearthed ancient clay puppets with open mouths and detachable heads that "resemble modern toy dolls."
- This painting of lounging lions was hanging in a family's living room. It turned out to be an original Delacroix.
- Africa's oldest mummy is a toddler who died 5,400 years ago, nearly a millennium before the Egyptians started mummifying their dead.
- In the muddy banks of North Carolina, student archaeologists may have discovered the remnants of a centuries-old Spanish ship.
►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄
- A study suggests rodents conquered the world with the help of their thumbnails.
- Five dramatic ways animals respond to human noise.
- Seaweed piles are slowing down sea turtle hatchlings as they make the dangerous trek to the ocean.
- San Diego canines hit the waves with their humans at the 20th Annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon.
- A new vaccine could help save Australia's beloved koalas from chlamydia, and it just got approved.
- These bumpy little seahorses are amazing camouflage artists.
►The Wanderer◄
- Researchers may have proven the existence of a secret passageway beneath Milan's Sforza Castle, first depicted by da Vinci in a 1495 sketch.
- See 15 photographs that show off scenes from Spain.
- Fallingwater's roof is leaking. Can this $7 million renovation protect Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece?
- "Books are for everyone." Inside Penguin's hidden archive.
- Ten of the scariest airport landings in the world.
- 515-mile-long "megaflash" of lightning sets a new world record, spanning eastern Texas to west-central Missouri.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- During the Great Depression, Black educator Melva L. Price looked to conflicts abroad for lessons on fighting racism at home.
- Augusta Baker, the legendary children's librarian of Harlem.
- How deaf quarterback Paul Hubbard changed sports forever by inventing the huddle.
- Frank Kameny helped chart a path to liberation for millions of gay Americans.
- (Re)discovering Minerva Parker Nichols, architect.
- John Williams, the famous composer known for Jaws and Star Wars, has debuted his first piano concerto at the age of 93.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Kirkus Reviews' 20 books to curl up with this fall.
- Eight mysteries for Jane Austen lovers.
- Fifteen non-fiction books that will change the way you think.
- The best books starring archaeologists and treasure hunters.
- Seven movies that changed the world in surprising ways.
- How fifteen British dishes got their names.
- The fifteen greatest Robert Redford performances.
That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!
I don't know what it's like to walk the path you're walking, Cathy, but... one breath at a time. It's good to hear you're closer to the end of having to deal with uncooperative and compassionless bureaucrats and their lackeys. I hope all of that ends soon. How lucky you are to have met Robert Redford. Not surprised he made your mind go blank. Now, I'm off to check out that shipwreck in North Carolina...
ReplyDeleteI've been watching so much about Redford that he even features in my dreams at night. Whoa!
DeleteIt's a struggle sometimes. Take care of yourself! And I was sad to hear about Robert Redford's passing, too. I've always been a big fan. We were talking about him at work two days ago and my younger co-worker asked, Who's Robert Redford? It made me feel old. ;D
ReplyDeleteJus think of what that person has missed!
DeleteThe How to raise a reader was of particular interest to me. Four grandkids n only two are readers.
ReplyDeleteI've sometimes wondered what I would've done if I'd had children and they weren't readers.
DeleteI agree with what Margot and Lark said above, Cathy. One day at a time and also take care of yourself. We all are thinking of you and wishing you peace. As to Robert Redford, I couldn't believe the age he was - 89 was it? My word I am getting old. Sheesh! Happy reading to you!
ReplyDeleteWe're getting better, just like fine wine. ;-)
DeleteI remember those sugar cubes, too, and how excited my parents were that they were available for me. (We had a family friend who had had polio and was paralyzed from the waist down.) Robert Redford and the man he was will always be alive in the hearts and memories of those of us who admired and loved him. As Denis will be for you. You will be in my thoughts as you continue your period of adjustment. Peace be with you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dorothy.
DeleteThank you for the many interesting links. Glad to hear you're nearing the end of dealing with company bureaucrats. Every phone call is a project, in my experience. Nice to see that photo of Denis and you visiting your state, and you have so many good memories doing that. So glad that you shared many photos on your blog. As for Robert Redford, sad about his passing. He was a good person and socially conscious, as well as a great actor. I must also rewatch his movies, and see the few for the first time that I had not already viewed. He did have a life well-lived.
ReplyDeleteYes, he did.
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