Saturday, February 6, 2021

Zooming into Volunteer Opportunities, Birding, Nature Drawing, and Loving-Kindness Meditation

 





I've gotten hooked on Kindle ebooks, and every morning I eagerly look forward to the specials of the day. Last week I bought $1.99 or $2.99 copies of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; The Atlas of Happiness (I already have the hardcover!); I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening; This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Iwigara: The Kinship of Plants and People; Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here; and Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate....

I get emails from BookBub, Early Bird Books, and Amazon.

My obsession with ebooks might be a little out of control.




Three Simple Lines: A Writer's Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku by Natalie Goldberg (Japanese Literature Challenge)

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (2021 Newbery Award Winner)


I enjoyed all of these but I really loved reading The Disappearing Spoon. I think Sam Kean has other nonfiction books. I plan to look for them. He also has a podcast that's great fun, The Disappearing Spoon.





The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Chapter-a-Day Read-along)

Yes, and...Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr (Daily Meditation Reading)

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson (Naturalist Book Club)

On the Narrow Road to the Deep North by Leslie Downer (Japanese Lit Challenge; Nonfiction)







Teacher Builds Library in Her Garage for Her Students. Thanks to my son, Ben, for sharing this with me.



Black History Month Picture Books, inspired by Stacy of Stacy's Books. I plan to read a picture book each day in February.









Good Thing #1
It was a Zoom-filled week. I learned about Texas Master Naturalist volunteer opportunities. I practiced loving-kindness meditation and nature drawing through the Y. I found out how to use a field guide in a birding presentation sponsored by the public library. 


Good Thing #2
We are in Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small. I'm pretty sure I can help you if your cows have trouble with mastitis or your sheep suffer from pizzle rot. 


Good Thing #3
Our garden is loving this warmer weather here. We have an abundance of kale, carrots, and tomatoes.



How did your week go? 
Any recommendations for me? We are close to wrapping up All Creatures,
and I need some suggestions for what to watch next.




I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.


My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.

73 comments:

  1. I’ll have to bump The Disappearing Spoon up the list, and check out the podcast.
    As to what to watch next, have you seen the adaption of Firefly Lane yet?

    Wishing you a great reading week

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  2. Kindle books are wonderful, and I read mostly on my kindle too. I sometimes buy the reduced-price ones but sometimes can’t wait until they are cheaper.

    Be safe.... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  3. I got hooked on the daily deals and the fact the ebooks can drop in price. I have a wish list for my must have books and check it every day. Well I used to check, this year I’m not as I found too many deals in the years gone by!

    Have a great week!

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  4. Loving the new "Äll Creatures." I'll miss it when it's done!

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  5. I get daily emails from BookBub also and I have gotten some great deals. I will check the book Disappearing Spoon. Always on the lookout for a good book.
    Love the garage library. We owe much to teachers as they give so much and help shape our children's lives.

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure I understand all of Disappearing Spoon, but it was fascinating.

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  6. Well I'm glad to know who to call if my sheep ever suffer from pizzle rot! Of course I have no sheep and I don't know what pizzle rot is but it sounds like something you'd know if you saw it! We have the newest version of All Creatures recording but haven't watched it yet. It looks wonderful from what I've seen and now I want to go back and watch the older version. I might pick up the first book again. I read it years ago and enjoyed it and it seems like just the right book for right now.

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  7. Hi Deb,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog..sorry to be so long in coming over to say so.
    My husband just got a new Kindle for his birthday (from me). he completely wore out his other one.
    I just finished Of The First Class which is the history of the Kimbell Museum here in Fort Worth. It was chock full of local history..which I love.
    We haven’t been doing much but did take a drive today in this beautiful weather. We have had both doses of the vaccine so we are headed down to Austin to see grandkids tomorrow.
    Plz visit again...Janey

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  8. I think my husband would enjoy The Disappearing Spoon. I'll add it to my list for birthday gift ideas. I love that garage library. Wonderful people! Your #2 Good Things made me laugh. Pizzle rot?! Hilarious. We're currently enjoying Lupin and watching The Bay each week when a new episode is released. Have a great week, Deb!

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  9. I'm addicted to Kindle ebooks too. I mostly get the freebies, but I also get others from time to time.

