:grouphug: Jean :grouphug: I am deeply sorry. I am praying.

OUAT, :grouphug: I'm deeply sorry that this is happening to you as well. Mumto2 is right, we all know that these things are going to happen but when they actually do it is such a shock. Thank you, everyone, for your hugs and kind words.

In keeping with this week's theme of sick parents: my dad has been in the hospital for the past two weeks with pneumonia (although I think there is something more at play here but it is hard to get answers when you live 3,000 km away.) My mom had open heart surgery in March, I went there to help. I was home for two weeks and then my dad was in the hospital with pneumonia so I went back for two more weeks. That was in April. I didn't go back for this hospital stay because we just couldn't afford it. Anyway, my mom called this morning to tell me that the dr. has said that there is a strong possibility that dad will have to go into a nursing home. :crying: Did not see that one coming! He is only 76 and was, until this happened, totally independent! They let him out of the hospital today and we are in a wait and see stage right now. So if he has to go back to the hospital then I will have to go back to Ontario and help get things sorted out. I am not looking forward to this. I thought I had a few years until this was going to be a reality. I am just going to say this once but this really sucks. This past year has just been crappy and this on top of everything else sucks. Okay, I'm done now. Now back to books: I finished J.R.R.Tolkien's translation of Beowulf and I like Heaney's translation better. Much better. I decided to pass up the reading book by Wendy Lesser (can't remember the title) and is now reading the newer one by Nancy Horan about Robert Louis Stevenson (can't remember that title, either, sorry but it was one of the blue covers we had on a thread a few months ago.)

31 C. This is not usual for us (Sk, Can) so we are not liking this. It is supposed to get down to 26 degrees by the weekend and that will be more livable.

:grouphug: to you.

You are wise to wait. When my mom was first in the hospital, over a year ago, I thought I should go right away but I decided to wait and see what might happen. I am so glad that I did. When she had open heart surgery in March then I was able to go. If I had gone last May, I wouldn't have been able to afford going later on.

I am so sorry about your mom. I went through this exact same thing in the spring...twice. I do know how stressful it is in figuring out what to do and when to do it. I am holding you up with good thoughts. :grouphug: Jane, :hurray: Yay for you! Congratulations! I finished Frog Music by Emma Donoghue last night. This was a great book to break my reading drought. I loved this book and I love Donoghue's writing. I am now reading Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser--a book about books and reading. My favourite type of book.

That picture is quite calming. I am fussy about my teas. My most favourite is vanilla rooibos.

Have a glorious time, Robin and James! Shoot! I was going to type something else out but I can't remember what it was. Oh! I remember now. I have not read Into the Woods but I did attempt to read The Likeness by Tana French and I did not like it despite many positive reviews. This is a series with Into the Woods being the first one so I am wondering if I need to start with that one first. I am a little farther into Frog Music and, Hallelujah! I am liking it! What a wonderful feeling to actually like a book again.

We usually go back the first week of August but this year, due to some difficulties, we will be starting back the first week of Sept.

I haven't posted yet this week but I have been reading all of the posts, envying your ability to read. I am stuck in the literary world, can't seem to find a book that I can stick with to the end. I decided to make a list of books from different genres/categories and see if I could read a bit of each one every day. I thought maybe that would help get me over this hump. I am reading a bit from each but it's not going very fast. Here are some of the books that I am tackling: The Disappearing Spoon--Sam Kean The Attributes of God--Arthur Pinker Frog Music--Emma Donoghue Ten Ways to Destroy The Imagination of Your Child--Anthony Esolen Beowulf trans. J.R.R.Tolkien Feeding Your Soul--Jean Fleming Happy anniversary, NoseinaBook!

I am not hungry in the mornings but I make myself eat breakfast. I will usually have on of the following: Greek yogourt with fruit, honey and chia seeds a green smoothie cold oatmeal with fruit scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach and zucchini

I have lost 4 lbs! Yay! It's funny how losing 4 little pounds can make you feel better. With the exception of this past week, I have been exercising 5 times a week and have been eating mostly greens, fruit, some protein and being very careful with carbs. I have also been drinking more water which is a big coup for me because I hate water. This past week, though, has been busy with driving kids to day camp so I have only exercised 3 times this week and there were more carbs being inhaled than there should have been. But I haven't gained anything so I will start back to exercising today and getting back to the greens. I am also going to see the dr. about thyroid. I have wondered about that in the past but I will actively do something about it now.

