~ The Sunday Salon ~

I haven’t posted a TSS post in a couple of weeks.   By the time Sunday rolls around, I feel lazy and restless.  I tend to find myself spending the day, if I’m home, reading the entire NY Times in bed and several cups of coffee or, like last week, getting lost in the fun of Pinterest.   It’s not as if I’m at a high-pressure, long hours job all week, as I know some of you are or have several young children demanding every minute of my time (unless you count the cats who  often seem a lot like small children!).  I think sometimes I just get a little tired or bored doing the same thing day in and day out.  Even with reading and it doesn’t matter what I’m reading.  I just realized this happens to me only in winter.  So maybe it partly has to do with knowing my chances of getting out of the house during these weeks of winter are pretty slim.  In the warm, sunny weather when I can get outside everyday if I want to, I don’t get this lazy, restless feeling.  I admit, to, during the winter months when I’m inside most of the time, I don’t always know what to write about in TSS posts.  Cute anecdotes about the cats and the weird videos I found on YouTube only go so far!  I wonder if this would happen to me if I lived in CA or GA.  Someday I’d like to move out of the city, maybe to somewhere a little more temperate.

I have some good cat stories for you.  I’m just holding off until I have some good pictures to go with them.  I have to work on getting photos online again since I couldn’t transfer what was on the old computer.  I need to update the cat pictures on my blog, too (among many other things!).  I have two new cats to tell you about, Oscar and Cecelia (Cee Cee).  Oscar’s a one-year-old (approx.) and Cee Cee is 6 or 7 months and getting fatter every day! We also feed and sometimes give temporary shelter to 2 or 3 other cats when it’s really cold out.  I’m hoping within a month to have the pictures ready…maybe sooner!

 On the book front, I started reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear a few days ago.  It’s very different than I expected but I like it.  I’m also reading Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon for a book club hosted by Andrea whose blog is Great Thoughts.  I’m really enjoying Wife 22; it’s smart, funny, poignant and unexpected. I’m still reading The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout.  I’m taking more time with this book because it doesn’t have a concrete deadline while the others do!

I hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday and reading a good book!

~ The Sunday Salon ~

  

Happy Sunday!  Today it's a beautiful, sunny day in Brooklyn.  It may be winter but standing in the sun feels so warm & it helps that there’s very little wind blowing. The temperature is a balmy 25 degrees!  Sure, I sound a little nutty but last week's temperatures were in the teens and it was winnnnnndy outside.  And, considering that I  got home late yesterday after several days in the hospital, I’d probably find it beautiful outside no matter what the conditions!

I was so excited in December when I got a new computer & was back on-line after several months off-line because my old computer decided it had served me well and was done one day  I had many plans: to visit all of the blogs I missed & readers & friends I hadn’t “spoken” to in months, revamp my blog, type up the notebook full of reviews I have for the books I read while off-line and so much more.  I didn’t know what to do first!  Then, a few days before Christmas, I got a cold. No big deal except, within a couple of days it was one of the worst colds I’ve ever had.  And it just kept getting worse especially because of my pulmonary hypertension, asthma and other lung issues, colds can be a problem for me.   I went to the doc, got meds, did what I needed to do to get better but I didn’t talk about it...a sort of denial, I guess.  I usually try to minimize my health problems because they are such a factor im my life, one I'm not so fond of :o)  I didn’t want this cold to impact how much blogging, posting, commenting, emailing I could do since I had been away from blogging for a while anyway.  And since I spend so much time seeing Drs. & being poked, prodded & blah, blah, blah,  I love getting away from  all that when I’m on-line.  But when I was only posting once a week & unable to reply to comments left on my blog…  I think I should have posted why on my blog.  So I am sorry I didn’t do that or have someone else do it for me.  When my cold became bronchitis and then pneumonia, I tried to get on-line and post but I just didn’t have the energy.  The only positive aspect of being ill was the kitty-cats kept me company, curled up on my lap & my legs & even on my pillow...it's great to rest while listening to the rhythmic purring of a cat But I do now, finally!

I have just a few goals in 2013: to get healthy; to improve my physical & mental health as well as my diet; to learn how to meditate really well; to learn & understand the concepts of Buddhism; to improve my book blog and to get my blogging “life” organized.  There are probably more goals I’d like to accomplish this year but these are the ones that have been on my mind for several weeks.