    I hope you have a great week!

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    Replies
    1. Funny, but I almost never get the freebies, just the inexpensive ebooks.

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  10. Those e-book deals are hard to resist! I had to unsubscribe to a bunch I had signed up for because they were adding up too quickly. Occasionally though I see one someone posts about on their blog--or the Kindle Daily deal e-mails get to me though and I cave in. I love that you are a reading a picture book a day for Black History Month. What a great way to celebrate! I hope you enjoy your reading and have a great week, Deb.

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    Replies
    1. I did unsubscribe to a couple that didn't share books of the sort I like.

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  11. I do love book deals and they can become a little addictive.
    Hope you enjoy all your reading this week and happy that your weather is good - I'm waiting for ours to improve - not so patiently I might add.
    Lynn :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is nice just to have them on my Kindle for those little moments I want to read something good.

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  12. a library in the garage...that is fabulous. wish my garage looked as neat as theirs. hope you have a good week and enjoy some good books

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    1. I bet the neighborhood kids love having that garage library nearby.

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  13. I love love love all of your good things! I would love to take a nature drawing class. How cool!

    Ebooks can easily become addictive to get! Lol. And I love the Black History Month Picture Books. I need to put in an order for Wyatt from our library.

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  14. I spend way too much over the course of a year on the kindle sales but they are such a good way of making the book budget go that much further!
    We're (and by "we're" I mean my husband, lol) are currently plotting out our veggie garden for this year. It's time to start seeding! I'm slightly envious of those in warmer climates that can have tomatoes etc most of the year. :)

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  15. Very innovative, putting library in garage. It reminds me of Jeff Besos amazon idea and him working in his garage. too bad he's stepping down.

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  16. I'm addicted to ebook deals, too, and am trying to make my way through the many I have already purchased. The Disappearing Spoon is already on my wish list, but I'm bumping it up... thanks for reminding me. Also, if you want/need one more temptation, Book Riot also has a list of daily deals!

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  17. I'm jealous of your warmer weather Deb. It's so easy to click on those buy it ow eBook deals. I've been getting lots of digital credit by selecting slower shipping speed of Amz. purchases so many eBooks are free for me which is nice. Hope you have a good week. It's 29 degrees here now and it has started to snow again - we had 10" last week as well... sigh.

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    Replies
    1. Of course the weather here doesn't look so good during hurricane season.

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  18. I probably wouldn't pick Disappearing Spoon on my own so I am glad to see that you loved it. I will be checking it out. I am so envious of your garden - it is the one reason I would love to move South. Enjoy your week!

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  19. I am downloaing a lot of e-books too. I have a long wish list ad I wait for them to go on sale and then I buy an extra onew to give away.

    Have a great week!

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  20. I love your new background! I also love the library in the garage!

    Enjoy your books and your reading. Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

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  21. Love the new background too!
    I get all my e-books from the library. I am totally obsessed with libraries so it was great to see the garage.

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    Replies
    1. It seems like I always have to wait so long for ebooks from the library, though.

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  22. I would be lost indeed without my Kindle Paperwhite. These readers are such a gift to those of us with even minor vision problems, not to mention people with major problems like my husband who has macular degeneration. Being able to adjust the lighting and the size of the font is so important.

    I've just finished Red Pill by Hari Kunzru and I'm still meditating on how to sum up that experience.

    Perhaps the most important thing that happened to me last week was that my husband and I got our first shots of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Second shot in three weeks.

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    Replies
    1. I feel like we should have a way to celebrate when people get their vaccines. Balloons. Fireworks.

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  23. I'll think about you when I have a cow :D ! I hear your problem with kindle, I have had the same - which has led to my current book buying ban. I think I have enough books on it to read for 3 or 4 years. I read Bury my heart at Wounded knee when I was a teen ! I used to watch this western show, The Quest, with Tim Matheson and Kurt Russell and proceeded to read everything I could about native Americans. Enjoy !

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  24. Ok that is funny that you should mention your new found love for Kindle books because I am internally fighting with myself over them. My goal this year was to read Kindle books every other month in order to clear out my back log. There was a short time period in 2016/2017 where, like you, I jumped on the $1.99 bandwagon and ordered a ton of Kindle books. Except I never read mine. So, February is the month to start in on them and I. Do. Not. Want. To. so I'm having a big of a temper tantrum meltdown over it. But, finally, 7 days into the month, I'm able to start on one. Whew!

