Monday, March 30, 2009

Make Up Time

Well, to make up for the week of torrential downpours, nature treated us Saturday and Sunday to absolutely stunning days. Clear skies of crisp blue. Cool temperatures with almost no humidity and a sweet breeze. I read a lot on the deck while I watched the hungry birds swarm our feeders. (For a couple of days we had been putting food "on" the deck because it required wading to reach the feeders.)

I'm still finding reading on my Kindle 2 a pleasing experience. It's nice to always have a perfectly flat page, I'm finding. I also discovered earlier in the week that Amazon has quite a number of free Kindle books available for download, including a Robin Hobb fantasy and a Lee Child thriller. However, I must confess that I actually put in an order for printed copies of several of the books I've already read on my Kindle. I just really, really like having printed books around me.

On Saturday, Lana and I went to a few garage sales in Abita Springs. Word had gone out Friday that the town wide garage sale plans had been postponed, but some folks either didn't get the word or decided Saturday was too lovely not to have a sale. Despite having to walk through mud in places, a good time seemed to be had by all. Lana bought quite a few pieces of the colored glass she loves, and I bought........drumroll please.......books! It's hard to pass up any book that you might one day read when you get them for 25 to 50 cents.

I also got in a couple of good walks, and Lana and I went Sunday afternoon to one of the local nature centers. I'm sure she'll have up some pics this week.

And in the evenings, writing was accomplished.
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39 comments:

Lana Gramlich said...

It's amazing, sometimes, how one, lovely weekend can wash all the bull$h!t away. :)

Lana Gramlich said...

Pardon the flood pun there, I guess...

Anndi said...

I think sometimes Mother Nature decides to reward us after we endure some of her "moodiness". Glad to hear you had a lovely weekend.

Barbara Martin said...

Sunshine always makes the gloomy period seem less. Garage sales are on my list in the spring.

AvDB said...

I have so many of those "I'll read them one day" garage sale books. I can't walk away from virtually free bound matter.

Michelle's Spell said...

I can't agree with Lana more. Sometimes it just takes a couple of good days to get your spirits back!

Sidney said...

Sounds like a good weekend.

cs harris said...

"Cool"?! You call 40 degree weather COOL? After the bliss of last week's 80 degree days, I call that COLD. And I definitely haven't been sitting outside reading!

writtenwyrdd said...

The best weather seems to follow the torrential rains. Clean air, fresh breezes and usually lower humidity and a break from heat.

Up North, the most gorgeous days seem to be the coldest. You just don't get clear, fresh air like you do in mid-Winter. And the sky is never a clearer blue.

Charles Gramlich said...

Lana, yes, it was such a nice weekend. Sure did hate getting up for work this morning.

Anndi, it seemed so this weekend.

Barbara Martin, I make some real book finds at garage sales.

Avery, that would be like passing up free food.

Michelle, yeah, but then there comes that devil inspired creature--work!

Sidney, we much enjoyed.

Jo said...

It sounds like you had a good weekend. I feel like it's still 4:30 Friday afternoon -- I had no weekend at all. *sigh*

Randy Johnson said...

We got our nice weather Sunday and today after several of rain. The reporta apparently call for alternating days of rain and nice this week.

laughingwolf said...

good stuff, charles...

there's a used book store about a mile from me i'll have to scope out once the latest nasty spring storm of rain/ice pellets/snow clears up wednesday

Charles Gramlich said...

Jo, that is so exhausting when that happens. We NEED our weekends.

Randy, we're looking to be free of rain for a few more days at least.

Laughingwolf, I have all the local bookstores memorized.

L.A. Mitchell said...

Writing sounds like the perfect cap to a great weekend. Good for you :)

pattinase (abbott) said...

Sounds like the perfect weekend.

Steve Malley said...

I think that's the thing about Kindle and its cousins: they have the potential to raise book sales all the way around.

Too often, people in our world seem to forget, the threats to publishing aren't e-books and such, it's that so few people read at all...

Glad your week went so well! :-D

Spy Scribbler said...

I'm the opposite of you: I've been ordering Kindle books of my physical books! Particularly because I'm writing an essay, and the Kindle lets me highlight quotes and type in notes as I read. I can then export the highlighted quotes and notes to Word, and the essay is easy-peasy, LOL!

AvDB said...

Passing on free food? Isn't that some sort of cardinal sin?

Heff said...

Aren't you guys due for some MORE rain, like right now ?

We've got more comin' tomorrow.

Scott said...

Charles,

Nice to hear you and Lana had a good weekend after all the crap you've dealt with of late!

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Glad everything is better now! And I'm with you - I love my printed copies.

