This purple lavender from my back yard is for Tanabata, who always has the best pictures of purple flowers! Monday's post is of purple-tipped irises...very pretty!
No babysitting + intermittent internet connectivity = no blogging + extreme frustration.
I've been fighting with my computer for the last couple of weeks. The disembodied voice of technical support says my microwave oven could be interfering with my internet connectivity. Hmmm... Whatever it is, I'm tired of it. Being disconnected makes me feel disconnected from my blogging buddies, and frustrated being dependent on this machine.
But I did finish Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach last night. A very short book, and there's something elegant about how physically small it is. Still digesting, not sure what I think yet.
And I finished a few other books that I have to think/write about--Aryn Kyle's The God of Animals, David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. But every time I sit down at the computer, the internet connection cuts out, so...grrrr...can't get anything done. So I'm typing madly at the moment...
My book group chose some interesting things for the summer:
The Dud Avocado (New York Review Books Classics)
by Elaine Dundy--which I heard an interesting story about on NPRAnagrams
by Lorrie Moore--one of my favorite short story writers.More books for the pile!
Well, I'm going to post now before I can't...
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17 comments:
The lavender's gorgeous. Sorry you're having internet problems. I had them continuously until we switched to DSL, not long ago.
Love the lavender. Mine looks rather anemic. Lavender doesn't grow well in my neck of the woods but I pretend that it does anyway. Sorry about your connectivity troubles. Hope you get them sorted out soon!
bookfool and stefanie--thanks for the compliments on the lavender--it grows really well here, so I take no credit! I'm working on the connectivity stuff, and I'm sure I'll get it sorted, but it's just so annoying to be so dependent on something I understand so little!
Oh, I do hope your book group likes Anagrams! It's one of my favorite books and I convinced a group to read it many years back and they HATED it. I think only one person had something half-way positive to say about it. I have not had good luck with local book groups.
(I was thrilled to see the plug on NPR.)
sfp--I don't always have good luck with my recommendations to my book group, either. But I didn't choose this one, so no worries! I'm a big Lorrie Moore fan. I love her wit! I once saw her read, and she was really funny and endearing. But I haven't read anything of hers since Birds of America came out, so I'm looking forward to reading this.
Well thank you! :)
The lavender is lovely! I hope you get your internet problems sorted- so frustrating when that happens.
Beautiful lavendar! I'm sorry about the internet problems. We don't realize how important our connections are (technological and emotional) until the power goes out, or we have trouble getting the computer to do what we want, and we can't communicate with the world the way we've gotten used to on a daily basis!
Hate internet issues. Hope yours get fixed soon! I can't wait to hear what you think about On Chesil Beach. And, seriously I need to get a hold of The Dud Avocado. It seems that I've been hearing about this book all over the book blogosphere lately.
I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Cloud Atlas as I have recently finished it and really enjoyed it.
My yard is a barren wasteland with the exception of grass. No lovely flowers yet, though my wife has plans to change that!
I loved both The Dud Avocado and Anagrams - you have some real treats in store. I am so sorry about the computer. They can be complete pains in the neck sometimes!
tanabata--you're welcome, I always love visiting your purple flowers!
robin--exactly! But I guess it's good to recognize how important the connections are. The computer seems to be working a little better now, but I'm not sure why--there's no rhyme or reason to it, so it makes me superstitious!
iliana--I just finished On Chesil Beach, will write something soon, but I will say this--didn't love it like earlier McEwan. The Dud Avocado is one of those books that started showing up everywhere, isn't it?
matt--I'm trying to write a little something about Cloud Atlas, which I really enjoyed--but I had to get through my 11-year-old's sleepover birthday party first! Yikes, they all just left, and the house looks like a tornado hit it. I need a nap!
litlove--I'm looking forward to both The Dud Avocado and Anagrams. Both sound like good summer fun. Sometimes I wish I knew more about computers, but then I realize I only want to know what I need to know!
The Dud Avocado has been on my wishlist for a while. Lavender is one of the few flowers I'm not allergic to! And it smells so good.
That microwave theory sounds pretty fishy to me. Kind of like something tech support would say if they had no clue.
dewey--so glad you're not allergic to lavender, because it is such a great-smelling flower/herb. My foodie friend even bakes with it.
I thought the microwave thing was fishy, too. Because they clearly don't want to take my computer in and look at it, since it's still under warranty!
I really love Anagrams. I've read it twice and would read it again, with no hesitation.
bybee--I'm really looking forward to reading Anagrams--will let you know what I think!
My Spanish lavender is struggling, gasping, turning brown and crying out to me. LOL Fortunately, I have three varieties and the French lavender is doing well. I wondered why everyone had Spanish lavender, this year - it's really not the right variety for our region. Thank goodness, I found the French lavender just before planting season ended. It smells like heaven. :)
I like French and English lavenders best, too. You can grow Spanish lavender here, but it doesn't smell as wonderful, and I've managed to kill several plants, so I'm guessing it isn't as hearty as other varieties. Or it could just be me :)
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