July 2: A Few Ruminations, and a Novel

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had this book on my "read" shelf, but I didn't enter a review, so I think I was just beefing up my Books list when I checked it off. Weirdly enough, I ordered a copy and got a profoundly abridged one, despite its having NO notice of its abridgement. I think I'll interlibrary loan it and then decide if I want to own a "real" copy. However, this novel is a gem, especially for Anglophiles, since it makes fun of exactly the tropes that we all love: the country vs city life, the multitude of characters, the issues of class and accent. . . One reviewer commented that it was a mix of PG Wodehouse and Jane Austen. I'd say AMEN!

I hope to find the movie on Netflix, as I remember loving it once already!

View all my reviews

 (Warm thanks to Mark Arnold, for showing me how to "Post to blog" from Goodreads once again.)

 Well it has been the Wet Week (going on "and a Half"), which we seem to have at the end of June/early July every year lately. If things go as they have in the past, we should be clear by the 5th and then in a drought pattern quite quickly! However, it's always a struggle not to get overwhelmed or depressed by the gloom and dampness, so since last Tuesday, when Andy and I beat the amazing heat with a nice trip to Richmond to see Craig and Heather, I have been:
 1. making 1.5 pairs of booties, the fuzzy green of which have been delivered to their future owner's grandfather already;

2. reading a lot (see posts).

 3. Exercising regularly, with a Fourth of July 5k due up and two excellent yoga classes lately. I like having taken a class with a teacher often enough that I can begin to focus on what my body could be doing to improve the experience: rather than just "not falling over" or "not hurting!", I have been able to think about what Cindy means when she says "tuck in to the midline" and "feel your weight evenly on both feet."

 4. decluttering! Started with a required picture of Camilla's future room, but has since extended to a "let's do it while it's rainy because we won't want to when it's nice" major room clean/book purge/clothes switch-and-purge with Nathaniel. Then delivered the books that we couldn't afford to ship to Ohio to Child and Family Opportunities, where they will be read and loved and used by families who really need literacy support. AND the ya books from that same drive to the Library, where they'll be sold to raise money for activities for youth and children at the library. So, good things, and all out of my side of the garage!

5. lots of small, puckety errands and details.

 6. follow up on Library Board stuff I'd postponed.

7. school planning and work three days/week, as I'd hoped. It's pretty exciting to have time to really PLAN. And today after my yoga/walk Z/ trip to hair cut/mail L's b'day pkg/drop off books, I went to school and did some consultation with Mark A about tech stuff (hence the fixed blog). So I can work when I need to and then not feel guilty when I don't. So nice!

 8. Planning our ANNIVERSARY AWAY! A and I are going to Belfast to stay at the Belfast Bay Inn and eat at the Gothic. ON our 24th anniversary. Really. Only someone whose anniversary falls on his/her son's b'day and a week from his/her second son's b'day could understand how rare that has been for the past 20 years! So: despite being ready for some sun, I feel pretty cheery. Off to read, I think!