Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by lynda o z4or5. on December 28, 2009 at 7:58pm

any books by robin carr or debbie mccomber. small town writer

Permalink Reply by Freddy J. Hill on December 29, 2009 at 10:52am

I like to pick up a good book, something that takes me somewhere else, like the 1632 series, about a W. Virginia mining community that is transported into Europe in 1632. You could almost live there in your mind.

Permalink Reply by Tracey z6PA on December 29, 2009 at 5:01pm

Freddy, is that the title? The 1632 series? Who's the author?

Permalink Reply by Audra Mabrey - Z5/IN on December 30, 2009 at 5:08am

This is absolutely the worst time of year for me. I start getting down as soon as I take down the Christmas decorations... Nothing to look forward to till the snow melts and I can get back out in the yard. I am a movie nut and I always make sure I have plenty on hand and trips to the library to keep me supplied with good books. This year I'm going to do some more gardening research and look into the wintersown seed website. It's always a good time to organize and do a major sort/toss of things in the house. Basically, get to some of the indoor chores that you don't want to do when it's nice outside.

Permalink Reply by Debra Hughes on December 30, 2009 at 6:28am

Winter time is a time for decorating, cleaning out the old and getting ready for the new. Washing walls, cabinets and of course cleaning out those very same cabinets. And then I set up the fish tanklight above the counter tops and start planting seeeds in the worm dirt that I have worked on making all year.I clean out the worm bin...give them f resh food and water and then use the dirt they have made for me to start the seeds.....the seeds gerrminate so much uicker in the worm dirt that i have to be careful how much I use and be ready with the little pots to transplant in days. This year we are painting the kitchen and the two bathrooms before we get ready for spring. We are also revamping the dining room set and making farm chairs with trimpaint and tag sale upholstery. Replacing the chandelier in the kitchen too with a farm look brass lamp that has been painted white, and then mosaic-ing the table top. Should be beautiful when we get it all done. Just something to pass the time.

Permalink Reply by Freddy J. Hill on December 30, 2009 at 10:21am

Sorry. The series begins with "1634". Main authors are David Drake, Eric Flint, David Webber. There are about 7 books, a web discussion group, available. I believe 1634 is the first; you should read them in order. You will be intranced.

Permalink Reply by Harry Larsen on December 30, 2009 at 3:13pm

I got three books for Christmas from my oldest daughter who reads over 60 books/year. The titles are: The Blue Star, Only Milo, and Manhood for Amateurs. I'll try to fit them in this season.

On my desk downstairs, I have another ten books from the library on "writing" (which I'll likely browse, not read thoroughly). There are another three from the library on "war" and six DVDs (also from the library) that I'll try to cram into evening hours with my wife.

Right now, most of my family is on vacation/Christmas break, except for one son dutifully working through the holidays. Oldest daughter leaves on the thirty-first to start her new job in DC, and my visiting in-laws leave next Monday. After that things MAY quiet down/slow down a bit.

Did I mention that my youngest "totaled" his 2002 Grand Prix over the holidays? That took an afternoon to resolve and then there's going to be a day or two of "car shopping" in the near future.

And number one son is still using MY car because he has yet to install the new thermostat in HIS car.

I've also edited my NaNoWriMo "memoir" that I wrote in November during this month (December). I'm still refining/reworking the beginning sentences, which lack "punch", but it is VERY close to being finished. Then I need to print it out once again. It's over two hundred pages already and covers my earliest recollections up to age thirteen. It's been something I've been wanting to do for a long time.

In the months to come, I hope to finish my other memoir on my military experiences this winter before spring breaks upon us. I started these writing projects over fifteen years ago and I'm determined to complete them while I still have a brain.

Sounds like there are lots of readers out there in gardening land...

Audra, I did a lot of research last winter and filled up a couple of notebooks with pictures and drawings of yard improvements I planned to make. I actually accomplished a couple last summer and I'm hesitant to get any more gardening ideas until I've taken care of the ones still rattling around in my head. My wife gets down too and uses a special lamp during the day to get over her seasonally-affected-disorder (or whatever it's called) due to lack of sunlight.

