Tuesday 28 February 2023

This and that

 Sorry about my absence but Rachel recommended a new author (new to me) - Olivia Manning.   I nipped over to Amazon and bought her 'The Levant Trilogy' and enjoyed every word.   I am ashamed to say that I had no idea where The Levant was and had to look it up in my Atlas.   It is the countries of the Eastern Mediterranian and the three books are about that region during the Second World War.  I have just e mailed Rachel to tell her how much I have enjoyed the books.

Now \(|it is the month end and I allow myself a set amount to spend each month on books and before you  ask what is wrong with the Library - I am housebound, the library only opens on certain days and is run by volunteers and  I would have to get a taxi to get there.   The taxi is expensive so nipping to Amazon Prime is not much more expensive and the book comes through my letter box the next day.)

I was intending to buy Olivia Manning's The Balkan Trilogy but having looked at my World Atlas to look at the area where the Levant book was set I realise just how out of date the Atlas is.   It still has Yugoslavia in it and of course the area around there was carved up a few years ago (with, as usual, many lives lost).   So now I have a problem - do I buy the Olivia Manning this month or do I replace my Atlas?

 

To other things.   Did anyone manage to catch a glimpse of last night's Northern Lights display?  As is usual here in North Yorkshire - whenever this is forecast we have dense cloud cover.  Interestingly there was an expert on Breakfast this morning saying that the wonderful Reds showing at the moment are nothing like as intense when viewed with the naked eye.   Apparently the camera enhances the redness.

Have any of you ever seen the Northern Lights?  I haven't and I have been above the Arctic Circle quite a few times.   It is on my Bucket List but there are quite a few things still on it and I presume I have not all that much time left.   (some days you could almost (but not quite yet) replace 'presume' with 'hope' but with Summer on the horizon and the garden looking inviting, it is more a case of 'hang on a minute'.   My pair of blackbirds are back - Mrs B is standing on the hedge top and Mr B on the fence is serenading her.

And, while on the subject of relationships (!) for want of a better word, my "lover" has gone (if you don;t know who I am talking about scroll back two or three posts and you will find a  photograph of him sitting on my knee) back home with his owners who have returned from Thailand.   I am waiting for my friend to let me know whether he was happy to see them or not.  I shall miss his visits.

Until tomorrow dear bloggie friends.

29 comments:

Margaret Butterworth said...

Re out-of-date atlases: I use Google Maps on my computer virtually every day, looking for some part of the world or other. It's a lot quicker than searching in an atlas.

Rachel Phillips said...

You are reading them in the wrong order.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

The countries of the world are being constantly re-drawn, any atlas you buy now will be out of date within a year. I wish I still had my father's old atlas from the 1930s.

Librarian said...

I remember Rachel recommending Olivia Manning's books.
As for libraries v. Amazon - of course I fully understand your reasons for ordering books online instead of borrowing them from the nearest library. If only they had a service for housebound folks! A volunteer group, helping with people's shopping etc., could include a library pick-and-bring service.
Having said that, my town's library (my former work place) is very good, but I can count on one hand how many times I have been inside in the last 5 years... I can not remember the last time I ran out of reading material. There is always a "to be read" pile on my shelf, mostly birthday or Christmas gifts, or the occasional book I bought from my favourite book shop, The Little Ripon Bookshop.

Northern Lights - how I wish I could see them! In Northern Germany they were visible, and a few pictures and short video clips were shown on the news last night, but I live too far down south.

Ellen D. said...

My local library has a delivery service for the housebound. Too bad your library doesn't have that.
I also use Google maps.

Anonymous said...

Pat, they’ve recently finished showing a very good ( although old ) dramatisation of The Balkan Trilogy on TV starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson under the title Fortunes of War.
It may be on DVD.

Anne Brew said...

That Anonymous was me.

Barbara Anne said...

It would be lovely if all libraries could/would deliver books!

Oh, I hear you on outdated Atlases and will admit I prefer going to look in books.

I miss the glorious and most interesting National Geographic magazines and wonder how many are now in the dump? We have decades worth of that magazine from DH's family if anyone has a suggestion better than the dump!

Hugs!

Rachel Phillips said...

By the way I wouldn't bother with replacing the atlas, Romania and Bucharest haven't moved in any case.

Susan said...

Instead of an atlas, you might consider looking at world maps online. I love my old atlas but it gets little use. I am glad you are enjoying your new book. Today, you can't beat Amazon for service and delivery.

Melinda from Ontario said...

I'm not quite far enough north to see the Northern Lights in my own backyard but I have been promised a display at me sister's cottage next fall.

jinxxxygirl said...

Pat i have never seen the Northern Lights unless ofcourse you count my Grandmothers necklace and earrings. They are old and were passed down to me. The are called 'The Norhtern Lights' and i have loved them since i was a child. Hugs! debs

Amanda said...

