Carol's Notebook – Page 338

Readers’ Workouts- 6/2

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by Carol5 Comments

So, here are my steps for the week. And here's my current workout plan. It's an 8-wk plan, but I've only got the first 4 below. I finished week 2 and started on week 3. My week: Tuesday - 1 mile walk with dog. 15 minutes of weights at home. Wednesday - 30 minute strength training- lunges, squats, push-ups, etc. Thursday - 7 hill sprints, 50 crunches, 10 push-up Saturday - 30 minute strength training- lunges, squats, push-ups, etc. 2 hrs of yard work Sunday - 1½ hours of weeding Monday - We went fishing and it was cold, so I ended up skipping my run. I'm doing a Whole30 this month, which means no added sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy or legumes. I've been posting food photos on Instagram. After the 30 days is over, the idea is to add those back into your diet one at a time and evaluate if it affects how you feel, sleep, etc. I'm down 2 lbs from 5/19. I usually listen to a book while I'm running...

Dead Wake by Erik Larson

May 29, 2015 by Carol5 Comments

Dead Wake is not a book I would usually pick up. I don't tend to read much non-fiction and I actively avoid war books, but I've enjoyed Larson's books in the past and his "narrative non-fiction" style works for me. He tells the story with a personal touch, not just a recitation of facts. This one is pretty fascinating, the boat itself, the people on board, and all the events in the outer world that conspired against them. I listened to this one on audio and Brick did a good job. He kept me interested, made it exciting and tension-filled. There were a lot of people, but it's non-fiction, so there wasn't really any dialogue to worry about. The individuals were heard through their journals and letter, which doesn't require any distinction voices. There are a lot of people involved in the story of the Lusitania, from the captain, crew and passengers, government officials on both sides of the Atlantic, to the...

Thursday’s Tale: The Brahmin’s Dream

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 by Carol5 Comments

Today's story is another from Amber's World Lit class. "The Brahmin's Dream" is also from India, a part of the The Panchatantra. A poor Brahmin lived in a village. He begged for a living and one day got some barley-meal. He ate a bit and put the rest in a pot that he hung by his cot. As he stared at the pot, he began to daydream. He dreamt that if a famine came to the land, then he could sell it for a hundred rupees. With these silver coins, he would buy a pair of goats. They would have kids in every six months and soon he would acquire a herd of goats. Then he would trade the goats for cows and then buffaloes and then mares. The mares would have horses and he would sell them. with the gold he earned he would buy a large house. Soon, a wealthy man would come buy and offer his daughter in marriage, along...

Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh

May 27, 2015 by Carol1 Comment

Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn books are comfort reads for me. When I'm tired or grouchy or don't know what I feel like reading, I pick one up. Whenever I see one at a used bookstore I pick it up, but I'm thrilled that they've published a bunch for the Kindle. This one opens with an odd set of circumstances that ends with Peregrine Jay restoring the Dolphin Theater and the opening production is his original play, The Glove, with the Shakespearean glove itself on display. The first half of the book lets us peak backstage. We meet the various actors, witness their petty feuds and jealousies. I enjoy this part of Marsh's books in general, the characters are always fun, sometimes stereotypical, but she always pulls together great casts. And of course, you're wondering who's going to die, because someone is. The second half of the book deals with Alleyn's investigation, which consists of lots of interviews and some clue-searching. I really...

Readers’ Workouts – 5/26

May 26, 2015 by Carol3 Comments

So, here are my steps for the week. And here's my current workout plan. It's an 8-wk plan, but I've only got the first 4 below. I finished week 1 and started on week 2. My week: Tuesday - 1 mile walk with dog. 15 minutes of weights at home. Wednesday - 6 hill sprints Friday - 30 minute strength training at home using the moves Vicki linked to last week Sunday - 45 minute run at the park I skipped Monday because we had a cook-out. We did play ladder ball. I'm down 1 lb from 5/19. I usually listen to a book while I'm running or walking. The week I listened to Day Shift by Charlaine Harris. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog. Thanks!...

Thursday’s Tale: Slow, the Weaver

May 22, 2015May 26, 2015 by Carol4 Comments

I know I'm posting a day late, but I just got busy yesterday. Today's story is one Amber actually told me the other day when she came home from school. She read it in her World Lit class. She and I talk about what we're reading fairly often. The story is "Slow, the Weaver." It's from India, a part of the The Panchatantra. The Panchatantra is a collection of fables and stories from ancient India - five books in one. Some parts are in prose, others in verse. Animals act and talk in some of them, and suggest Indian living, tricks of survival, cunning and idiocy and adaptations. You can read "Slow, the Weaver" at The Gold Scales, but I'm going to try to retell it like she told me. Slow is the weaver's name. One day he goes out to cut a tree down, but the fairy tells him not to. Instead, she'll grant him a wish. Uh, oh, I think....