Friday, March 14

Book Meme & waffling about trivia

Sherry at Q's Corner challenged me to do a book meme. I have done this twice recently, but since I am usually reading several books at once, it is not hard to find another book to use for quotes.
The book is Patricia Cornwell's "Predator".



I have taken my quote a little differently- I feel free to change the rules a little, for the sake of a good quote. This was the beginning of a new paragraph.

'The man behind the counter is older & more distunguished than Lucy imagined. She expected someone who looks like a has-been surfer, someone leathery and covered in tattoos. That's the sort of person who ought to be working in a shop called Beach Bums.
She sets down her camera case, and her fingers flutter through big, loud shirts printed with sharks, flowers, palm trees and other tropical designs. She peruses stacks of straw hats and bins of flip-flops and displays of sunglasses and lotions, not interested in buying any of it but wishes she were.'

I came down 4 sentences, & took 5 for the quote. I am almost halfway through the book, & am enjoying it. I tend to like grisly forensic books.

""""""""""
I have been sewing, & am glad of the chance, even though the humidity has clung to my skin like some filthy sheet of webbing, dampening my body & aggravating the itches.

We had to get groceries this morning. A tedious chore at the best of times. Brightened a little by a chance meeting with our Granddaughter & a friend, so we gave them a lift home, & were glad to see them.

Gom is determined to kill himself off. He tore out in yesterday's heat, to attack weeds in the ditch outside our place. It is the Council's ditch, open, deep & a mess of weeds, small trees, old newpapers & grass up to 3 feet high. The council informed us they rely on the adjacent house dwellers to 'keep things tidy'! I told the Council person that we are a bit long in the tooth to be clambering in & out of rocky deep ditches, & it is a double insult, as the said ditch, is actually the road frontage of our address!

For the past 8 years of living here, the Council has listed this road as being on it's list of works in progress. A small section at one end, has been tarted up, & looks a credit to the council, from the Highway. A larger section at the top end leading out onto the Highway has been fully completed & is very nice. The section in the centre, unseen by travellers is still a ghastly mess, with no footpaths & no curbing or guttering. A local man told me he has lived here for 30 years, & it has been a promised project for all of those years!

Seeing as it is doubtful we will live another 30 years, Gom got a bee in his bonnet about clearing the mess. It must have been close to 40 degrees Celsius yesterday, so it was no wonder he spend 2 hours dozing after he finished.

It is not quite so hot today, but he intended mowing the lawns- only the midday sun would do! Mad dogs & Gom, go out in the midday sun!

However we were lucky enough to have a friend drop by, so Gom sat & talked instead. So he lives another day.



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I love seeing the birds on Sherry's blog. I would love to be able to post photos such as she takes. We don't have the same birds here, of course, but there are some very beautiful birds in Australia.

I found this sad little token of some poor Lorrikeet's demise. Poor little bird. They are so brightly plumed, & yet, when they are in the trees it is amazing how hard they can be to find.

We used to have a lot of visits from the Lorrikeets, but they don't call anymore. The Shrikes have taken over the Grevillea, & seem to regard as their personal playgroud. They are very dull plumed, & are very hard to photograph, as they are so quick, & blend into the trees so well.

I noted Sherry's lovely little crocus blooms, & remembered I had some lovely little Autumn Crocus bulbs... which a zealous Gom ripped out, telling me he 'thought it was grass'. GGGRRRRRR!!

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What about that creep Spitzer? I don't understand those men. It is almost as if they want to be caught & punished. The public 'falling on the sword', the stupid wife, standing like some idiotdishrag, at his side. What IS that. Why humiliate yourself even more, by still remaining at the dork's side?? I don't say 'Stand by your man'. I don't say give him support. I might be swimming against the tide here. What do you think??

I just hate liars. I hate hypocrisy, that says "I am holier than thou. Oh whoopsie, I must have slipped!" "OMG, my feet were clay! Forgive me!" I don't think so.

Ben E. King, Spanish Harlem.



18 comments:

Mary said...

Meggie! Your header is glorious.

Is there a U3A course GOM can do on identifying plants? I mean this most respectfully.

Infidelity? Would have me running for the door with kids in tow .. I could not stand to have my trust so abused.

Mike said...

Well I thought I had commented here once before. I wonder if something is wrong with Blogger? I would say it again, but if I had commented it would look like I am repeating myself--which I often do anyway.

Strange.

meggie said...

I found it a little strange no one had commented. I didn't get your first comment Mike.

Rosie said...

honesty and truth...cant live without them. We lasses from the North of England like to tell it like it is

Q said...

Dear Meggie,
Thank you for playing the book meme! I love seeing what others are reading.
Poor little birdie! Oh dear, too many feathers. They are pretty, do you save the feathers you find? I have a small lidded basket I put mine in.
I do enjoy taking pictures of the birds and as soon as the butterflies show up I will be taking pictures of them.
Hope your Autumn is as enjoyable as my spring!
Thanks for all your kindness.
Sherry

ancient one said...

