Monday, August 24, 2020

Brit travel books

After supper and dishes and door locking and all, I sat down last night to write a blog. A rambling blob. Look how that's one letter from blog. I see I also did it in extra large type, which possibly accounts for why it was so reasonable to me, last night, after supper.

At the end of the day I no longer hold reasonable thoughts. Coherent. I cannot find words. I quit last night when I lost words. I woke up with the word this morning, but it's gone again. There still is hope it will return, and I'll write it on the pad.

From the ridiculous to the sublime! I got it. I wrote it down. There is a place it's appropriate, and I'll put it there.

Last night I was close to the end of a book that's sucked me straight in. Not Tonight Josephine, a sweet growing up book by a traveler, a Brit. I realized how many Brit travel books I've actually read. I even took a picture of the shelf of books I've read since I no longer have a teenager to talk to.

 

And a picture of the books I'm working on now:


Yesterday I finished weaving the Denim warp. I decided to leave it to today to begin finishing. I would have some supper, write a blog post about Brit books and get up today to finish up the warp and probably clean the house.

My most coherent thought from last night is, much as I disliked Travels in Siberia, none of the travelogues I replaced it with were equally dissatisfying, though far more readable. Notes from a Small Island, The Road to Dribbling, A Walk in the Woods are enough Bryson for a lifetime, and I see I have one left.

Maphead and Accidental Adventurer are much the same thing on opposite sides of the ocean. A Town like Alice does not belong in the pile. It was a compelling book. It was an historical novel. I didn't include Salt Path. For some reason I hold it above the other books. I was going to say that last night, and throw in "from the ridiculous to the sublime" some where about here, except I couldn't say it, and went to bed.

On to today. The day to full the denim toweling and clean the house. On the way to the studio to cut the fabric off the loom and secure the warp, I realized it had not rained overnight and wasn't forecast for today. I stepped outside to bring in the watering bucket, to remind myself to do it.

Cathy called. I'd texted that I'd finally reached the landlady, who claimed to have retrieved my August rent check from the USPS mail box only today, and she would be sure not to charge a late fee, honey. Cathy and I know this is pure horse hockey and discussed her motives extensively. But enough, that's just trailer park talk.

I put the fabric in the washer, sat down to lunch with Not tonight Josephine. I was close to the end. In fact, I'd already read the last chapter. Just to be sure. I put the fabric in the dryer and kept on reading. 

Finished the book, folded the fabric, and "Oh, crap" I forgot to water the plants!


It takes that much water to give everyone a thorough wetting down. Yes, it's heavy and I am very careful getting it outside. 


I did the zinnias no favor, not watering this morning. None of them were "real" zinnias, but they do deserve watering.

Can you see the inch of water left? The flowers were relieved. I haven't cleaned the house. And that's my post on Brit travel books.


42 comments:

  1. they look like real zinnias to me. mine are just about done. I looked at them today, really sad. I wouldn't ascribe your loss of words to the head injury. I'm losing words too. Hey Marc, what's the word that means...? I woke up about 2 AM and couldn't go back to sleep so I read for two hours and finished my book. came back from the library today with a brand new FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast novel.

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  2. No point writing when you are tired.
    The sequel to the Salt Path us just out . I saw an interview in the UK edition of Country Living magazine (I used to get the USA edition twenty years ago. Much more practical!)

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  3. The Salt Path is a gem. Thank you for alerting me to it - and I have passed the recommendation down the line to others who also love it.
    I remember A Town Like Alice. Perhaps it is time for a reread.
    The heaviness of watering cans always surprises me. I do hope you water yourself less than I do when I am attempting to give the plants a drink.
    And yes, words escape me too. Often.

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    1. I love A Town Like Alice. I'm told that I first read it at age seven after requesting it as a Christmas gift, but I doubt very much that I understood it then.

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    2. I didn't realize it was a book. It was a PBS (BBC?) miniseries years ago which I found very compelling.