You want the Balkan Trilogy - which I recommend very highly. The Internet can get you maps. Maybe I'll go back and re-read both those trilogies; it's been a while.

Granny Sue said...

I am a former librarian but seldom go to my local library, and never get books there. Why? Because I dislike having a deadline for reading them. Much better to buy a book and have it on hand when I am in the mood to read it. I support our library in other ways, though.
I will have to find the books you mention. Needing a new read! Currently I am reading The Birds of Winter, a nonfiction exploration of some of our North American birds. It is fascinating.
I remember when I turned 40 and the iris were in bloom. I suddenly thought that I might only see them 40 or so more times, more if I was lucky. What a jarring thought that was!

Pixie said...

I grew up in a small town in Alberta and there wasn't much light pollution back then. I remember one very cold night, driving out in the country and the northern lights were glowing and dancing in the sky. It was beautiful.

gz said...

I hope you do get a chance to see the Aurora..it is happening at both ends of the Globe, and we hope we will be far south enough soon

stargambling said...

You have a very popular and useful blog. Thanks for your work :)

Rambler said...

I have seen the Northern Lights - in Cornwall. It was in the late 80s; my boys were fast asleep in their beds and I walked across the road to the park to give my dog a last toilet chance before bedtime. I suddenly saw a flash of bright green, looked up and as I watched the dark sky was covered in bright green, moving patches of light. I was so scared! Aliens? Were we being invaded? Was some horrifying thing happening to our world? I had no thought of it being the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis and as I watched, the whole sky was full of these moving lights and the surrounding area - houses, road, trees, - was bathed in the same green light. In fact it was like green daylight as I coulld see right across town to the church and the clock tower in the town centre. Gradually the phenomenon faded away and there was just silence and darkness. Eventually, I realised what I'd just witnessed and I've always regretted not dashing back across home to wake my sons to look out of their windows.

Anonymous said...

Barbara Anne, you might put your National Geographic collection on Craigslist free or your local BuyNothing group on Facebook. Collage artists and fans of National Geographic might want them, especially if feee.
A relative is a hoarder of books, mostly science related. He won’t get rid of the books to Goodwill. He thinks kids could learn a lot from them,even though I’ve pointed out that some of the info may be outdated and kids can look things up online

Anonymous said...

Many decades ago there was a scheme put forward for classroom teachers to visit families in their homes to 'get more of an understanding of the student, and a more closer connection with their parents'. Teaching at the time, I thought it was intrusive and beyond a level I was comfortable with. I often look back on the observation teachers felt that 'there was not a book to be seen in the house'. I've reflected on that many times, as husband and I divested ourselves of most of our large collection of books. They were amongst the heaviest and most numerous items to shift on our many moves.
We now use libraries, and he has his Kindle, and our very small collection is treasured and tucked away.
I love observing the night sky and have booked into an Observatory experience in the Outback at the end of this month. - Pam, Sth Aust.

Red said...

Northern Lights! I As kids we were outdoors most of the time and lots of times at night. We saw northern lights all the time. My first year teaching (1958-59) was in the country. I walked back to the school at night so on many clear cold nights I saw northern lights. I spent 5 years in the Arctic and don't remember seeing northern lights.

angryparsnip said...

Lovely post. I have not seen the Northern Lights and I doubt I will. But I have seen lighting Bugs in my back yard and i miss having them around.
cheers

Joanne Noragon said...

I've never seen any northern lights. I wonder if I ever will. We have them, occasionally.

Cro Magnon said...

Yes, I have seen the Northern Lights, from our home in France. At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing, as I thought they were only ever seen far further North. But it was spectacular, and very COLOURFUL.

Heather said...

I have never seen the northern lights having never lived further north than Cheshire. Seeing them must be an amazing experience.
I have been a book lover since early childhood and am forever getting rid of a few to make room for new ones. Decisions, decisions.

thelma said...

Well I have never seen the Northern lights but there is enough video on the internet capturing it. My present listening is a ghost story, 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson. Taking me back to childhood when I read every ghost story going.

The Weaver of Grass said...

What an interesting and fascinating lot of responses to my yesterday's post. Red - I almost (but not quite) envy your living in a cold part of the world. Thanks to you all

Donna said...

I'm late to the party but, here nonetheless...lol
I'm sorry about the loss of your little Love! There are all sorts of elderly dogs and cats wishing for someone to spend Their last days with...
I've never seen the Northern lights...
hugs
Donna

Terra said...

Now you have me interested in the Levant Trilogy. I worked many years as a Maps Librarian and love the history we can learn from the old maps. For example I have seen maps of Antarctica showing palm trees (fossils) there from when our earth was warmer.