Category Archives: Books

I Don’t Read…

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Weather in the Tries:

The nights are for real getting cooler. The days are, too. At least most of them. This week will be mostly in the 90s, with three days at 101, as of 4.30 Sunday afternoon. Who knows how it will change by Monday, and No one but that wee butterfly in Seoul, South Korea knows if we’ll still get 3 hot days. 

I Don’t Read…

As most of you know, perhaps all of you know, I do not read books on math, spy stories (nonfiction or fiction), romance, or horror. Heaven’s to Murgatroyd! I found a series of books that are classified as horror, and I’m having a hard time putting them down. I have read books 1, 3, 4, and am now on 2. Five and 6 are somewhere between the author’s computer and my bookshelf. It is the Golgotha Series by R. S. Belcher, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The horror is more along the lines of ewww and yuck than nightmare horror. Of course, there is violence, but something occurred to me the other day—I don’t mind violence in shows or books as long as it is improbable. Our Hero single handedly saves Los Angeles from the bad people, the rock falls from outer space to the desert only to not be a rock, but an egg of a violent predator who loves warm blooded beings. Only one person, also from another planet, can save us. Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. And the violence in these books is like that. Totally improbable. Think of the old Lethal Weapon movies. Now throw in some spirits, ghosts, wayward angels, and other such stuff all in a desert town in Nevada with the name of Golgotha, where everyone is welcome. Some are welcome to live, some are welcome to die, but all are welcome.

I heartily recommend the series by R. S. Belcher, and I strongly recommend reading the first one first, Six Gun Tarot. The others you can read as you find them, but you’ll have a great grounding if you start at the first. It’s far less violent than Game of Thrones was/is. And I’m considerably chuffed that Six Gun Tarot was Mr. Belcher’s debut novel. How cool is that?

Speaking of, I understand there is a prequel out, now, to GoT, The House of the Dragon (???) I imagine it will be as violent as the original, possibly more so. George RR (RailRoad) Martin is involved in this one, too. If any of you watch it to the end, I’d appreciate your comments. I quit GoT at the end of Season 5. I was afraid they would kill off the few favorite characters I still had standing. Especially Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). I did see the episode where he offed Daddy Dearest and thought that was awesome. (I didn’t like his Daddy at all). I know that when the story lags, an author should kill his/her darlings, but damn, I’d get emotionally involved with a character in one episode, and the next s/he would be offed. And I really didn’t want anyone to kill the dragons. 

Remember when Diana Gabaldon came out with the Outlander series? My housemate at the time and I bought the first three books, heard the fourth came out and headed to our local bookstore. We went up and down every aisle but the Romance one. Finally, we asked for help. The books weren’t in historical novels. They weren’t in thriller. They weren’t anywhere to be found and yet the store advertised they had them. Yeah, you guessed it, they were in the Romance Section. 

I seldom buy fiction books. They take up too much room, they weigh too much, but there are some authors I really, really want to own their books and not rent them. Patricia Briggs, Ann Bishop, and now R. S. Belcher. I’m pretty sure they’ll play well together on my bookshelf. And notice their last names all start with B so as my mind slip/slides away maybe I can still find my old friends on shelf B.

Photos of the Week:

You looking for a good book to read at the beach on your last summer get away? I suggest this one. And I won’t even be begging you for a review, Amazon has heard all us authors whine and cry, and now you readers can just go in and give books you’ve read a Star Rating, no words involved. How about them apples? Huh? And this book is just chock-full short pieces—poems, stories, and opinions. Honest. Trust me.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

No knew books this week. I’m still working on #2, and I’m reading it very slowly because I don’t want to finish it and have to come home. I kinda like Golgotha. It’s a happening place, know what I mean, Jelly Bean? 😉

Earworms:

Went to YouTube to check my music videos, and there was a new one for me, Arabian Harp. What lovely music to have in the background while I work on the computer. 

Quotes from Salmon Rushdie:

“Faith without doubt is addiction.” —Salmon Rushdie

“From the beginning men used God to justify the unjustifiable.” —Salmon Rushdie

“We all owe death a life.” —Salmon Rushdie

“A photograph is a moral decision taken in one eighth of a second.” —Salmon Rushdie

We’ve had cooler weather, and Boy Howdy! is it nice for sleeping. I’m pretty sure it won’t be too long before I have to put the heavier quilt on the bed, but for now both Sammy and I are enjoying the lighter weight of the summer quilt. I believe next week end is Labor Day weekend, the “official” end of summer, at least for a lot of kidlets, and their teachers, unless they’ve all quit. When I worked at The Boeing Company, I was rather surprised at all the teachers I knew who worked there. Far less hassle, better wages, better hours, and no kids allowed. Enjoy this week, especially if it’s your last one of the summer 😉

A Double Dose of Goodness!!

