Read a good movie lately?

I went to a big chain bookstore, (Husband and I can't remember which one, sadly, it is no more), and they had this section I would always look at while I was there. 

"Read a Good Movie Lately?"

And they would have the latest movies out, either from the book it was based on, or a book, written from the movie.   I would usually pick up at least one or two, especially if it was sci-fi.

I really missed that. 

I happened to be at a book sale we frequent, and they had "The Revenant".  I picked it up, and it started me thinking... I know there are lots of movies based on books... Why not just catch them as I find them?  I have even started a little section of my library, where the "book to movie section" is.  I have the more obvious, like the Hobbit, some newer, like Gone Girl, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.  Some classics, To Kill A Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...

I might read all of them, might find I have no interest, and go to the next book... And eventually, I might see the movie, too...

The odd thing, I just finished The Revenant.  It was quite good, if more than a bit gorey.  But, as I have noticed, the book and movie differ.

I haven't seen the movie.  So, how do I know?

Husband told me he'd seen the movie, one time while I was off and away.  So I chatted with him about the book, and said, oh, it was awful that his rifle was stolen, and Husband said, yes, and losing his son...

His son?  I looked blank. 

Yes, Husband says, his son Hawk. 

Uh.  No... No children in the book.

Oh, Hawk is an adult child.

Uh, no, Husband, there was no adult child, no child child, and no Hawk...

Now I really want to see the movie, to see what he's talking about!!! 

The Grapes of What the Heck??? And hardtack.

Wished I had some extravagant reason I haven't written...  I have been busy, but just the regular running about, when I sat down to do computer stuff, I had my nose bump against the screen when I dozed off...

Therefore, not much was written...

BUT, lately, I have been of a mood to read again.  So, after a bit of a look at an article which mentioned "The Grapes of Wrath" (in a political vein, so I won't go into that, but it was informative).  I decided to go over to the (Not So) Mighty Kindle and buy it, so I could sit down and have a good read.  Jumped on, found the book, (I thought), and started to read.

World War I.  More about fighting, and such... HUH???

Looking again, I have downloaded "Grapes of Wrath" by Boyd Cable.  Not even CLOSE.  So, I then slipped over to a local bookstore, and picked up the RIGHT book. A real book.  I am reading it right now, and it's quite good, and makes a lot more sense in context to what I was reading in the article!

I happened to chat with an older friend of mine, (age 90+), and we chat about books often.  He found out what book I was reading, and he commented that it was a great book.  He also commented that Oklahoma looks much different than it did at that time, he said it was a mess... I realized after a bit more discussion, he was speaking from personal experience!  That was pretty cool!!

In other reading, I read some post-apocalyptic fiction, and they were talking about making a longish trip, and taking hardtack with them.  I had, not so long ago, read a book about sailing vessels taking hardtack with them, as well.

I decided to look up hardtack.  I found two or three recipes. I chose this one, and decided to try baking up some.  With the exception that I should have taken my rings off when I mixed the dough, and used one of my non-stick pans, it came out pretty well.

I let one cool, and tried it... It has a taste of a cracker mixed with a biscuit.  I guess I can see why it has the nickname 'tooth duller' when the various recipes describe the correct dryness as "brick-like".  And, well, it is.  I crunched through one, and it sounded like I was crushing rocks!  I will put them in a container, and try some in a month or so, to see if they hold up as well as the various recipes say...  I guess if it can be taken on a ship crossing the ocean, or a prairie schooner crossing the United States, my pantry should be no big deal.

If they are okay, (the next time will be with tea or soup, because it says they get harder with age, eep!) I will probably bake up a few batches, and put them in sealed containers for my emergency packs. Not exactly fine dining, but it will be usable!  And that's the important thing.

A lack of charm(s), among other things.

Yes, Virginia, it's been a while since I've blogged.

I won't say I've been busy, but it's been sort of chaotic.  First, a charm bracelet that I borrowed from Mom is missing.  I have been going through all the places I had it, (I was buying a charm for the bracelet at Christmastime, and needed one charm to show the jeweler...), cleaning out all the places I store important items, went through all my coats and winter clothing... Even went through a lot of my Christmas 'stuff' ornaments and decorations.

