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Tuesday, June 13, 2023

This and That, Days Turn Into Weeks

Made some headway with my scarf.  I finished the heather section and started a gray section which will be the middle.  This has been layed aside and I've not knitted in almost a month, which is a bit odd for me; but for some reason that's just the way my time has worked out.  Can't believe how much time has lapsed since my last post.  Days just seem to blend into weeks for too quickly these days.


Yes, another WWII book, by Pam Jenoff. Sadie Gault age 18 lives in the Krakow Ghetto with her parents, until The Nazi's decide it's not cruel enough to live in the Ghetta and liquidates the ghetto's forcing people to flee, to hide if possible. But, where?  She and her family lived in the tunnels/sewers under the city.  An unlikely friendship blossoms above and below the ground.  LOVED this book and highly recommend it.
A very different topic for me.  This book, The Four Winds takes place in Texas back in 1921 and takes you from a country with abundance and happy lives to 1934 during The Depression.  A young woman coming of age when women had no choice in the lives.  They were expected to be married and race children, or be a spinter and live unhappy lives.  Love, betrayal, hardship and how hard people worked to stay alive are all strong emotions in this book.  Add it to your list.  We all know about the dust bowl, but maybe we really didn't know how bad, how desparate this time in history was.

The Paris Wife is an historical fiction complied through letters and diaries of Hadley Richardson, the first of 4 wives Ernest Hemingway had.  I must say reading this book made me think entirely different about him, as a man.  He was despictable, in my opinion.  He was a womanizer, and a user.  But, at times I was furious with is wife for enabling his horrific behavior.  Read it and let me know what you think.  I decided he's in a category like Frank Lloyd Wright.  Two famous people that got respect they did NOT deserve.  Neither was a good man, neither treated friends or family well.  And both were takers and self absorbed.

May was a better month for me for exercising than April.
I upped my planks from 7 to 13 (4 rounds of 45 seconds with 13 sconds of rest between).  AND I managed to do side planks (2 x 20 with 6 seconds of rest between) in May, compared to zero in April.

Mowed 5 times vs 3 in April.

I added high steps (knees to chest) 60 repeats 4 x during May.

I found an abd workout through Silver Sneakers that connects to Burnalong and did that twice in the last week of month.

Cardio Mix through Silver Sneakers gives me quite a work out for 45 minutes, and managed it 4 times during the last 2 wks of the month.  I also did a Yoga Pilates Infusion class once the last week of the month.

Steps (which is both going for a walk, mowing, up and down steps for laundry and just all around what you do in a day.  April was 0 actual walks, but 97.28 miles for the month, while June I recorded 5 actual walks and 104.94 miles for the month.

I was out of town for the first week in June, so we'll have to see how that impacts my stats for the month.  Fingers crossed I can continue to increase my numbers.



31 comments:

  1. The first two books sound very interesting. Since I've joined a book club I'm always looking for books that might be good options. I'll have to check these out.
    Good on you for all the exercising. I got rid of my last Fitbit as I could not get a replacement charger and I wasn't paying for another tracker. I suspect I'm not getting in as many steps as I did before....and the thought of a plank makes me break out into a sweat. :)

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    1. I find trying to make myself accountable by recording my exercise has helped. Likewise having the fitbit to see how much or how little I move is also helpful. Somedays are better than others, but we must keep moving. Let me know what you think of the books if you read them. Thanks for the visit.

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  2. I've read so many good reviews of The Four Winds, I really must add it to my 'to be read' list. I've read a few Kristin Hannah books before but not this one.

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    1. Thanks for the visit. Let me know what you think of the book, I really enjoyed it and it's just not a topic I knew enough about.

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  3. Those books look very interesting. I am going to add them to my list of reading to be done.

    Working on mitts here for oldest to take back to his school for the elementary students. I want to get 50 pairs completed but will be happy with 45 or so.

    God bless.

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    1. I envy you being able to make mittens. Let me know what you think of the books when you read them.

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  4. The first 2 books sound very interesting, mainly the second.
    Congrats on a very good month of exercises. Plank are very tough!!!! Don't give up!!!

