A daily journal of our lives (begun in October 2010), in photos (many taken by my wife, Evie) and words, mostly from our home on Chautauqua Lake, in Western New York, where my wife Evie and I live, after my having retired from teaching English for forty-five years in Hawaii, Turkey, and Ohio. We have three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandson, as you will notice if you follow my blog since we often travel to visit them. Photo from our porch taken on 11/03/2024 at 7:07 AM
Monday, August 31, 2015
FLORENCE GORDON: BRIAN MORTON
Reading the blurbs about this book, I thought it might be another OLIVE KITTERIDGE, one of my favorites. And though Florence reminds me a bit of Olive, she is definitely her own person, an academic, respected feminist and writer, living alone, in New York City, happy only when she's by herself, at her computer, working on her memoir. And that's how the book begins. Unfortunately, she has a family, a daughter and son, a granddaughter and an ex husband, who demand some of her time, alas. The novel begins with Florence's son, Daniel, a policemen returns to New York where his wife, Janine, and daughter, Emily have been living for a few months. Florence is, of course, divorced. Her daughter-in-law, Janine, is having an affair with her mentor, Lev, so things are pretty messy. To give you an idea of Florence, her friends gave here a surprise party and Florence, after thanking her them for their kindness, announced she was going home to write, and none of her friends found this unusual...it was just Florence being Florence. The center of the book of course is Florence but also the growing relationship between a reluctant Florence and her granddaughter, Emily, especially towards the end of the book when Florence is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. She marshals on, refusing to make any concession for the disease, ignoring her family, but slowly allowing Emily to be part of her life. A decent read but not as good as I hoped.
A Homeric Morning---A Rosy Colored Dawn
6:13 |
6:53 |
6:55 |
6:55 |
Yesterday was another one of those days where we thought it might rain but it didn't. It was warm and humid, like it always seems to be as September arrives and kids go back to school. I can still remember the heat of those first days, wanting to jump in Lake Erie after school to cool off. And, of course, we were tough kids...no air conditioning for us!
Unitarian Service |
Final Service Of The Summer |
Smith Library Window |
Skeeter, Our Neighbor's Dog, Comes For A Visit |
A Busy Late Afternoon On Long Point |
It looks like a sunny, warm, and humid week, with highs in the 80's, good for the lake and boating, not hiking.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
LAPHAM RISING: ROGER ROSENBLATT
A light weight read from a fairly heady guy. Harry March has lived in a modest cottage in the Hampton's for years. Unfortunately, he hates change, especially the modern love of the self, things, usually big things. And across the water from his cottage, a Mc Mansion is going up, much to Harry's pique. A good part of the book is spent in a dialogue between Harry and his dog, Hector, a Westie, who happens to be able to talk and for good measure, unlike Harry, he's a born again Christian. I could see myself in much of Harry, bemoaning the loss of a way of life we were used to, we were comfortable with, that time before computers, iPhones, iPads, and now the ubiquitous selfie, took over modern life. His struggles to stop the building of this monstrosity ultimately fails miserably to his embarrassment, and he seems to, at the end, give in to this new way of life. Rosenblatt can be quite funny, making fun of modern man, especially those with wealth. He knows the Hampton's well, the boutiques, the upscale cheese and cooking stores, the bistros catering to the rich. I was surprised I did not like the novel more because I agree with much of his ranting against consumerism, modern materialism, its experiments in insignificance. But the story, the narrative action. was lacking. Too bad. I much prefer his non fiction, especially KAYAK MORNING.
The Sun Finally Rises
6:32 |
6:37 |
6:45 |
6:50 |
6:52 |
Yesterday was another fine day on the lake, mostly sunny, not too warm, clouding up some early afternoon, then clearing, bringing a lovely late afternoon and evening, no wind, a calm lake, a clear sky. It was a perfect for an outdoor party celebrating our neighbor, Joe Bergen's 50th birthday. It was mostly family and friends, plus the neighbors, so there were nearly 50 people. Lots of beer of course and great appetizers and dinner.
Joe, The Birthday Boy In Orange, With Family and Friends |
A Multi Generational Party |
Dinner With John And Mary Anne Johnston |
So it was a busy but fun Saturday, with a birthday party and a dinner at a neighbor's house. Today we have nothing on the agenda, the only decision being what to have for dinner.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
NATCHEZ BURNING: GREG ILES
This was quite a change for me, a large novel (800 pages) set in the South, a thriller about the racial injustices in Mississippi during the 1960's. The murder of retired black nurse Viola Turner in 1998 leads Penn Cage, a former prosecutor and now mayor of Natchez back to the 1960's when the Ku Klux Klan were running rampant over both the city, state and federal governments. Reporter Henry Sexton, having lived through these times as a young boy, has been searching, researching and chronicling these abuses in his weekly newspaper and is finally ready to start naming perpetrators, beginning with local red necks, police, and Natchez and Louisiana bigwigs. Penn's father, a revered doctor for fifty years also plays an important part in the story, having been a doctor in the 1960's and having employed the murdered nurse, Viola, for three years before she abruptly quit and went North. Also essential to the story is Penn's fiancee, Caitlin, who also happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and editor of the Natchez paper.
