Well. I should have known it. Harper saw the boots and knew immediately just how they should be worn. That girl!
Monday morning. Cloudy. We had a lovely sunny day yesterday and we atoned for only one walk earlier in the week. It was very cold, but we did it. Winter is tricky. The weather determines our walking days. So we haven’t been able to do it as much as we like, but when we do get one in, we feel so much better. I think we’ll go today, as well.
It was a low-key weekend. I finished The Year of the Locust last night – I didn’t read it for a day or two because I wanted to delay finishing it. But last night in bed, I finished. Truly a wonderful book. I couldn’t put it down, all 787 pages of it. Terry Hayes sure knows how to write a tight, engrossing, and whirlwind of a plot. Now, of course, I’m spoiled and nothing will look as good. I’ll get back to Wolf Hall and catch up. Wolf Hall is wonderful but I think I would like it more if I read it like I read The Year of the Locust, rather than a chunk a week. It’s so well written, but I lose the thread. Not the book’s fault at all. When it was War and Peace, I was reading a bit each day, so I was clued into the evolving plot. Not so much this way, as the assigned pages are not daily, but weekly. So I have to get back into it. I may just keep on reading and finish the book. Then when Bring Up the Bodies, the next book in the trilogy, is ready to start – sometime in April, I think – I’ll read that.
These are quality problems.
Movies on the weekend: We watched Laura again. Don didn’t like it. He’s not a fan of Dana Andrews to begin with and he said that he didn’t really care about anyone. I get it. It’s stylish but there’s not a lot of substance. Then we finally watched Wuthering Heights, and I didn’t like it. It was beautifully filmed, as was Laura, but I had no patience with Cathy. Or Heathcliff, for that matter. It’s a gothic romance/ghost story and, though I read only that kind of thing when I was a young teen, this one didn’t do it for me. A young Geraldine Fitzgerald was the best thing in the movie. She was so real, so present.
I much prefer Jane Eyre, where the longing is repressed and the characters are not wallowing in it, which makes for a much more interesting story.
My humble opinion, of course.
Oh, the sun is trying to peek out from the clouds!
Do you have spring fever yet? I confess, I do.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
Love the boots on Harper…I try to walk every day, except when the weather interferes. It does feel really good. We’ve had some sunny days, which has been nice. Definitely waiting on spring! I’m not good at spring cleaning, but I did clean out the spice drawer yesterday… that’s a beginning!
We just got back from our walk. Yay!
Stay safe, Barrie.
At one time I loved to read when I was young and had no cares. Now I cannot sit long enough to read for any length of time. I loved both Wuthering Heights and Jayne Eyre. Because I am alone it is very hard to do what I once took for granted but I am learning. I love to take walks around my neighborhood every day when the weather is nice. I make crafts and use to sell on line but when Covid came I stopped selling as I hated to ask people for money and shipping costs went way up. I still make crafts but now I donate them to a local high rise and churches and the Salvation Army. I send a lot to friends who are always grateful for them. I give them to lots of neighborhood kids and they watch for me, lol. You and Don make the most out of life and that is the way my husband and I were, 57 years together. I enjoy your posts and it is a part of my life that I look forward to and smile when I read them . Take care, stay safe .
You too, Barbara. I know your life has changed, my friend.
Thinking of you.
Stay safe.
We’re due for 60s tomorrow (and rain). I just wish it would decide one way or the other!
Wolf Hall is definitely a book to be read in more than little bits at a time. You’re right — there are loads of characters (thank goodness for the “cast” list in the front) and a lot happens. It’s hard to keep straight if you don’t plow through — at least in the beginning, in the parts more unfamiliar to those who don’t have a vast Brit History background.
I like “Laura.” Not the best but pretty darned good. I saw “Rebecca” about a week ago and decided that’s it’s just a different version of Jane Eyre, right down to Joan Fontaine. Companion/governess meets man outside her station with past wife issues…. there are many differences, to be sure but I would like to look into it more someday, just for sport! I just watched “The Country Girl” and was impressed with Kelly and Crosby. Can’t believe I’d never seen it before.
Loving Harper and her boots! Have a terrific day!
I’m okay with Laura but not crazy about it. It’s good the first time you see it but not so good later.
