Thursday’s Tale: The Shroud

by Carol2 Comments
I usually try to share spooky stories in October, with Halloween being at the end of the month, but I'm a little slow this year. I just started decorating the inside of the house on Tuesday and we probably won't get around to the outside until next week. I did find a suitable spooky story for today though. "The Shroud" comes from Russia and was retold by W. R. S. Ralston in Russian Folk-Tales, 1873. I read it at D. L. Ashliman's Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts, one of my favorite sites. In a certain village there was a girl who was lazy and slothful, hated working, but would gossip and chatter away like anything! She decided to invite the other girls to a spinning party. Every one knows, it is the lazybones who gives the spinning-feast, and the sweet-toothed are those who go to it. Well, on the appointed night she got her spinners together. They span for her, and she fed them...
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Political Parties in the United States

by CarolNo Comments
When people think of political parties, they often only think of Democrats and Republicans, and many people seem to think that these are the same parties that founded this nation. The truth is that political parties have come and gone throughout American history. In addition, they have undergone dramatic changes during the time of their existence. The following are a few observations about political parties. Some major parties no longer exist A perfect example of this is the Whig party. A major force in politics and a party that ran candidates several times for president. This party split over the issue of slavery. The abolitionists left the Whigs to form the Republican party, and then what was left, continued for a while, but as the Republican party gained strength, the Whigs were regulated to a smaller third party. They slowly merged into the Democratic Party and ceased to exist. Some claim this could happen again In the modern era, there are people who believe...
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Readers’ Workouts – 10/11

by Carol4 Comments
Here are my steps for the week. I did really lousy this week.   My current plan is to do cardio on Tuesday (60 mins), upper body on Wednesday, cardio on Thursday (60 mins), a total body workout on Friday, cardio on Saturday (60+ mins), and a core workout on Monday. I'm also trying to do a 10 minute-ish Pilates workout each day. None of which I did this week. Any advice on getting back on track? Saturday -  Dance class Sunday - Walk with the dog Monday - Walk with the dog I usually listen to a book while I’m walking, jogging, whatever. This week I'm not listening to anything- that might be part of my problem. I'm challenging myself to eat no junk food, but apparently I have no self control. I only got three stars this week. :( How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog ....
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Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings

by Carol2 Comments
Newspaper Hats is a touching story. Georgie's grandfather is losing his memory and sometimes doesn't even remember her. She and her father go to visit him in the nursing home and Georgie asks her grandpa if he remembers her. Grandpa looks at the photos in his room and tells her some of the things he does remember. Finally she picks up a photo of Grandpa, Georgie and her dad where Georgie is wearing a paper hat. Grandpa does remember how to make paper hats and it provides a connecting point for the family. It's a gentle story that I think would be nice to read with kids who are dealing with a similar situation as Georgie, where someone in their family can't remember as well as they used to, whether it be to due to Alzheimer's or something else. It can be tough for adults to see someone losing their memory, but it's difficult for kids to and they have less...
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The Bay – The Tenderloin by Trent Kennedy Johnson

by Carol2 Comments
At least "The Tenderloin" is short. I actually expected to like it; the blurb sounded good: decent cop who may end up charged with murder. Turns out the affair was a couple of years ago and Cole's still obsessing over her. He's also got a major inferiority complex thanks to his dead father and we have to hear over and over how he imagines his dad giving him a B- or exhorting him to more or less be a man. We've got bad guys and worse guys, cops who just don't care about their jobs and are more worried about today's dinner order - Italian in case you wondered. There's a casino in a church, torture, rioting, a dangerous, overwrought lover (other than Cole). Actually, it was almost okay, if a little confusing, until the end, when we get the orgy and the "to be continued." I know this is just episode one, but absolutely nothing was wrapped up. I...
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Thursday’s Tale: Sila Tsarevich and Ivashka with the White Smock

by Carol1 Comment
"Sila Tsarevich and Ivashka with the White Smock" comes from Russia, as you can probably tell from the title. The version I read was from Robert Steele in The Russian Garland of Fairy Tales: Being Russian Folk Legends Translated from a Collection of Chapbooks Made in Moscow in 1916. It's a type of helper story, in this case categorized as "The Grateful Dead." There was once a tsar, named Chotei, who had three sons -- the first, Aspar Tsarevich; the second, Adam Tsarevich; and the third and youngest son, Sila Tsarevich. All three got their father's permission to travel and see the world. the three set sail, each on his own ship. When they were out on the open sea, the eldest brother's ship sailed first, the second brother's next, and Sila Tsarevich sailed last. On the third day of the voyage they saw a coffin with iron bands floating on the waves. The two oldest brothers sailed past without paying any attention...
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