Debra, I think I need a nap after reading your post about what you hope to accomplish. (Sigh.) I hope my wife doesn't get a bug this winter that involves my helping out...too much on my plate already. :-)

Pandora music??? I don't seem to have time for music except when I'm in the car headed somewhere. I have twenty CDs that I cycle through whenever we take a trip and another couple hundred at home that I don't listen to very often. Maybe I need a break? But HEY! I'm already retired! Is something wrong with this picture? When does life slow down? I guess I'm not ready for the "easy chair" life just yet.

Permalink Reply by Lee Ann Phillips Zone 7B N.TX on December 30, 2009 at 7:54pm

I LOVE Pandora! I don't have an IPod, but I can listen to music from Pandora when I'm on my computer here at work sometimes (if I don't have it too loud!) I don't have a computer at home either, so I have to use the one at my desk after I get off work or on lunch. It's amazing how accurately Pandora guesses your preferences.
I tried making a chocolate chess pie for the first time at Thanksgiving. I am NOT a good cook. I thought if the recipe called for 2 ounces of chocolate, 6 ounces would be even better because hey, you can't have too much chocolate, right? Wrong! The pie tasted awfully, sickeningly sweet! I learned from that. Next time I follow the recipe! I tried to find a bakery in town that sold them, but most of them didn't even know what a chocolate chess pie was! Does anybody have a GOOD, DELICIOUS chocolate chess pie recipe? Surely all of us old-timers know what one tastes like?!
Also, what do all of you up north eat for good luck at New Years? Here in Texas we have black-eyed peas and cornbread, and most people eat some greens too. Peas for coins, greens for bills, and cornbread for gold. But I don't like greens very much, so I don't eat them usually. That's probably why I'm poor!

Permalink Reply by Lee Ann Phillips Zone 7B N.TX on December 30, 2009 at 7:56pm

I am feeling very tired after reading this post!

Debra Hughes said:

Winter time is a time for decorating, cleaning out the old and getting ready for the new. Washing walls, cabinets and of course cleaning out those very same cabinets. And then I set up the fish tanklight above the counter tops and start planting seeeds in the worm dirt that I have worked on making all year.I clean out the worm bin...give them f resh food and water and then use the dirt they have made for me to start the seeds.....the seeds gerrminate so much uicker in the worm dirt that i have to be careful how much I use and be ready with the little pots to transplant in days. This year we are painting the kitchen and the two bathrooms before we get ready for spring. We are also revamping the dining room set and making farm chairs with trimpaint and tag sale upholstery. Replacing the chandelier in the kitchen too with a farm look brass lamp that has been painted white, and then mosaic-ing the table top. Should be beautiful when we get it all done. Just something to pass the time.

Permalink Reply by Dale LaForest, zone 8 VA on December 31, 2009 at 4:29pm

I love getting "how to" books from the libray and seeing if I can learn something new. I've already gone through the few gardening books they had -- very few! Now I'm on to conquering the migraines I've developed without having to take medications. Have already reduced their severity and duration without drugs! Next, we have to think up some good science project ideas. We'll need to do 2 this year, one for our 5th grader and 1 for our 3rd grader. And we hope to bring the school another 1st place in the district competition!

Permalink Reply by Tracey z6PA on January 2, 2010 at 7:46am

Ha Ha - sounds like a lot of very busy people! Never met a lazy gardener, have you?
It's pork and sourkraut apparently here in southcentral Pa - I'm a transplant, so never picked the tradition up. Sorry, but yuck.
Dale, I do the same as you with the how-to books. I love decorating books, so when I'm not gardening in the warm months, I'm changing the house out and swapping things around here and there. I love crafts, too, so I'm either knitting, crocheting, or picking up something new that interests me for that week. I think I have ADD when it comes to crafting - there's so many cool things to try.

Saw Avatar in 3D this week. If you like sci-fi and a great escape, then I highly recommend. We loved it.

Oh, and is anyone going to catch the new HGTV show with the Australian guy Jamie something? He does back yard redo's to the 10th power. Caught some of the commercials and I was blown away by the transformations. Very interesting stuff.

Permalink Reply by Audra Mabrey - Z5/IN on January 2, 2010 at 8:03am

I have something for you... If you haven't seem the Disney movie "UP" - see it. It's great for all ages, love the dogs, loved it!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page