Electronic Books

I'm weighing the pro's and con's...

Every time I see an advertisement for Amazon's electronic book reader, the Kindle, I get a dreamy look in my eyes and stop to wonder what it might be like to have one. Now I know from posts on Cindy's blog that she is very fond of her Kindle. And I believe I read somewhere that Carolyn also has one and enjoys the convenience of books and newspapers at your fingertips. On the surface it all seems so appealing - downloading books at will, new releases for much less than a hardcover book, reading the newspaper without getting black fingers, the convenience of bringing it along wherever you go without it being cumbersome - these are all draws. But the thing I can't get past is the thrill of a new book.

I love books. I'll be the first to admit it. At any given time I have my nose in at least two or three so that I always have something to read no matter what my mood. There is rarely a trip made to Costco without taking time to peruse the book section. Probably more often than not a book makes its way into the cart so that it can accompany me home. And although brand new books are good, I can't discount the preowned ones collected along the way from friends, book sales and of course half.com. On a hot summer day or a cold winter night, there's nothing like curling up with a good book.

So this is where the Kindle dream always seems to fade away. It's the tangibility of a real book that pushes the electronic thoughts out of my mind. Perhaps someday I will feel differently but for now I'll stick with the real thing. And having said all that, I think it's time for a trip to Costco. The book section awaits...

Hey Alina, it's okay!

Saw The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday.



















I was a little hesitant going to see the movie because the book is one of my all time favorites but I'm relieved to say the movie was good. Of course parts of the book were left out, but to keep it from being a four hour movie that was probably necessary. I think they did a great job casting the roles as the actors they chose were pretty close to what I pictured in reading the book. The critics are giving it a C+ rating, but I think it was a lot better than that.

So Alina, when you have the chance, it's okay, it's worth seeing!

Grammie - Don & Amy

Happy 90th Birthday - Happy 10th Anniversary









































(Picture of Don & Amy is pilfered from last year's corn roast pics and cropped...thanks!)

Lobster

They told me it's a tradition...




















I was told that the first time you eat lobster at the cottage, it's tradition to wear the lobster claws. Judging by the amusement of the others at the table, I'm guessing it was only the beginning of a tradition.

This is Clovis, one of the Blue Heron that that likes to fish in front of the cottage. It seems that there are a few that like to fish there. Although not clear in the picture, this Heron has a few whispy hairs on the back of his head that sort of look like a comb over and that's how we identify him. There's another older Heron that likes to hang around in front of the cottage. We call him PaPere (the term used in their culture for grandfather). No pictures of PaPere, maybe next time.

Août

Où est l'été va? (Where is the summer going to?)














Okay, so six words in English is not necessarily six words in French but after returning from a week in Canada it seems appropriate to use some French anyway. Our free time in the week or two leading up to vacation was spent picking blueberries for packaging and selling. Maggie returned from Cape Cod the day before we left so she assumed the blueberry duties.

Canada was (is!) beautiful. Il est très beau! The weather was really nice and warm (actually hot for the area). Most people in the part of New Brunswick we were in speak a mixture of English and French. I remember a little French from high school so I can throw out a few words here and there. Dan's mom seemed very pleased when I greeted her one day with "Bonjour, comment cava?"

We spent a day on Prince Edward Island and I sent out a few postcards, but that was pretty much the extent of our tourist activities. The spot where Dan's parents' cottage is, is so relaxing I was content to sit on the porchswing with a book and let the world go by. The island across the bay from the cottage is a nesting ground for the Blue Heron so on any given day the Heron come over to fish directly in front of the cottage. They keep a safe distance but don't seem too bothered by activity on shore. They weren't even bothered by Jak out in the yard and he could have cared less about them. Actually the most stressed out Jak got all week was when he had to seek shade under the porch from the sun. It's a relaxing place for everyone.

The calmness is contagious in Cocagne. Le calme est contagieuse à Cocagne.
(Hey, not only is that six words, it could be a slogan for Cocagne!)