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Category Archives: Books
The Reason for my Absence
It’s been a couple weeks….let’s see if I can sum it up quickly.
A sick toddler, an impending birth and a death.
Who knew being a grandparent would be so hard yet incredibly gratifying?
I lost someone very dear to me, I couldn’t go to her in her final days because of a very sick (& contagious) toddler. Then when it came to the end this guy was coming into our world…
Book Review – Ansel Adam’s 400 Photographs
Here is some of what Wiki has to say about him: Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was a landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association of photographers advocating “pure” photography which favored sharp focus and the use of the full tonal range of a photograph. He and Fred Archer developed an exacting system of image-making called the Zone System, a method of achieving a desired final print through a deeply technical understanding of how tonal range is recorded and developed in exposure, negative development, and printing. The resulting clarity and depth of such images characterized his photography.
As you may know, I am a big fan of Black and White photography and of Ansel Adam’s work.
Here is a popular picture of him, I need a hat like that!
These 400 photos are grouped by decade and are fascinating! I cant stop thinking, in today’s terms, how much time it took to actually develop and print these photos. Or how he spent hours and days hiking in the wilderness with no idea if any of his shots would be good enough to print.
Do you have a favorite photographer? Tell me in the comments…📸💕
BB&Y Book Review by Dixie – Magyk
I came across this book series that was for sale on FB Marketplace but the seller was to far away. So I popped over to my favorite book rescue app (😁 I’ll tell you if you want to know) and inquired about the series. Low and behold, I got the 5 book series!
Book: Magyk – is book 1 of the Septimus Heap series.
Author: Angie Sage
Published: 2005
I admit it took me forever to finish this book, only because I was busy.
I liked it so much, I will attempt book 2.
Happy New Year 2020
Beginning the Keto Journey
Hi There, this is probably the wrong time of year to start watching what I eat, but “there’s no time like the present”, right? 🎄🎅🎉
Well heres my thoughts on that.
First, I seem to gravitate towards doing things the hard way. LOL Know anyone else like that? 😁
Second, (cliche alert!) Nothing Easy is Worth Doing! 💪
And least but not last, I’ve gained 20lbs and its freaking me out! 🙀
You see, I’ve had bariatric surgery and lost 123lbs as a result. To say this was a new lease on life is an understatement. That was 6 years ago.
I’ve gained weight for a couple reasons: 1. I got fooled into thinking I could eat anything I wanted; total LIE! and 2. Mother Nature is a Bitch; Hello Menopause! ⚖🥵
So I’ve come around to Intermittent Fasting (IF) and the Keto diet. I’ve done alot of reading and searching to find what can work with my unique situation. These 2 things allow me to change it up to fit my lifestyle.
Let me say right here, THIS is my personal journey. I am NOT being sponsored or gifted anything. I am just journaling and sharing my ups and downs.
I am going to do atleast a weekly check in post, so please feel free to join me.
Let’s do this!
Who was Daniel Boone – From the Lady Cave
And here is another person my 30 year old friend didn’t know…
So let’s start with this, have you ever watched (or read the book) “The Last of the Mohicans”?
This is one of my top 5 movies EVER! The main character is based loosely on Daniel Boone. Oh, Daniel Day-Lewis be still my heart! “Stay Alive! I Will Find You!”
There is alot of fact and legend surrounding DBs life. You can read more HERE about his very adventurous life.
For me, just reading about him makes me want to learn more about North Carolina, Kentucke (original spelling before it became Kentucky), Virginia, West Virginia and Missouri.
Funny how educating yourself leads to more knowledge.
Who else might you want to know about? Or is there a place you are curious about? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see about it.
Who was Benjamin Franklin – From the Lady Cave
What prompted this topic was a discussion with a 30 year old…
Not only did they not know a pickle was a cucumber, they had no clue who Benjamin Franklin was and why he was so important to the creation of America. 🇺🇲
This person thought he was a President because he was on the $100 bill. 🤯
Here is a link that will help inform or educate you on Who Ben Franklin was and how he became a key negotiator in our becoming The United States of America.
Over the summer we went to Washington DC and I picked up a little book of quotes by Ben Franklin.