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    3. I first experienced A Town Like Alice as the miniseries. Then, because I firmly believe that books are better than the films made from them, I read the book. I have re-read it I don't know how many times since. When I am feeling particularly hard-done-by, I read it and realize that there is nothing I have experienced that even comes close to the events in the book. If you are not familiar with Nevil Shute (author), I very highly recommend checking out his other books. Pied Piper is my favorite after A Town Like Alice.

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  4. I can't do much at night any longer either. I'm too tired to think straight and my eyes are at their worst in the evenings. I sure understand your day. I get distracted from the things I *plan* to do so easily. I got up this morning with the intention of cleanng the bathroom. I've done a variety of other things but not the bathroom and it's 4:00 pm. What's bad is I often can't even remember everything I did!
    You have a wonderful selection of books. I enjoyed your post about Brit travel books and yes, I get it! ; )

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  5. Any more I have a 2 gal. buckets, carry them to the front door. Then use a 2 cup. plastic measuring cup, pour from there. My hands and shoulders appreciate that.

    You do have quite a stack of books there. Good thing to do in this summer. It's hot here, 100 deg. with 35% humidity. Normal humidity is 0%.

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  6. I smiled when you said you had already read the last chapter of your book. I do that too sometimes.

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  7. Hari OM
    I am currently greatly enjoying watching authors talk at the Ediburgh Book Festival, which is free online... and one of my faves so far was with Bernadine Evaristo! (that's a link to the discussion - which is conducted by our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.) I have the book on my reader, just haven't got round to it yet, but another friend has it on her pile too - so maybe we need to have a 'read off'!!! YAM xx

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  8. My zinnia's took some time to blossom - but when they DID! wowzers!

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  9. Rambling posts can be interesting to read, unless they're frustrating to you. I try to write in the early evening, so I don't go off on tangents. (but sometimes I do anyway, being of an abstract random disposition) I love zinnias, although I have none of my own. I've heard good things about Bill Bryson from my dad and some friends. Right now I've discovered a couple new mystery series that I like, so they'll keep me busy for a while.

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  10. Trying to find just the right word. I miss my mother for things like that. If I was writing and knew there was that one word that said exactly what I wanted to say I would call her. She did the same and called me. We usually found the word.

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  11. I have read or listened to some Bryson. I think I read Notes and liked it and listened to Walk in the Woods and liked that too. I am not familiar with The Road to Dribbling.

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  12. I thought you were talking about Travellers refer to themselves as Minkiers or Pavees, or in Irish as an Lucht Siúil ("the walking people"). "Pikey" or "pikie" is a slang term, which is pejorative and is a derogatory term aimed towards Travellers. It is used in the UK to refer to Travellers. I ad to look up the book to realize it was an
    American road trip.
    Our deck plants are thirsty too! Big thirst!

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    1. I just looked, and that is exactly what I wrote. In college (and since) I read e e cummings, The Great Room. Travelers have my utmost respect ever since. The Romani come up in the news once in a while, on a light day. In Europe. In this country, in the news, they are depicted badly, too, as the rich people who beg on corners with cardboard signs.
      The Not Tonight kids were three sweet kids, early twenties at most, reasonably responsible.

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  13. Finally I have a hosepipe on the balcony...before that it was murder carrying buckets and tubs for watering.

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  14. I see that you have a Bill Bryson book that I haven't read.

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  15. I was going to ask if you didn't have a water outlet outside the house, but obviously you don't, hence the water canisters. Beautiful zennia, I have no flowers other than the small ones in the layout -- Oh, and my three rose bushes out front. ;)

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    1. The water is on the other side. I ran a hose around, but had to turn it off at the source every time because it leaked. Then I had to put it away in the winter. If I just lug out that big jug, it waters every thing.