I recently posted my review of The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock, a wonderful book many bloggers are reading & reviewing thanks to the terrific TLC Book Tours.  When given the chance, I opted to read the trilogy.  I'm reviewing the second book, Circles of Time, in a week or so.  I was worried about getting my review done on time because ten days ago I still didn't have Circles of Time.  It finally arrived early this week & I dove in quickly!  I'm reading it slowly because I don’t want to finish it!  If It's as good as The Passing Bells  & I could've finished it in a day, from beginning to end, barely coming up for air!  I’m just finishing Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.  It’s taken me a while to read it but I also purposely read it slowly and it’s been totally worthwhile.  I started Ninepins by Rosy Thornton.  I love her prose style.

I hope you’re having a great Sunday

Enjoy & Happy Reading!

The Sunday Salon ~ September 23, 2012

Hello! I’ve been on a forced “break” of sorts from blogging. Turns out that computer virus I thought was gone from my computer “hid” a few bits of itself here and there. My computer shut down again and wouldn’t start back up. Holy cow! What a nightmare! I think this computer is all set now and squeaky clean. This sounds like what I said a week or so ago!

We have another abandoned cat here. The people who lived just two or three doors away moved out and left their one-year old tabby cat on the landing with a cup of water and open can of cat food. Bear in mind they had a month’s notice. They knew they were leaving and couldn’t be bothered to take care of their cat. A cat you have to assume was a part of their lives for a few months at least. By late afternoon yesterday, the poor thing was consistently and loudly meowing to get into his home. So we took him in and we’re calling him Oscar at the moment. Considering that cats are creatures of habit, poor Oscar isn’t a real happy boy at the moment. He hisses a bit, growls a lot, even when he eats and plays, and meows loudly when anyone comes near. He’s scared, confused, unsure of where he is and what’s happening. Oscar doesn’t seem to like other cats too much, either. Hopefully he’ll calm down in a few days as we continue to feed him regularly, play with and pet him, offer him catnip and take care of him. What’s wrong with people? Is it pure cruelty? Laziness? Stupidity? Selfishness? It’s probably a combination of all these. Does this happen everywhere? It happens so often here in Brooklyn. It’s an awful way to treat a pet, so cruel and unfeeling. If they’re found out people are fined $300 if the abandonment is reported. Oscar’s adorable and if he decides we’re a good fit for him, we’ll be fortunate to have him in the family.

I missed the mid-point for IT reviews. I’m going to post mine by Tuesday and read the reviews by other #Italong-ers!. I received a terrific #Italong book mark from softdrink. It’s awesome and makes my reading much more festive! I missed my scheduled review date for Telegraph Avenue but will have a new date soon. I’ll be reviewing A Wilderness of Error by Errol Morris this week. Unbelievable! This weekend I’ve just finished reading Henning Mankell’s first Wallander book, The Pyramid, about his early years on the police force. It’s great. I’m going to start reading The Cutting Season by Attica Locke.

Now I’ll return to the football game that’s making me want to scream!! Oy those Jets!

Happy Sunday!
Happy Reading!

Sunday, Sunday...

Happy Sunday!  It's terrific it's a beautiful, sunny day, great for football and US Open Tennis! I hope you're enjoying the day!

My plans to spend most of my free time in the book blog arena this past week were thwarted by a hideous computer virus called Live Security Platinum. Ugh! It was a rogue software virus which took a good 4 days to fully and completely rid from the computer. I think it infected my computer when my Facebook page was hacked. I’m not entirely sure that’s how it got in. I am sure I spent entirely too much time frustrated by it!  It was a huge relief when we knew it was gone for good. Now it’s a matter of beefing up security and anti-virus software, trying to guarantee, as much as possible, it doesn’t happen again.

I read a considerable amount this week since it’s one of the best way to calm my mind and soul after fighting the virus. Unfortunately, I seem to have buried myself in review books, again, despite my intentions not too. At least I still want to read most of the review books now that it’s come time too! I’m reading the true crime book The Wilderness of Error by Errol Morris which is fascinating. I am about 100 pages in to Michael Chabon’s Telegraph Avenue. His writing is brilliant and the characters are intriguing, so far. I just started The Bookie’s Son by Andrew Goldstein which I have no doubt will be good.  And, last but not least,  I’m loving IT by Stephen King. I’d forgotten what a terrific story-teller he is, creative, detailed and thrilling! I'm so glad I joined this readalong!

The one other wonderful, delightful distraction from all that’s frustrating and painful is the cats, especially the kitten, Owen. He’s full of energy and lots of fun as well as mushy, loving and cuddly. He’s an ideal cat!  I'll have more photos soon, just need to download them!

Enjoy your Sunday!
Happy Reading!