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Intro:

Wednesday last, 11 November, wasn’t just hump day, it was Mountain Day. I was lifted to the highest peak and am still cruisin’ on down!

First off, I put together a collection of poetry and thought it was pretty good. I sent it to a professional editor, Sharmagne Leland-St. John (editor Quill and Parchment, an online poetry magazine), who went through it, marked it up, and sent it back. She agreed it was good, and she made it better. Way better. (If you’re going to pay for advice, you maybe oughta use it;-) At her suggestion, I then sent it to her publisher in India. They took it, and on Wednesday, I signed the contract, and approved the final proofs. I mean, how cool is that? Purely happenstance, but the cover is a shot of dandelions in puff mode. Because I’ve always been somewhat of a contrarian, dandelions are my favorite flower, and the puffs most of all (can you tell I’m not a gardener?). Besides, I can actually grow dandelions!

From the Information/Sell Sheet: “Marking the Hours, A Collection of Poems contains historical poetry of the Oregon Country, poetry of space flight, fantasy, and the title poem, Marking the Hours, is an essay in poetic form of the last hours of her uncle’s life. This is a book of loss, of hope, of grief, of love, of the beauty of being human.” 

Not sure when Marking the Hours will be available, but when it is, I’ll be sure to let all of you know. And post it in My Books.

And then, yes! there’s more! I told you it was a double double dose of goodness, didn’t I?

Jim Bumgarner, one of three Tarweed poets (Jim Thielman and I are Tarweed Poets—there are two others, but they did not contribute poetry to the book) called to tell me that our book is now live on Amazon. By the way, Jim B. took the photo and designed the cover. Isn’t it stunning? Wait till you read the poems inside!

From the Information Sheet: “Reflections: Life, the River, and Beyond. Jim Bumgarner gave us Reflections and Observations made through his life. Lenora Rain-Lee Good wrote River Songs about living on the Columbia River. Jim Thielman gave us poems from Beyond the Bridge. All the Tarweed Poets live close to water, if not the Columbia River, the Yakima, the Snake, or the Walla Walla. Water is life, and it plays a large part in our poetry.” Be sure to check out the My Books page above.

Entertainment:

I finished Frida. Netflix is marvelous, it knew where I stopped, and had it all waiting to resume. It is said to be the true story of Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) and her husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). From what I’ve read of them, it probably is. They had quite the volatile marriage, but also passionate and caring love. I do wish they had spent more time on her and her paintings than on them and their drinking and sexploits. (This is not family entertainment.) The acting, photography, well, everything in the movie was high-shelf good.  

Books: 

I’ve actually read books, yes plural, this past week. I’m still working on Peter Stzrok’s book. But I really needed a break from politics, and moved on to something more uplifting—murder, mayhem, and one of the most beautiful novels I’ve read since Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Linkholm—Memories in the Drift by Melissa Payne.  Reviews are posted at: Rainy Day Reads.

Outro:

PLEASE, WEAR YOUR FREAKING MASK! Keep those around you safe and keep YOU safe. I don’t have so many friends I can afford to lose any, especially when it could be prevented by wearing a mask. You are, each and every one, important to me. Yes, because the vaccine is coming, the vaccine is coming, the end is in sight — but it’s still a long, long way down the road. If you’re on a hill, you might be able to see the light, but don’t bank on it. Yet.

Want to know the best mask to wear? Easy Peasey — the K95, the blue surgical masks doctors wear (you know those guys aren’t going to cut their oxygen intake one wee whit!), a mask with at least 2 layers of different and closely woven cloth, preferably three. It needs to fit snuggly over your mouth AND YOUR NOSE.  If your nose isn’t covered, you’re not dressed. A mask will help keep you healthy, your neighbor healthy, and as an added bonus this winter, it will also keep your nose warm.

If masks give you ‘panic attacks’ I suggest two things—talk to your dr. about getting some anti-anxiety medications, and learn some meditation. Believe me, the claustrophobic anxiety of wearing a mask is nothing compared to the claustrophobic anxiety of wearing a coffin!

Here is the CNN story, Choosing the best mask to protect you and others.

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Not the Post I Planned for Today

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I have a post written, and was going to put it up today, but then, life happened. Next week we’ll discuss the hazards of dog walking.

The West Coast is burning. Literally. And, no, it isn’t because we didn’t go out and sweep or rake the forest floor, it’s because of climate change and our collective inability to face it and act to correct it. Or at least slow it down. As Governor Inslee said, these fires are not an act of god, they are an act of climate change. If anyone knows about forest and fire management, it’s West Coasters.