No dice, so far.

Husband had to put up with my nearly total mental meltdown, as it caught me so off guard.  I'd thought I'd returned it to my mom just after Christmas.  So, we continue to look, and call different places I thought it could have fallen out/been left/whatever.

So, how I figure it, I will go look for something unrelated in a few months, and there it will be, like a little silver lump.

At least that's my hope...

I have set up my Face Book account, and to quote Mr. Chatterbox, "Just remember that having a lot of friends on Facebook is like sitting at the popular table...in an insane asylum."

My word, are you right, sir!

I have ultra far right wing folk, ultra far left wing folk, very Christian types, very Pagan ones, and some that I am not sure WHAT they are (nor do I care, actually.).  I actually had to "block" one person's account, I really didn't care for the language and photos...  Sadly, it's a family member, so I will have to check it from time to time. But, other than a few people asking my comments on a topic I will NOT discuss, I have sidestepped any huge land mines, political or otherwise.  I have about 17 or so folks that I am FBing.  I am using it for folks I wouldn't be able to chat with normally, that live out of the area.

Oddly enough, I was going to sign up with a local book writer's group, and my auntie.  Guess which two are not on FB anymore?  Hmph.

I wanted to post some pictures here.  I will try and see if I can, in the early morning.  Husband and I have found that is the time when the slug slow internet sort of runs steady, if not quickly.  (That's when I have been checking the FB thing, several of my friends send videos.  Oh, great...)

I found that a few of my friends with Green Asterisk internet have been having the same problems that I have.  One even went so far as to call the company.  They told her that it was just a common problem, and they couldn't do anything about it.  She said, well, then, can I pay half the amount on my bill, since you are giving me HALF the amount of internet?

Uh, no...  (Like we expected anything different?  *Sigh*...)

So, I muddle along, trying to find times when the blasted thing doesn't time out on me...  Meh...

The animals are doing pretty well, we ended up with only 3 roosters on the last big clutch of eggs.  There are only two chicks left of the latest batch, the one chick wouldn't stay around Mom.  Or any of the other chickens.  And would walk out by its self in the main yard.  Well, even with me trying to shoo it back, it didn't work.  We had a Red Tail hawk, and I suspect it had a meal...

The last two, however, are doing quite well, if a bit ratty looking at the moment.  They are at that "ugly" stage, where they don't have baby fuzz, quite, and they aren't feathered out, quite.  They sort of look like feather dusters that someone dropped in dryer lint.

I picked up a few books.  I wanted to read some of these for a long time, some I'd read before... But.
I'd read them in college for English Lit, those, read fast, take notes, take test, boom, done.  Retention, what retention? You mean, I'm supposed to REMEMBER it???

So, I am starting with Jack Kerouac's On The Road.  I have several, and I will try to mention what I am perusing, as I peruse.  But now I can read them to enjoy them.  I think that will make them a lot better.  However, I will not be reading A Tale Of Two Cities any time soon.  Or ever.  Yeah, never's good...

I tried to read that book.  I like some of Dicken's work.  That, my dear blog friends, ain't going to be one of them.

And I have a class coming up soon, I will have a very busy week, as I drive about an hour to get to the class, then about 8 hours, then home, for about 3 days.  I feel really, really fortunate to get the chance, so I don't begrudge the drive, especially since the last one was held about 2 1/2 hours away.  The classes are for all over Oregon, so they even have low cost housing, if needed.  I just have to remember to bring a lunch...  Yep, fortunate.

So, I will try and let all of you know about the rest of the animals, the mouse, Ding, and just how much cleaning it takes to get a place presentable when a former boss comes to visit... Soon.

Crazy weather, research, and fountain pens.

This morning I woke to frost.  It was frozen this morning.  This is May, and I just read that two or three places had SNOW.  Er.  I am so confused... It's spring, right???

