Athena Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 The cone stays on ! Noooooooo !!! Grr, her operation site is healing nicely, but she`s scratched herself ( before the op ) above her eyebrows, and the vet now thinks she could have something itchy and that`s what caused the abscess, when she scratched away at it. She`s had another anti-inflammatory, and another antibriotic, jabs , and has some flea/mite stuff to put on her neck tonight ( when she had her check-up a few weeks ago, she didn`t have any fleas, but I suppose that mites don`t show up, plus maybe it`s worsened by her immune system being low with the abscess ? ) Anyway, she`s quite fed-up ; the vet said the cone could come off on Monday at the very earliest, but to put it back on at night, and on again permanently if she starts scratching. The vet hopes that her last appt. will be next Friday. Awwww . That's not nice at all. I hope it may come off sooner rather than later. Poor kitty . Do let us know how she's doing. I'm allergic to cats so I can't pet them or be near them but I love hearing about them and seeing pictures of them. Reviews soon ( I blame the Commonwealth games on TV now, for being a major time-suck ). I look forward to read the reviews. It's nice though you're having fun watching the Commonwealth games . How often do they take place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Reviews soon ( I blame the Commonwealth games on TV now, for being a major time-suck ). Ain't it just! Hope Xiao-Xiao gets rid of the cone for good next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 The commonwealth games have been taking up a lot of my reading time too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Pixie What are the commonwealth games ? Are they like the Olympics ? What does your cat's name mean ?Hope all is well with her soon . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Thanks all for the kindly kitty wishes. I shall continue with the updates. She`s presently asleep on my windowsill, where she can have ` alone time` and also watch the kids playing next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 (edited) The commonwealth games have been taking up a lot of my reading time too. I think I`ve watched more of them than previously, maybe because of the London Olympics ( they weren`t on TV during the middle of the night like some live games, so it was easy to get into them ). Gaia and Julie, the Commonwealth games ( also called The Friendly Games ) are every 4 years, taking place two years after the Olympics. PDF here. It`s for the countries which used to be part of the British Empire ; the nice thing is that they don`t have a separate games afterwards for the Paralympians, everyone competes during the same two weeks. This was the story of the Games for me. It`s the closing ceremony tomorrow, with Kylie singing. Edited August 2, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Pixie What are the commonwealth games ? Are they like the Olympics ? What does your cat's name mean ?Hope all is well with her soon . Xiao-Xiao means Little Sunshine or Little Radiant One. It really suits her; she`s such a joyful little thing, and the vet`s nurse commented on how friendly she was when she was giving out post-op instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I think I`ve watched more of them than previously, maybe because of the London Olympics ( they weren`t on TV during the middle of the night like some live games, so it was easy to get into them ). Gaia and Julie, the Commonwealth games ( also called The Friendly Games ) are every 4 years, taking place two years after the Olympics. PDF here. It`s for the countries which used to be part of the British Empire ; the nice thing is that they don`t have a separate games afterwards for the Paralympians, everyone competes during the same two weeks. This was the story of the Games for me. It`s the closing ceremony tomorrow, with Kylie singing. Thanks . I hope you enjoy the closing ceremony . Xiao-Xiao means Little Sunshine or Little Radiant One. It really suits her; she`s such a joyful little thing, and the vet`s nurse commented on how friendly she was when she was giving out post-op instructions. Awww . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Xiao-Xiao means Little Sunshine or Little Radiant One. It really suits her; she`s such a joyful little thing, and the vet`s nurse commented on how friendly she was when she was giving out post-op instructions. This is great, I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Beautiful name for a kitty ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Thanks Gaia, Julie and Kate. Madam`s fast asleep on my bed at present ; she was pretty fed-up last night about not being able to go out. She seems happier now though, and has already had three meals today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) Book # 102 Aphrodite - Isabel Allende A bit of an odd book, genre-wise. It`s a mix of memoir, cook book and list of aphrodisiacs. It`s about adding ( literally ! ) spice to your life, rather than anything especially naughty ; there`s a lovely recipe for a rice pudding ( with cinnamon ) which sounds good, and recipes for various chocolate mousses and salad dressings. Book # 103 The Sum of Our Days - Isabel Allende The follow-up to Paula, a memoir which detailed the death of Isabel Allende`s daughter from a hospital mistake when she was being treated for porphyria. It`s at times sad, at times very funny, and above all uplifting. One thing in particluar I took from the book was the idea of ` replenishing the well ` : when you hit a low point and take care of yourself by being kind to yourself, by meditating outside, by treating yourself to new experiences. Book # 104 Mr Palomar - Italo Calvino When I was 1/3 of the way through this book, I was looking forward to dumping it on my ` out of the door to the charity shop` pile. When I finished it, I was looking forward to re-reading it. It`s a strange book, like a series of chapters, each with three short essays on a subject ( like a visit to the beach, or the cheese shop ) , taken from different angles. Weird, but ultimately more than a literary experiment.Book # 105 Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter - Mario Vargas Llosa A book which I couldn`t quite get into. Set in Lima, it`s the story of 18-yr-old law student Mario and his affair with Julia, the 32-yr-old divorced wife of his cousin. Interspersed with their story, are stories of a radio soap opera, which become increasingly intermixed and confused.Book # 106 The Prisoner of Heaven - Carlos Ruiz Zafon Fantastic ! Less of a sequel or prequel, more of a tangent-quel, it`s the follow-on from The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel`s Game. It fills in the back story of one of the characters from the other books ( Fermin ) and