Love your new banner! Spectacular!!

The governor's playmate has been offered 1 million dollars to bare it all. The whole world has gone crazy!!

"And they lived happily ever after..." biggest lie ever told!

Catalyst said...

Meggie -

1. Your banner is spectacular. I love it.

2. Buy GOM a high-powered flame thrower. He can clean out that ditch in no time and enjoy himself as well.

3. Eliot Spitzer is an imbecile. Bill Clinton said it best in a widely seen interview: "I did it because I could." Men (not just politicians) seem to be governed by their testosterone.

Tanya Brown said...

There seems to be a very strong correlation between politicians and preachers being obsessed with certain things and later getting caught doing them. Rampant hypocrisy. In this case, of course, it wasn't merely hypocrisy but a case of people getting sent to prison for something Spitzer was doing himself. Who knows how many people didn't get sent to prison but were "merely" blackmailed? I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this matter.

Either Salon or Slate had an article which discussed the matter of political wives putting themselves through the ordeal and humiliation of publicly standing beside the men who have betrayed them. Fortunately for you, I can't find it.

Personally, my reaction was that she should jettison the creep and have herself checked out for every social disease in existence. However, it may be the case that it takes a certain mindset to be a political wife, continually hearing insults hurled at your husband and publicly standing by him and lending your support. Transitioning from that to "Gosh, you're right! He's a scumbag!" may take some work.

Jo said...

I like your new blog look. Please tell GOM to take it easy in that heat. Well, look at the bright side, he's not out sleazing around like the ex-governor of New York. I wonder if anyone is taking bets on how long that marriage will last. If it were me, you wouldn't be able to see me for dust. Can you imagine? Prostitutes! She must be so humiliated.

Anonymous said...

Meggie , I love all three of Catalysts comments --- They sum it up perfectly !!
1. Your Header is spectacular !
2.A Flame Thrower sounds like wonderful fun & effective too ( if GOM could be trusted with it HaHa ! )
and
3.The ex Governor is an imbecile .

Lucy said...

Yes, what is it with these women, talk about volunteering for insult as well as injury!

Lovely flower banner.

Anonymous said...

I would like to think that if I were in the public eye I would behave myself for the sake of my family if not for myself, just because it is all so much worse if the whole world knows about it all and passes judgement. I think that there are so many advantages that you get from a position of prominence that you really should try to set a good example and be good. But who knows what I would really do? The pressures on these people are immense. They spend so long apart from their families, are often subject to marriages of political convenience, they see everyone else at "it" and getting away with it. I dunno.

My track record in terms of fidelity is not exemplary so I can hardly pass judgement. But I would say that it (be it an affair or messing around with prostitutes) is rarely worth the hurt that is caused even when your misdeeds are not exposed to all and sundry.

Ragged Roses said...

Hello Meggie, thanks for your kind comment on my blog. I'm glad it's a bit cooler for you there - I can't stand humid days. Having said that it would be great to get away from all this greyness we have here at the moment. Take care and enjoy your books
Kimx

Pam said...

Forty degrees? And that's autumn?? Hmm. My boy's in the air at the moment, on the way to New Zealand - I hope it's not that hot there!

Mike said...

Well what I had said earlier (when blogger at my comment) was that I don't understand why these women stay with men when they do something like that.

When I was watching Spitzer standing on that stage with his wife, I was thinking that had that been me, I would have been standing on that stage alone---with two very noticeable black eyes.

meggie said...

Hi, Thanks for all your comments.

I laughed out loud at some, & Mike, yours is one of them.
If that dork was my husband he might be able to drink through a straw after a week or so- if someone held his drink for him.

A group of us were talking about the wives of creeps like that, & we concluded that some of them had become addicted to the status of being a 'someone's wife' & couldn't give up the 'lifestyle'.

Of course, we all believe that Hillary had her eye on the future, & concluded she should stay, as even disgraced, that man had charisma for some.

Good grief! If Gom got his hands on a flame thrower, there is no telling what might happen! As it is he mows the lawn right down to the stumps, so the grass dies & the weeds get in.

Isabelle, it is very unlikely to be 40 in NZ. Nelson has a nice climate, & very sunny as a rule, but not that hot!

Tanya said...

I guess I'm with you on Mr. Spitzer. I'm not one for being a martyr and it would be good-bye husband for me too despite my vows. Affairs and abuse I'd be out of there.

Deborah Levy said...

I too like Patricia Cornwell's books. As to Mrs Spitzer...dosen't she know she's setting a terrible example for young women??? Does she really believe this pig deserves her support??

Anyway Thanks for your very kind comments on my blog. And for the heat...it's hot here too. But at least we're not shoveling record snow!