    Enjoy your Kindle books and have a great week!

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  25. My ebook downloads were coming in faster than I can read all those books. I've dwindled my subscription to only BookBub. All Creatures Great and Small is on my queue of series to watch. Have a lovely week!

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  26. I have barely read any e-books since the pandemic started whereas I used to read more before. I have no idea why, maybe because I take comfort in holding a book in my hands right now.
    The loving-kindness meditation sounds interesting.
    Have a great week!

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    Replies
    1. The loving-kindness meditation was very good for this difficult political climate we are in here in America.

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  27. I love the idea of reading a picture book a day for Black History Month and there are so many fantastic uplifting books out there from which to choose. And the teacher's garage library? Yes please!

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  28. Love your picture books for February - what a great idea!! And yay for zoom meetings. I feel like my social life is more active, now that my introvert self can sort of engage without leaving the house ;) Thanks for sharing and have a great week!

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    1. I think a lot of people are enjoying that aspect of the pandemic.

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  29. So many fascinating things! Though yes the kindle obsession could become dangerous at least for your wallet, lol

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  30. We watched all seven episodes of the new All Creatures Great and Small this week. It is so kind and sweet. What the world needs now.

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  31. I'm so glad you liked The Disappearing Spoon! I read it during my blogging break so I didn't review it but it was so good! I really need to start watching All Creatures. I love those books so much. I know the series has to be good. Are you watching the old one or the new one?

    I started Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee several years ago but didn't finish it. It just wasn't the right time. I should make an effort to read it this year for the Diversity challenge.

    Enjoy your week!

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  32. loved your good thing #2!!! and all the four books on you what I read list have been tempting me from the time I saw them (right here)..

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  33. I do most of my reading on my Kindle too. In fact, if I choose something to read from my TBR mountain, I usually buy the Kindle copy when I read it. I've also been buying lots of audiobooks from Audible which are cheaper if I buy the Kindle copy first. I got a couple Kindle/Audible deals last week for under $5. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  34. I for one have had quite enough Zooming, thank you very much. I can see it's value and I'm sure there will be things offered on it in the future but I'll be glad when I can easily choose to have a life that doesn't include Zoom.

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  35. That happens to me with those Kindle deals! It's so easy to just hit click and you've bought the book! I get newsletters from the Murder & Mayhem newsletter (I think that's what it's called) and they also have deals. Not that you were asking for more temptation :)
    Enjoy filling up your calendar with picture books for Black History Month. That's a great idea!

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  36. Your comments on All Creatures made me laugh. When my daughter watches Grey's Anatomy, I diagnose the issue from across the room while doing my work and I am always right. She said I should have been a doctor.

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  37. I have 147 ebooks on my Kindle right now so I know what you mean about loving ebooks. lol

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  38. E- books are nice. So convenient whe you're out and around or just in general. I like being able to switch between physical and e- books. And kale, carrots and tomatoes f/ the garden all sound wonderful. :)

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  39. Thanks for sharing The Disappearing Spoon, I'm going to check out the book and the podcast. You winter garden sounds lovely. My garden is under 2 feet of snow right now! Have a wonderful week!

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  40. I too like to get the Book Bub email each day on Amazon deals .... but I did not see the deal on the book This Side of Paradise ... Did that come from another email?? It's nice you're able to have a vegetable garden in the winter. Enjoy.

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    1. I think it did. These deals sometimes arrive quickly and disappear quickly.

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  41. I had good week with some "computer issues" that caused stress interspersed in-between really great times.

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  42. I can't wait to see all the picture books you read this month! I've been enjoying the middle grade books this month as well for black history month. I'm reading a poetry book with my son and we've been loving it.

    If I ever get a farm, I now know who to call if my animals have any issues! I'm loving the new series but I know I should check out the older version as well.

    I also can't get enough of the Kindle ebook deals! I check them out daily too. Glad you are picking up some good ones.

    I love Sam Kean. He has a ton of nonfiction books that are informative and entertaining. You'll love them all! I didn't know about his podcast so I will be subscribing now...

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