A Month Away

I checked the dates. Spring begins on March 20. It's just one month away, and I'll be counting the days. 

It hasn't been a snowy winter here--our biggest snowfall was four inches. The flurries that we're getting now are part of an originally predicted snowfall of 14 inches. Flurries are a relief.

While the snow's been light, the temperatures have been bitterly cold. At least I don't have to wait a month for relief. Temperatures will rise to the 40s beginning Sunday. Maybe I can lose a layer of clothing when I go outside.

Book Three: Henry VIII and his Court by Neville Williams

Full disclosure: I discovered this book in my high school library and read the parts about Anne Boleyn. This book was a major source of my senior year term paper. It's only 260 pages with several photographs, but there are a lot of facts, names, and dates in a small amount of text. 

I was able to identify the book by the language, "Playful bandinage, perhaps, but exceedingly dangerous." It was a description of an conversation between Anne Boleyn and Henry Norris. I had never heard of that word before, and I never heard it since. Note: I just checked the dictionary, and it only lists badinage, meaning banter. 

Overall, a good background book on Henry VIII with lovely photographs. 

Another Steak Ends

I didn't exercise on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't feel well on Monday and was running around a lot yesterday. I only mention this because I've mentioned my exercise routine several times in these posts. I also only went to the gym twice last week instead of three times. 

I knew that I couldn't keep up a routine of exercising every day, but I can keep trying. I went back to the gym today.

Rails to Whistlestops

Tonight I attended a slide show presentation, Rails to Whistlestops about railroad stations in Southern Connecticut and what happened to them by Sue Del Bianco. Here's a flyer. 

Sue had a good selection of photographs and stories. She asked me to speak about Merwinsville. 

It was a horrible night to be out, bitterly cold. But at least it was still light as we were driving up to Bridgeport. That really helped. 

It was nice to get back to thinking about 19th century railroads and have a new contact with similar interests.

Wet Weather

It feels like it's always snowing. I know that isn't true. Didn't it snow/rain three times this week? And three times the week before that?

There are hints of more snow to come later this week--possibly a lot more. 

Not even two-thirds through winter. How am I going to hold on? The Mets play their first spring training game next week. Maybe that will help. 

Book Two: Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession by Alison Weir

I enjoyed this book. Weir writes both historical and fictional treatments; her fiction works are rooted in historical facts.

Here, the story is told from Anne's point of view. Anne didn't love Henry but after his relentless pursuit started to include a proposal of marriage and a queenship, Anne decided why not? I like this interpretation because it matches my own view.

Weir adds a love between Anne and Henry Norris, which is never consummated. I imagine that Anne and Harry Percy remained in love throughout their lives.  

While Weir had said that feminism was unknown in Tudor England, she recognized that Anne spent years in the households of  Margaret of Austria and Marquerite of Valois. There Anne was exposed to an intellectual movement that questioned traditional concepts of women. She may have even met Leonardo da Vinci 

A King's Obsession is the second of the Six Tudor Queens series. I previously read the first and enjoyed that too. I've started another book about the Tudors--they are fascinating. 

Monday Blahs

We had chili yesterday, a Super Bowl tradition for us. Unfortunately, it didn't agree with me. I didn't sleep well either. 

I dressed for the gym this morning, but didn't go. I just wasn't up for it. Instead I did some stretching here, ran some errands, and took Jace to Sherwood Island. It's a state park; the parking lot is well plowed, and many of the walking paths are clear of snow.  I don't remember when we were last there. We walked for about 35 minutes, which is much longer than we've been walking around the neighborhood. There are too many uncleared spots around here especially after four inches of snow Saturday night. And...there's potential for two more snow events this week.

I have a case of the blahs or many cabin fever. Haven't even made it halfway through February.

More Snow..and Cooking

It's snowing tonight for the third time this week. We got off easy the last two times--only about two inches. It doesn't look like we'll get off easy again. The latest forecast is five to eight inches. We'll see. At least, I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow, except to take Jace out. 

Speaking of Jace, he's had a rough week; he had diarrhea twice. I took him to the vet today and got him some medicine. I'm so glad I bought more chicken yesterday. I made chicken and rice for him and chicken parmesan for Jeff and me. 

I also made bison and black been chili for tomorrow. It's one of Jeff's traditions to have chili for the Super Bowl. 

As for me, I'm looking forward to the Puppy Bowl.

The Streak is Over

This is the third day since I worked on my Merwinsville book. My last few entries were tough--none of them hit 200 words. 

I'm not sure what to write next. I haven't decided where to end my story. The renovation of the hotel? That seems too easy. The spirit of Sylvanus lives on? I just don't know, right now. 

I do need to add things. I started a file called Additions, because I was getting distracted finding things and opening older documents to add things. I can do that at another time. 

I may need to rewrite the pieces I wrote last year. Well, technically I have to re-write or at least edit everything in the spirit of the shitty first draft (thank you Anne Lamott.)

Instead of working on Merwinsville, I wrote a few blogposts and journaled. 

It's not an impasse, just a temporary lull. 

First Re-read Book: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Adapted by Lucia Monfried

I picked up this illustrated version of Little Women for my grandniece. I decided to re-read it first. I don't remember exactly when I originally read Little Women; I think it was when I was in fifth or sixth grade.

I re-read the book over the weekend. Something was off. The story seemed disjointed. One thing that I remembered specifically was a chapter called "Meg Goes to Vanity Fair." It was Chapter 9 in the original. In this adaptation, Chapter 6 is "Meg Tries to be Fashionable."

I'm disappointed that I bought an "adapted" book. And, by the way, the illustrations are horrible. I don't even want to give it to my niece and will return it to the library for another book sale. 

RIP Ralph

This is Ralph a turkey vulture from New Canaan Nature Center (NCNC). She died last Thursday at the age of 21. She arrived at NCNC in 2004 when she wasn't even a year old after suffering a partial left- wing amputation.

Ralph always seemed to be hungry and was usually knocking at the door when I or other volunteers went to feed her. She was very feisty. I can't count all the times she nipped at my shoelaces or pants cuffs.

About two years ago, I was assigned to write a story for a fiction class from the point of view of an animal. I chose Ralph as my narrator. 

I'm feeling guilty that the last time I saw Ralph, I called her a bitch. 

Today was my day to volunteer at the Nature Center. It was weird to see Ralph's aviary empty.

RIP Ralph.

Book One: Five Points The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum by Tyler Anbinder

Last year I read two books, Angel of Vengeance and The Alienist, that took place primarily in Five Points as well as The Cabinet of Dr. Leng in 2023. I wanted to learn more about the setting of these books. Then I saw this book at a library sale. 

The book details the background of the neighborhood, the people who lived there, how they lived and worked, their politics, play, crime, and religion. Anbinder also details the different ethnicities that called Five Points home focusing on the Irish, Italians, and Chinese.

I like the structure of the book. Each chapter has a prologue with an individual story that relates to the larger story in the chapter. 

It took me awhile to read this book because I tend to read history more slowly than fiction. My time was well worth it.