I’m amazed at the people I talk to who either never took basic science classes in school (my first science class was in fifth grade) or forgot all they learned. I am not a particularly well-educated person. I’ve had some college, but I am fairly well-read. And I suffer from terminal curiosity. I’ve known about climate change for at least two decades. These people with little to no science knowledge, also seem to have little to no curiosity. It’s almost as if they’re afraid to be curious, to ask a question. What if the answer isn’t in alignment with what they already believe? Gosh, can’t they change their mind? I can’t imagine people with no curiosity as to how the world about them works. All children are curious. They are born that way. Getting answers to their questions is how they grow, survive. How did these people lose their curiosity? Parent? Teacher? Preacher? Are you one of those who has lost your curiosity? Do you know why? If comfortable doing so, leave your answer in the Comment section. I’m truly curious. and it may help me understand where you’re coming from.

The data are in. The data are known. It’s gonna get worse before it gets better, and if we don’t start acting soon, like today, it won’t get better until humans are extinct. Which might not be all that bad. It seems obvious to me that many people think that way, vote that way, act that way, and we’re headed that way. So, they must want it that way, yes?

I have low-grade asthma, I have a good mask and filter, I have a dog, and the air around my domicile has been in the dangerous to hazardous zone for over a week now. I try not to go forth more than four times a day, and even the dog seems to recognize that he needs to do his business quickly and come back inside. My eyes burn. I don’t know if my low-grade asthma will blossom to full-bore asthma or not, and I don’t want to find out the hard way.

A friend lost her home. All that’s left is part of the chimney — and her memories. She lost her belongings, she lost her local community, but she’s alive. She gives meaning to one of my favorite affirmations: Things are to use; people are to love. Roshi Suzuki said that all is an illusion, some illusions are sadder than others. The loss of one’s home, the treasured belongings, the physical reminders of cherished memories, is one of those sadder illusions.

Check out Bill Nye the Science Guy on climate change. He has a marvelous way of putting technical stuff into words even I can understand. Besides, he’s fun to watch and has several YouTube presentations. There is a wealth of information online, good information, about the climate crisis we are now in. If you search, you will find. And if you find someone who agrees with you that it’s a hoax, fake news, doesn’t exist, they are flat out in denial and or lying. Follow their money.

Photo of Bateman Island taken last winter from patio, the trees on far shore are in Pasco, Wa

Photo taken 11 Sep 20, same view. Pasco is gone. The dark water you see just past the island is a raft o riverweed, not the far shore. This has been our air for the past week and then some. THIS is smoke brought about by Climate Change.

Entertainment:

Netflix: I became so engrossed in A Thousand Goodnights, I gave up parsing it to one episode/night, and binged the last few episodes. For some reason, I had the idea it was only 10 episodes long—it wasn’t. It was 20, and I’m chuffed it was. There was plenty of time to develop all the subplots and get to an appropriate ending. It was, in a word, delightful. If you are looking for something without car chases, gunfights, swordfights, nasty people, &c, I strongly recommend this. It’s slow, beautiful, and lovely.

I started Life, a Korean drama about an arrogant businessman who has taken over a hospital. I probably won’t finish it. It’s 16 episodes long, and not even humor to defuse the tension. The bad guys wear black (suits) the good guys wear white (lab coats). Gosh, I wonder who will win? And there’s not a single character in the first five episodes I give a rat’s hind end about.

Amazon Prime:  I’m not watching anything at the time on Prime, but one series I absolutely loved is Hamish Macbeth. It’s out of Scotland and Hamish lives in a small town, is the local cop, and deals with some of the most fun crimes around. Be sure to turn on captions as the brogue is thick and fast and I guarantee you won’t catch it all, no matter how attune you are to the dialect.

Books: 

See Rainy Day Reads for reviews. and mayhaps a bit of snark. Who? Me? Snark? Bwahahahaha!

Wearing a mask is a proven method to help slow down the spread of Covid19. Please, wear your mask. And wear it properly—keep it over your nose! Your Auntie and your Granny appreciate your thoughtfulness. However, I promise when you come next week for a fresh cuppa and homemade biscotti, we’ll be properly socially distanced so you may remove your mask at that time. Honest. Trust me.

Speaking of masks, check out this site, Puramasks. Their masks are good to keep smoke out (filters are at 2.5 whatevers), as well as give you a chance to protect your neighbor. https://store.purakamasks.com I can tell immediately if I have the mask on correctly, so the filter is over my nose. If on correctly, I don’t smell the smoke. If not, I adjust toot sweet! 😉

Auntie Lenora