David Cranmer said...

Glad to see all is coming up roses in Abita.
I'm following your Kindle adventures closely because I'm still holding off buying one for now. You and Clare at Women of Mystery almost have me convinced.

Charles Gramlich said...

cs harris, oh but it was so nice. I was sitting out on the deck barefooted even! I was sitting in the sun, though.

writtenwyrdd, yes, it definitely seems to wash the sky clean. And the lower humidity is definitely a desirable thing down here.

L.A. Mitchell, yep, a fun weekend, and pretty productive.

pattinase (abbott), Indeed!

Steve Malley, good point. If younger folks would start to read on a Kindle or something like it they would surely graduate to real books as well.

spyscribbler, I’ve picked up Kindle copies of some books I have in print as well, because it’s easier to read on the kindle in some cases, especially for older books that are somewhat brittle. I haven’t tried the note thing yet but I will definitely use that feature.

Avery DeBow, it’s not a sin I’ve ever committed at least.

Heff, None today, Monday. I could use another dry day or two.

Scott, yes, it was definitely a needed break.

Ello, I like to see ‘em accumulate on my shelves.

David Cranmer, or Azaleas and wisteria and Camellias as the case may be. We’ve got lots of flowering plants right now. I’m pretty happy with my Kindle, as you can tell.

Cloudia said...

Blue skies
used books
coloured glass
your love by your side
a perfect weekend
well deserved!

Aloha-

Mary Witzl said...

It must be something to do with the weather (which has been good here too): writing has been accomplished by me as well! In fact, better than that -- rewriting. I'm stunned by it,frankly. At this rate, I might get the book finished in a few months.

Charles Gramlich said...

Cloudia, Yep. Felt like a beer commercial. It just don't get no better than this.

Mary Witzl, good job. It's always nice when it flows.

j said...

I love yard sales!! That is one of the best parts of this time of year.

What color glass does Lana collect? I love old cobalt jars (think Vicks Salve) but I only have a handful of them.

Have a great week.

BernardL said...

Flea markets and garage sales are great avenues for book acquisition. :)

X. Dell said...

I'm kinda ashamed. When I get nice weather like that, during this time of year, my thoughts do not turn to nature, or books, or author, or love, or something worthwhile. All I can think about are the words "Play ball!"

Cath said...

Charles - would you mind sending me an email address so that I can "invite" you to read my blog? I have the troll back.
Sorry but this is the only way I can do it. I would love to still see you pop over once in a while but you need to sign in and be "invited".

Charles Gramlich said...

jennifer, Lana is mostly into blue glass, but she'll pick up various kinds of funky stuff.

BernardL, yeah, you often find different kinds of books than you regularly see at library book sales or in used book stores.

X. Dell, well, at least someone is getting out in the fresh air!

Cath, sure, you can email me at kainja@hotmail.com

laughingwolf said...

i visit a few, but the only 'local' one left is in the next town over, and it's a COLES BOOKS franchise, though i picked up a few reduced priced ones last week

the secondhand one closed down just after i moved here :(

just found out about this one, up the street from me :)

ivan said...

Funny about that.
Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies by Charles Lindsay was marked down to 25 cents in a used book store. I meant to buy it, saw it again at Chapters, our big box book store for about$12.OO.
My books are going for $4.OO at the corner book store.
The late John Updike, no mean golfer, had written an introduction to Lost Balls and that was the reason for the sudden spike in book price.
Funny how that goes. My book too, was about lost balls, tough shots and big lies. But it was lagely agbout adultery and pocket pool once the aduterer was abandoned by all his women, the only thing I might have in common with the young and old Rabbit.
"All you gotta do is die," said a friend. Friend?
Not too wild about that career move.

the walking man said...

It is hard to be cynical on days like that...but I manage it.

Maalie said...

Fascinating to learn about the birds that come to your feeding station. Is there a good diversity of species, I wonder?

Charles Gramlich said...

laughingwolf, I wish there were some "half priced books" here. We visited those in Austin while evacuated for Hurricane Katrina and really bought a lot of good stuff.
ivan,

Ivan, yes, it's best to move either up or at least sideways in your career. Moving six feet under is not an attractive alternative.


Mark, you're a pro!

Maalie,Lana could tell you more, but we have at least 7 different species that are regular visitors year around And we have dozens more that are seasonal

Travis Cody said...

Finding books is the only reason I'd really stop at a garage sale.

And you remind me that I have a couple of Lee Child books in my stack. I moved the Riverworld series to the top of the stack.

Charles Gramlich said...

Travis, me too. I can't figure out any other reason to go to a garage sale.