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  16. I think I've only planted zinnias once, from seed. On a walk tonight, I saw some planted by a mailbox and they were a gorgeous deep red colour. Maybe I should start planting zinnias. Not familiar with any of those books or authors. -Jenn

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    1. I think I'm planting the big puff balls of zinnia, and I keep having them be the cute little ones. I could just as well plant marigolds. Or nothing.

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  17. I haven't read any travel books since I tried Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and couldn't get my head around it. Seems it's not my style.
    I'm debating with myself about watering, we had a couple of days of lovely soaking rain, but today is sunny and I know how quickly my patch of dirt dries out. I'll probably get out there after I finish on the computer. I'm planning on planting zinnias this coming spring along with pots of marigolds and yellow cosmos. I'm planting for bees, the earth can't have too many bees in my opinion.

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    1. There are swarms of bees around the many pots and humming birds at the hanging baskets whose name I cannot capture and it's only 8:30.

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  18. I enjoyed th Salt Path. I will have to look at some of the others you mentioned.

    Seemed like a busy day!

    Betty

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  19. I'm fascinated, Joanne, by the amount (and variety) of the books you read! Great!
    As to looking for a word: it happens. Sometimes it is on the tip of your tongue - then one has to wait, it will come.

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  20. I have the same problem with words, but given that we have a computer in front of us as we write, I eventually find them somewhere.

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  21. I have no idea why, but when I start a Bill Bryson book, I really enjoy it, and sometimes even laugh out loud, but as I get further into it he starts to irritate me. I wonder if others have had a similar reaction? The teenagers in my family don't talk a whole lot and monosyllabic answers seem to suffice most of the time, so you may have received more reciprocal interaction from your books!

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    1. It's because he's making the same point, saying the same thing, over and over that he irritates me.

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  22. My loss of words frustrate and frighten me. When I have to, I give up and wonder how what’s ahead. Mostly, though, when writing, I think of a word near that and ask Mr. Google to give me a synonym for that, hoping that the forgotten word will come up. Friends tell me that it happens to them also and it is part of aging. I do not like this part of aging.

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    1. Google and I spend a lot of time on words. I suppose we should be thankful we have found a work around. Still creative, eh.

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  23. I call Google my "back-up brain." There have always been some words that slide from my head as soon as I want them but their number is increasing all the time. It sucks. I have got to get my hands on The Salt Path.

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  24. That sounds pretty much like my day - I often lose a word (or five) and have to just quiet my mind and not dwell on the fact that my father suffered from dementia for years. I am just happy that they pop up eventually. I'm going to see if The Salt Path has an audio version. I'm just finishing a borrowed copy of Little Heathens and I like it so much that I've ordered my own copy.

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    1. I first had Salt Path as audio. I think I listened to it four or five times in a row. I found it mesmerizing. Sort of "I couldn't put it down", but actually "I couldn't take it off" no matter what I was doing.

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  25. I've gifted the Salt Path to others, what a treasure of a book it was.

    Currently reading "A Good Neighbourhood" - can't remember who recommended it but it's absolutely riveting.

    XO
    WWW

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  26. As a Brit, I'd be interested in your opinions on Brit travel books. Like which ones you enjoyed most and which were disappointing.

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    1. From bottom to top
      Read one Bryson
      Read one Fogle
      Read one Alexandra Fuller and be hooked. She knows Africa
      Not tonight Josephine. You may want a hard copy
      Salt Path. You will want a hard copy.

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  27. I hate the losing of words. My brother died early from Alzheimers. Lately I'm substituting Smith and Hawkins when I mean Williams Sonoma. It just drives me crazy. For about two years I could not remember prickly pear, it eventually returned and is now solidly in my head. As far as names go - forget about it!

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  28. A charming and lovely post, Joanne. Reading it reminded me that I need to rotate laundry so thanks for that. I also woke up early this morning because I had some blog ideas. Sometimes it's hard to shut off the brain. Take care.

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  29. I'm presently reading Michael Palin's account of traveling in North Korea.

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