You’re right about Rebecca! I love The Country Girl.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Yes…I do have spring fever…bad. I’ve been sporadically cleaning, clearing out, and uncluttering. I want so desperately to start cleaning the garden beds, but my common sense kicks in, and prevents me from removing debris that is protecting new shoots. It is Wisconsin, and we could still get a snowstorm even though the temps today and tomorrow will be in the upper 60’s with thunderstorms tomorrow.
Love the boots. Reminds me of my college days…that was fashionable back then, though I didn’t partake.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Way too early to clear that debris! I won’t even think of it until April, just because winter can pull tricks on us here, as well.
We took a walk today and it smelled like Spring.
Stay safe.
I almost watched Laura; had it on the channel lineup and then didn’t. I recall the theme music from the film so well (don’t I[?]; I must have watched the movie at some point in another year!) because Mom had the sheet music and loved to play it on the piano. Whenever I find her stacks of sheet music, long-ago packed away in all my ‘stuff’, I’m thinking I might want to frame some of her sheet music because the cover pages were often works of art. I think some of it was a hand-me-down thing when she was a teen, since her family didn’t have any money, so some of this is quite old, from the 20s-30s-40s. I’m into it!
We have tons of sheet music – mine from years of playing the piano and my grandmother’s as well.
Stay safe, Vicki.
dear Claudia/Don — love the “spring” smell you mentioned !! was wondering if you all have an enclosed mall nearby — here “walkers” use them and are welcomed even before opening hours -they do have lots of walkers. love the boots — trip back to the past with mere mention of “made for walking”. stay safe/healthy
Any mall is about a half hour away. We’d rather walk outside, anyway.
Thanks, Linda.
Stay safe.
I love Harper’s fashion sense – boots with a pretty party dress, it reminds me of my niece who wore her Doc Martins under her wedding gown. A lot of guests didn’t even notice, lol. It’s very springlike here but rain is forcast for tomorrow. Take gentle care. Hugs, Elaine
I love that kind of quirky style, Elaine!
Stay safe.
It’s certainly showing those subtle signs of spring isn’t it? Currently it’s 59° here and sunny. This type of weather elevates my mood so much! I am looking forward to spring, my favorite time of year. Although my gardening activities will be restricted due to my health issues, I can’t wait to see all the new flowers. If I decide to plant anything new I’ll have to get my nephew to help me. We can’t plant anything here until at least May. Officially our final frost date is mid April, but we have had frost in May.
Those boots Harper is wearing are so cute. I’ve been wondering, do you still have your red shoes? You were so excited when you bought them!
I do still have my red shoes! Thanks for reminding me about them! I usually wear sneakers or Birkenstocks.
Stay safe, Denise!
glad for your good days! hopefully that means you’re feeling all better.
glad you finished that library book in time and enjoyed it. same with at least some of what you watched. here, i am 420 pages from finishing “war and peace” and will miss it when done.
how cute is harper’s dress/boots combination? very. i need a couple of sweaters, socks and a new pair of walking shoes (wearing out my last pair used for much-missed running). i’d rather buy books and wall art and music. also, i do not enjoy clothes shopping as things either feel very teenager-y or matronly and i don’t want those things. i could avoid the malls by shopping online, but i don’t want to pay for return shipping if i don’t like something on in real life. as you said, claudia, a quality problem.
big case of spring fever here too. it went over 70 degrees yesterday, was sunny and mild. same start this morning … sunny, mild … and yet we have a chance of snow tonight. weird, kind of scary how changeable the weather can be lately, but we make good use of it too.
today or tomorrow will get some groceries and other supplies and also confirm that i have all the paperwork needed to get my taxes done. that will be a relief. for a long time i’ve been all about crossing things off my “to do” list so i can get to the ease and relax. my list is still long, but keep plugging away at it.
hope you all stay safe and have a wonderful day.
kathy
The weather this year makes me wonder if Winter has changed for good. We’ve had a couple of mild winters in a row.
Stay safe, Kathy.
Harper is really rocking those new boots! You sure know how to style your girls. I only have a small box of outfits for my three sweeties, but I should go shopping online again soon. I bought some little pink shoes that are supposed to fit my Blythe dolls, but they don’t. Big disappointment. Anyways, I don’t feel like spring cleaning, but I have been clearing out a lot of books from our basement to give away. We have far too many books!
So do we!
Stay safe, Irene.