The weather for today was mid 30's this morning, mid 70's by this afternoon.  Then up to mid 80's by this weekend.  Parka in the morning, followed by shorts?  Yoiks...  I think all of my plants have made it, however.  I have some flowers and shrubbery out for decoration, they seem to have hardened off pretty well. (Pics soon...)

I have finally bought all the books recommended by one of the Detectives for my writing.  I was waiting for the price to go down on Amazon (used-$182).  It didn't.  I was griping commenting about this to Husband, and he said, well, check eBay.  EBAY?!!?  I nearly dropped my teeth.  I have rarely, if EVER found something on eBay that wasn't usually as much as new.   I had looked at some of the college libraries, local libraries, used book stores, nothing.

Sigh.

So, I looked on eBay, without much hope.  Hey.  There it is... $25?  I cleaned my glasses, carefully, then read again. $25.  HUUUUSSSBANNND!

So, I have the first of the books, now I am able to read them in order, and some of the material in the later books I was reading might make some more sense... And I have to admit that Husband was right.

See, it's in print.  Husband was right.  And he isn't even smug about it...  :)

Well, today should be nice, I think.  I have my receptionist bit, and I am writing a letter to my Grandmother, haven't written to her for a bit.  Mostly to thank her for letting me use her fountain pens, I have three pens with storage, and one dip style pen of hers.  I also have one that I found, that I'd used for drawing in college.  So, now I just need to get more ink, and I will be able to start using them again.  Hopefully without the inked fingers I seem so good at making for myself...

Oddly I have found when I write with a fountain pen, I don't press as hard, and I can write longer, as my hands don't cramp.  It also looks cool,  and we all know that's important, .  I just like the idea of a different way to write.  

I am not quite ready for clay tablets yet, but you never know...

Random giggle for the day.

I get books, and if I don't read them immediately, I put them on the shelf.  I was cleaning the other day, and registered how this group lined up.  I didn't quite get the first book in the photo, (rump firmly against the wall to get back far enough for this photo), but it is:

The Last Juror
Critical
Final Breath
Fatal
Cure

I thought it was good for a chuckle...  Random can make some funny stuff.

The Case of the Man in the Sheet.

I haven't read Sherlock Holmes in quite a while... High school or college, I believe.  I enjoyed reading them.  I suppose it was a 'been there, done that' thing.  I don't re-read a lot of books.

But I'd been hearing about this Masterpiece Theater version of Sherlock.  It sounded interesting.  I decided to take a peek...



(I started with season 2.  No, I didn't realize it was season 2.  I now have season 1 on hold at the library.  Which is saying something, as I don't like using the hold system at my library.  If it isn't there, I usually just wait.  I am still waiting for The Hunger Games, if that gives you any idea...)


I was reading about it, and realized it was a MODERN take on Sherlock.  I don't know why, but I don't like... Hmm.

Well, for example, Shakespeare.  Modern clothes, modern housing, etc, and then I hear Thee's, Thou's, and all the Elizabethan speech, it just grates on me.

(The lady doth protest too much?  Mayhap... Meh.)


So, I was hoping it wouldn't be all Victorian speech, with cell phones.  Cell phones, yes, Victorian, no.  Well, except perhaps for "A Scandal in Belgravia"...  Wait.  That wasn't Victorian, it was Victoria's Secret!  (Sorry, had to do it...) Seriously, I was highly impressed.  I thought the stories were updated well, the actors were excellent (um, and Benedict Cumberbatch is cute), and it made me want to read the originals again.  


Today it's raining like crazy.  There is not much I need to do, except maybe a bit of laundry, and make dinner eventually.  I am going to read "The Adventure of a Scandal in Bohemia".  


Re-reading is nice, every once in a while... In this case, it's like being re-introduced to an old friend you'd not seen in a while, when you met up with one of their children.


So, I recommend a viewing of Sherlock BBC's "A Scandal in Belgravia" , a nice cup of tea, and a rainy day to enjoy them in.  


(And the book, too, so you have the rest of the stories when the movies are over...)