Here are a few famous quotes:
“A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned“
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.“
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.“
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made, What’s a sundial in the shade?“
From the Lady Cave: Sharing a Fabulous Book List
I am sharing this book list, partly for selfish reasons (I need to add a few to my TBR 😁) and to hopefully inspire someone else to read some of these.
I am incredibly Thankful for alot of things, people and situations that got me to this point in my life.
Can’t think of a better day to share this than on Thanksgiving Day, which happens to also be my Birthday ❣
Enjoy every minute my friends, make it count!
Here is a link to a post from The Orang-utan Librarian, she has the best lists: https://wp.me/p6boOO-4Ht
So, we don’t have Thanksgiving here in the UK, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share some BOOKISH GRATITUDE! I tried to narrow this down to books that have a special place in my heart or that came into my life at exactly the right time (although of course, most great books feel like that, simply by virtue of being great 😉). Annnd I’m gonna be honest, I ended up with a very different post to the one I started with, because I took out anything too dark. I think I just prefer this to be a *happy place*. Without further ado, here are some of the books I’m most grateful for:
Harry Potter– starting way back when I was 7- this was the first big book I ever read and I will always be thankful that it made me the reader I am today. Yes, I am a stereotypical millennial reader and proud of it 😉
The Hobbit– aside from being mythologically rich and having wonderful characters, this book gave me my love of fantasy- how could I not include it?
Peter Pan– this is another childhood favourite and I’d feel remiss not to include it, especially given how often it inspired me to practice flying as a child 😉 (granted, I never actually achieved my goal, but not for want of trying 😉)
Rebecca– this book always reminds me of my mum, cos it’s her favourite. And I’m always glad that she foisted her favourites on me!
The Idiot– I originally felt like I had no special reason for including this one, but whenever I think about books that have shaped me, this springs to mind. I read this at about thirteen and it just clicked. Not only did it start a lifelong love of Dostoevsky, it taught me so many valuable lessons that I carry with me to this day.
Emma– okay, quick confession, I’d already read Pride and Prejudice when I read this and I think I was too young to get the irony. I’m really happy I read this book, because it unlocked Austen’s humour for me. I ended up rereading Pride and Prejudice shortly after and loved it the second time round! (which was lucky, cos I was set it for school). Then, of course, I read all the others and have never looked back!
Dr Faustus– it just lit up my brain at exactly the right moment- yes I am enough of a dork to include academic inspiration on this list.
Man’s Search for Meaning– part autobiography, part exploration of logotherapy, Frankl’s book may seem a bit heavy on the surface. However, it’s actually the most uplifting book I’ve ever read and my brother was a hundred percent right about getting me to read it!
Mort– I *needed* this book in my life- I just didn’t know it. Fortunately, a couple of my friends did know that I needed to read this and pushed me into it… and I couldn’t be happier that they did! Plus, one of my friends knew exactly which Pratchett to get me started on. So I know you’re not reading this, but thank you.
Vicious– fun fact, I was giving blood for the first time when I read this- and it was the *perfect* distraction! It was simply too brilliant! You simply can’t pay attention to anything else going on when you’ve got Schwab for company! (also, guys, give blood- it’s a great excuse to sit and read and you get free biscuits 😉 )
Grey Sister– ah this is just a pleasure to put on the list. I was in a horrible slump a couple of summers ago and trying to deal with big life changes- this gave me a welcome distraction for a few hours- which I was immensely grateful for, I can tell you!
Carry On– I can’t stop being thankful for this magical book- because it has the power to pull me out of any slump and give me all the *warm fuzzies*!
That was fun- I feel like I should steal more traditions from across the Pond 😉 Hope all my American friends have a Happy Thanksgiving! (and if it’s not to late, the same to all you lovely Canadians!) And, I’m curious, what books are you most grateful for? Let me know in the comments!
Book Review – Sharing this post: Incendiary Historical Fiction for Bonfire Night!
I am sharing this post from another blogger because…well for several reasons:
I love books;
It never fails when I read her lists, I have to add several of them to my TBR (at this point I’ll be 112 years old before I get to my list);
Most importantly, I adore and believe in Historical fiction; more people need to explore the facts of many events in our world.
So please checkout her current list below:
And PS I had no idea about Bonfire night in the UK!
Cindy Head Photography 