When Penn begins to look into the past, to the death of Viola, he gets pulled into the world of the 1960's, of killings of blacks, abetted by local cops and politicians. And Penn finds his father is also somehow involved in all of these activities. Soon, however, things heat up and Penn begins to undercover what locals were involved in the murders. And just about at this time, Penn's father mysterious disappears without telling Penn where he is going. Henry, who has been researching these murders for years, allows Penn and Caitlin to see his research, implicating the locals. When the stories start to get published, Henry is shot, survives and is taken to the hospital, only to be shot and killed again by a Ku Klux Klan-er. As Penn digs deeper and deeper, more people get killed and they finally discover who killed Viola, the reason being to keep her from talking about the murder of her brother by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960's. There is some sort of closure but not much because there are two more volumes to follow. The second volume, THE BONE TREE was just published a couple of months ago. I liked this novel for realistic portrayal of the rampant white racism, in the 1960's in Mississippi, where the white man reigned, the black man feared. It seems like those times have not changed that much. My one pet peeve, how the story depends on Penn not telling his fiancee what he's doing, his father refusing to tell Penn where he's gone, Henry keeping the stories of the past to himself, all of which lead to the violence in the story.
A Sunny Beginning To The Weekend
6:49 |
7:07 |
Yesterday was another near perfect day, sun and cool, with a nice breeze. We were not sure what to do but then I got the bright idea to take a hike on the Westside Trail, starting in Panama, about 15 minutes from our home. We have been on the trail before and really like it, lots of pine trees and woods. Unfortunately, as we started, Evie always signs in at the box at the trailhead where other hikes have also signed in. One of the hikers mentioned having lost keys, the other said 'Watch Out For Bears.' That was enough for us to cancel our hike after a quarter of a mile. We know there are bears but when someone says, 'Watch Out For Bears,' it takes on a different meaning, like sharks sighting in the water this past July in Topsail. So, we went home and did what we should have done, go kayaking for an hour.
Joyce, Gardening And Bill Relaxing |
A Stuffed Eggplant Dinner With Ron and Linda |
Friday, August 28, 2015
A FOG OUT
6:50 |
8:10 |
Kayaking On A Gray Morning |
Parked For The Morning |
Long Point Woods |
Roses Along Shore line |
Long Point State Park |
We were not sure what to watch so I looked through the movies on HBOGO and picked out RECOUNT, a movie about the 2000 presidential election with Kevin Spacey. It was worth watching though being reminded once again of the Supreme Court's decision to once again, stand in the way of having 'every vote count' angered me once again. And the specter of Katherine Harris was raised. How could such a person be elected Secretary of State? Decide an election? It's moments like this where we realize how disgusting politics and partisanship can be, blinding individuals to common sense (both democratic and republican). In this case, Democrats wanted to see every vote counted, even the hanging chads, the dimples as well. And of course, Republicans did not want to see this happen, citing laws and deadlines. So politics and partisanship, not democracy won out, both in the election and the Supreme Court (they voted to halt the recount, then upheld the deadline for getting the recount done) Unbelievable.
And, interestingly, according to Factcheck, Bush probably would have narrowly won if the all the votes were allowed to be counted in the contested counties. However, if all the counties were allowed a recount, Gore might have narrowly won (but he did not ask for a recount in all of the counties). So, was justice done, the right man elected? Probably. I still do not feel better. Here is a conclusion from the AP after much research:
AP: A vote-by-vote review of untallied ballots in the 2000 Florida presidential election indicates George W. Bush would have narrowly prevailed in the partial recounts sought by Al Gore, but Gore might have reversed the outcome – by the barest of margins – had he pursued and gained a complete statewide recount.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
A Sky Of Storm Clouds And Blue Skies
6:22 |
Southern Sky at 7:00 |
Northern Sky at 7:00 |
A Rainy Day For A Paddle |
Around 1:00, Evie drove into Mayville to the doctor's office for a blood test, then stopped at Tops to pick up a few things. I stayed home, ate leftover Cubans and Reuben's, and watched the beginning of the Longmire series, about a sheriff set in the Northwest. I have been meaning to watch it but have never gotten around to starting it. Now is the time. It cleared up some in the afternoon, and we both went out on the dock to read, with blankets because it was windy and cool. We spent much of the time ogling the amazing puffs of clouds but went in after forty five minutes
Clouds On A Wednesday Afternoon |
We were home around 9:15, in time to watch Fox News' Megan Kelly discuss Donald Trump's latest faux pas, his argument with commentator, Jorge Ramos who challenged Donald at a news conference. We are getting sick of the coverage the media is giving this dope, keeping his name in the headlines, winning him more and more attention and voters. The media is making his campaign. It was good to get back to my book, Dead Monkey, set in the Florida Keys.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
A Gray and Dreary Morning
7:00 |
8:30 |
Yesterday was overcast and we spent much of the day waiting for rain which never really came. Why do we pay attention to the forecast and let it shape not only our day but moods. We have no control over it, so why think or worry about it. Que sera, sera. I was thinking of going to the Chautauqua Institution to hear the morning lecture but ended up taking my car into the my mechanic at 9:00, for a safety check, a yearly task, which the 2000 Accord passed with flying colors. And, again, at 2:30 I took in my Honda Pilot and it too passed, so I have that out of the way for another year. Little things like this pile up, seemingly one each week or fortnight, appointments that you have to do that are onerous, not earth shaking.