Well, I'm not able to finish The Rithmatist because it was due today and I couldn't renew it. So now I have to put it on hold again and wait. :glare: So I'm not sure what I am going to read now. I have Lauren Graham's Someday, Someday Maybe. I am bit ashamed to admit that because I am thinking that it is probably lower than fluff but I am going to attempt it anyway.

I saw part of this this morning on TV. I loved it!

We started poetry journals this year. Each child picked out their own moleskin journal. Once a week, I pull out all of our poetry books and each child picks out a poem that speaks to them. They copy them out in their best handwriting (at least that is the intention.) This has worked out very well. I have been pleasantly surprised at the poems they have chosen to copy, especially my ds, who isn't much of a poetry guy.

Happy travels, Jane! Michele, I share your woes on teaching writing. I am good at it at all. I have gone through just about every writing program known to man and have come to the conclusion that it is me, not the program. I'm just bad at teaching writing. I am reading The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I don't know whether you would call it YA or teen but it is fantasy and I am loving it! I am bummed that the second (and possibly last) book in this series isn't going to be out until next year. I know I don't have a choice but I don't really want to wait that long.

I read this book a few years ago after I read posts by Jen in which she described how she put together a course for her son. I enjoyed it. I am thinking of having dd read this book next year for her school reading.

I watched this video in March and I was inspired by it. I tried to think of ways to 'make honey' with my children without it begin contrived. I was not successful in thinking of any lasting ways. Then life happened and other things crowded out the brainstorming. Thank you for bumping the video up in my thought processes. Now that planning for this coming school year is in full throttle, maybe I can think up ways on how 'making honey' will look for our family.

Well, I did read a biography of Harper Lee but it was entitled 'Mockingbird.' It did discuss the craziness of Capote. It was a good book.

lol No apologies needed. I think the reason why books sometimes resonate with us relates to what we are experiencing in our personal lives at the time. That is why Harold has stuck with me. Another book that has stuck with me is Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. Maybe I just like books in which the protagonist goes on a quest as Parnassus is similar to Harold in that way. I didn't like Guernsey either. I wish I hadn't finished it but for some reason I felt obligated to. I haven't read The Help and have no intention to either. I think there was just too much hype with that book and the hype always seems to ruin a book for me. I have such high expectations for the book due to the hype that the poor book just doesn't have a chance. Code Name Verity was another book that just couldn't reach the expectation hype. I finished that one, too. I was hoping that there was something going to happen at the end that would redeem the book. Nope. I finished Parnassus on Wheels earlier in the week and have now started The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I'm having a difficult time getting into it.

We had turkey bacon, cheese and tomato sandwiches with cucumber salad.

I feel that same kind of disappointment. Actually, I have felt that kind of disappointment over the same book. I loved The Mixed Up Files when I was a kid and was looking forward to reading it with my kids. They didn't get all excited over it like I did and I felt let down. Negin, I have been pondering your question and I really don't have many fiction books that have moved my soul the way that you described. The only one that comes to mind is The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. That book rocked my very being. I told the world about that book and was so disappointed when people didn't have the same feelings about it that I did. I am thinking that maybe the book I am reading now (Parnassus on Wheels) might be on that list as well. I can think of more non-fiction books that have moved me and have set my soul on fire but I don't know if that is what you are looking for. For me, the non-fiction books that make that list are: Eat, Pray, Love Broken Open A Million Little Ways Thanks for making me think. There is no better thing to ponder on than books.

I finally finished The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears. It was an okay read but I am not sure if I will read any more Pears books. I am now reading Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. What a delightful read! It is a book about books--a disgruntled spinster buys a traveling book business. I am eager to get some reading time later tonight to see how it all unfolds.

Jane, I hope the storm is just about over. One good thing about storms is the inevitability of reading lots of books. I get excited just thinking about it! Shukriyya, may you have a great trip. I have noticed more and more that recently written books have all become chunksters and they don't really need to be. They could still say all they need to say in 1 or 200 pages less than what they are published at. I will be interested to see what you think of The Golem and the Jinni. Stacia, enjoy your trip as well. I always love going to library's in the towns/cities in which we are visiting. It's exciting to see the different books they offer.