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    1. Nice to hear from you. Appreciate the encouragement on the exercising. Thanks.

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  5. I like the combo of colors in your scarf. Kudos to you for your excercise achievements during May!
    I live on the third floor of a building without elevator. So, you can imagine, I have to get up and down stairs, regularly.

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    1. Steps are good exercise, so good for you; but I imagine when carrying groceries or other items it can be troublesome. Thanks for your kinds words regarding the scarf. It'a always nice to hear from you.

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  6. Your first book I have on hold at our library. I've been reading a lot about the Germans in WWII. Glad to hear you are doing good with the exercises for June. I have to get out and walk more but the hot temps and lack of sleep make it had but I'll eventaully get there. My wife is knitting a sweater but stopped because it too warm to have the piece on her legs as she knits it. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Hope you don't have to wait too long for the book from your library; but think you'll enjoy the read. I'm with your wife, it's hard to have a knitting project on your lap when it's hot, plus when your hands are warm or moist, the yarn doesn't slid on the needles very easily. I can sure see why she put the sweater away for awhile.

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  7. Looks like you got in some great reads! All the best on the scarves! Oh, the months are flying by..I understand completely! Thanks for your comment too! All the best to your summer.

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    1. Thanks ellie, much appreciate it.

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  8. Anonymous1:30 PM

    sandy, thank you for asking about my father. As the few facts I have were told to me, My mother lived in Geneva Ohio to German immigrants, and that's where she and my father met... I sure need to have connection to someone... my adoptive family was very rejecting and abusive. I'm not even sure how to spell the Italian name Cerone or Serrone
    LeeAnna my email if you ever want to chat is LAPaylor at gmail dot com

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  9. I don't know much about Frank Lloyd Wright but you are so right about Hemingway. Definitely a user who treated family (including his children) badly. And I wonder how he had any friends.
    I hear you on the year rocketing past too. Take care of yourself.

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    1. Thanks for the visit, always nice to hear from you.

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  10. Side planks are kind of fun. Feels a bit like flying. :)

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    1. I find them a bit hard, but will think about flying the next time I do them, lol.

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  11. Dear Sandy
    You always find such interesting books to read. I shall look out for a couple of these. I still have 'A Woman of No Importance' to read and I must put this at the top of my 'to be read' pile! Your exercising is going really well too. I manage a mile walk/exercise every day thanks to Youtube! I would like to get back to doing more Yogalates though.
    Have a good week
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Good for you for doing the utube walking daily. I'm trying to be more consistent. Will take a look at utube, would be good for days when the weather doesn't cooperate.

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  12. Hello,
    I always enjoy your book reviews. I am writing them down to check out at the library.
    My mom read The Four Winds, she found it interesting.
    Happy Summer Solstice!!
    Carla

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    1. Happy Summer Solstice to you as well. Always nice to hear from you. Let me know if you read some of the books what you thought.

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  13. Sandy - thanks for your recent visit to my blog! Am I allowed to laugh about your hubby buying crutches? My daughter and I are reading the Pam Jenoff series that started with The Kommandant's Girl. We are enjoying them, especially the connection from one to the next.

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    1. I enjoyed that series as well. Pam Jenoff's research is very thorough which makes her books excellent, IMHO. Yes, you're allowed to laugh about the crutches.

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  14. I had always heard Hemmingway was an awful human being. I remember reading The Paris Wife as well as the book about Wright and thinking the same as you.

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    1. Thanks Bijoux, always nice to find others who agree with my opinion og Hemmingway and Wright.

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  15. Crazy how fast the days go by, isn't it? Thanks for the book recommendations! Nice work on the scarf and all those steps. We try to walk some everyday, but don't do much in the way of other exercise but should. Good reminder!

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  16. Thanks for the encouragment about exercise. I keep trying, but trying to be consistent seems to be my downfall.

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  17. As always, I'm impressed with your commitment to maintaining your strength (core and otherwise) through various exercises. Keep on planking! :)

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  18. Hemmingway was a huuuuge asshole.

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