We did not do much the rest of the day, other than Evie getting up enough energy to cut the lawn. Since it rained a whisper, we spent some time on the dock reading, or in the house napping (me) and reading. Our lives seem always seem empty when company leaves for a few days before we get back into the routine of living alone. I am always looking for something to do, like going to the store or like yesterday, taking both cars in. That will soon end.
Pork And Vegetable Stir Fry |
It's after 9:00 and raining, a good day to fish or make a pie or bread or do nada.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
A Morning Of Quiet And Solitude
6:08 |
6:44 |
6:46 |
Life has settled down here at the lake now that we are home alone. It was a busy but fun weekend with my sisters and now, we have am empty calendar for the near future. We will have to see if anyone turns up in the next month, perhaps some friends heading home from the East Coast (read that Joe, Mary Lou and Paul). Yesterday began with my blasting music, making sure everyone was up and ready for a big breakfast before their drives home. Evie made a great send off breakfast of blueberry and banana pancakes, along with a rasher of bacon. We said our alohas around 9:00 and suddenly, the house was empty and quiet. So what did we do, the obvious, start organizing, cleaning, and putting away all the stuff from the weekend, like cleaning up the kitchen, emptying the cooler, stripping the beds, easy things like that, not too taxing, but a beginning. Both Evie and I were low energy, so that was about it for the morning and afternoon. We did kayak around 11:00 because the lake was calm, empty, begging us to enjoy. By the time we headed home, the wind had picked up some, so we got home just in time. I wanted to pick up a book at the Ashville Library, so I drove off around 12:30, picked up my book, and filled up two five gallon gas cans for my boat.
Lunch was simple, the way it will be for the next couple of days, as we had lots of leftovers from the weekend. I heated up some leftover ratatouille and rice, finished it off from Thursday night's dinner as I watched the latest Ray Donovan. Evie was out on the dock by then, so I joined her after a nap and some reading. I finally have found something to read, some fluff but fun, a Carl Hiassen thriller set in Florida called BAD MONKEY. It started to cloud up late afternoon, so after putting the gas in my boat, I put on the boat cover, thinking rain was coming. It didn't.
At 6:20, we drove over to the Viking Club. It was Reuben and Cuban night and we were meeting the Mc Clures, who were back from Pittsburgh, ready to enjoy the lake for a couple of weeks. The club was unusually crowded and Ron and Linda had already ordered us our sandwiches because the club announced it had a limited number of sandwiches left. So, we sat in the bar, drinking a beer and enjoying two Cubans, two Reuben's, our usual order, and catching up on the past weeks activities, planning for the next couple of weeks.
Sunset From Viking Club |
Monday, August 24, 2015
The End To A Great Three Day Weekend
Sunday At The Chautauqua Institution |
My Sister Linda and Her Husband, Rich |
My Sister Ellen And Her Husband, Walt |
6:10 |
7:00 |
As my title suggests, yesterday was a perfect day with my sisters and their husbands, the end of our anniversary celebration as they leave this morning for home. We started the day with a leisurely coffee and bagel, nothing extravagant. At 10:00, we cruised down to the Chautauqua Institution, a blue on blue morning on the lake, with blue lake, blue sky. We docked with a number of other boats, and took a forty five minute walk around the grounds, ending up at the Ampithteater for its church service. It drew quite a crowd because the featured speaker was Martin Luther King's youngest daughter, Bernice King. We had to wade through the various announcements, prayers, hymns and, of course, the offering before she stepped to the podium. Sitting there impatiently, waiting for this prelude to end, reminded me of my youth, sitting in church with my mother (my Dad stayed home), bored, impatient, paying absolutely no attention to the sermon, only wanting to get this dreaded hour over. Ms. King had moments of near greatness, especially when she quoted her father and her voice seemed to sing. Her message was that we are the light of the world; only we can change it through seeking the truth, using it as a guide, and action. The service ended with everyone singing 'This Little Light of Mine,' a nice touch.
Bernice King |
Hurrying Up The Home Fries |
Evie's Breakfast Is Ready |
Readying For Another Triathlon |
Ellen Of The Lake |
Julia and Scottie, Servers at The Village Casino |
This morning Evie's making banana pancakes for the gang before they head up to Virginia and Ohio.