shows the previous stories from a new angle, then it sets the stage for the final book in the series. It`s not as mysterious or satisying as the first two books, but it`s still a lovely read ( “People with a meagre soul always try to make others feel small too.” ). Book # 107 Night Train to Lisbon - Pascal Mercier Nice storyline, which reminded me a bit of Possession or The Shadow of the Wind, but really didn`t have the same brilliance of execution. It didn`t help that there were editing mistakes, either. Bern classics teacher Raimund meets am mysterious Portugese woman, then stumbles across an obscure book by a Portugese author. Suddenly he throws in his job and take a train to Lisbon, researching the author and meeting people who knew him. The plot is a good deal better than the prose ; there were sentences which went on for so long, that I`d forgotten the start of the sentence by the time I got to the end. Plus, Raimund imagines things as if they were really happening, so you get confused by what`s really going on. There`s a recent film with Jeremy Irons, which I think I`d have preferred to see. Book # 108 The Late Scholar - Jill Paton Walsh The latest in the Lord Peter Wimsey series. Manservant Bunter is particulary Bunter-ish, and there`s a fun plot about Peter and Harriet going back to Oxford to sort out a problem at one of the colleges. Book # 109 Falling Star - Patricia Moyes A film star is killed on set, and Henry and Emmy Tibbett investigate. The book is written from the viewpoint of one of the film`s producers, which relegates the Tibbetts to secondary parts, which I didn`t find that satisying. It`s still a very clever plot though. Book # 110 Dead Cold - Louise Penny Someone gets bumped off during a winter curling match, in the small village of Three Pines , near Montreal, and Inspector Gamache investigates. The real delight are the characters in the village, especially the artists Clara and Peter.Book # 111 High Rising - Angela Thirkell A gentle, comic novel, similar to Barbara Pym though not as deep. A fun, quick read. Book # 112 Plum Lovin` - Janet Evanovich Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum goes on another adventure with the mysterious Diesel. Lots of fun and action. Book # 113 Fool Moon - Jim Butcher The second of the Dresden Files series. Harry Dresden comes across werewolves. Laughs, scary bits and some touching moments. I especially liked the Cubs. Book # 114 Airs above the Ground - Mary Stewart Vanessa`s husband tells her he`s on business in Stockholm, and she gets postcards from him... Going to lunch with a friend of her Mother, she`s told that her husband has been spotted in Austria, and sets off to find him. Cracking storyline and a fun heroine.Book # 115 Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich Diesel turns up again, for another Stephanie Plum adventure. A bit dispoasble, but a lot of fun. Book # 116 Outsider in Amsterdam - Janwillem Van de Wetering The first of the Grijpstra & de Gier mysteries. 70`s cops in Amsterdam investigate a suicide, which turns out to be a murder. It feels more of an action thriller than police procedural ( a good thing, I felt ) , with car and boat chases, though it also manages a lot of character development ( with much banter between the two cops ). One of the policemen has a lovely cat, who gets plenty of scenes to himself. Occasionally, it feels a bit sexist, though maybe that changes as the series goes on. There`s much about the drug scene and about a suspect from PNG ( the outsider of the title ). It reminded me of Maigret, in that there`s an emphasis on the characters and their home life. Looking forward to the next book.Book # 117 Doctored Evidence - Donna Leon Inspector Brunnetti 13. Wealthy, elderly woman is murdered by her Romanian cleaning lady. Case closed, until a neighbour comes back from abroad and points out that the cleaner was innocent. Scarpa refuses to accept this, and Brunnetti ends up investigating. Not as satisfying as other books in the series, though I still enjoyed the `visit`.Book # 118 Underworld - Done DeLillo I must`ve had this for 15 years in my TBR. After reading its 800+ pages, I still have no idea what it`s about. It`s got interconnected characters and jumps around in the timeline, from the late 40`s till around 1992. There are big themes about baseball and waste management, art and crime, but I just couldn`t get into it. The prose flows well, which helps to keep you reading, but I had to force myself to pick the book up again the next day, otherwise I wouldn`t have finished it. One of those `other people might love it` books. Book # 119 The Cruellest Month - Lousie Penny Inspector Gamache 3. Someone ends up dead during a seance in Three Pines, in a house which previously saw murders. It turns out that there are demons from the past to be battled, by various people in the book, including the Inspector himself. The plotline keeps you hooked, but the real joy is catching up with the characters of the Three Pines village. Book # 120 Many Deadly Returns - Paricia Moyes Henry and Emmy are summoned to a birthday party at a country house. The elderly matriarch fears that she`s going to be bumped off, and Henry is there to prevent it... There`s a very clever howdunnit, and Henry and Emmy visit Lake Geneva, Paris and Holland. Book # 121 The Murder Stone - Louise Penny Inspector Gamache and wife Reine-Marie go to an exclusive hotel for their anniversary and someone gets bumped off. The series becomes funnier and funnier, though still manages to have bitter-sweet, touching moments. The village of Three Pines is nearby, and Ruth ( curmudgeony poet ) has some nice scenes. Edited August 3, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Book # 122 A Brutal Telling - Louise Penny A body is found in Olivier`s bistro, and the hunt is on for another Three Pines killer. New characters are introduced to the village, and Ruth has some laugh-out-loud moments. As always, there are some touching bits about the human condition, and about being a better person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Books read : 122 TBR 764 New Books Bought : 142 Total Cost : £276.17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I think I`ve watched more of them than previously, maybe because of the London Olympics Same here, I think. I don't recall watching much of the Delhi games And yeah, Erraid was brilliant - couldn't stop smiling I loved the cycling as always (just sat through the men's road race - think my bum must be as numb as the cyclists ) and enjoyed the swimming, table tennis and hockey. Think my faves were Trotty winning the points race, and the men's 4x400m relay last night. Although, having said that, I think my highlights have been the Claire Balding/MarkChapman show each evening - they made a great team and it's just been a really fun show to watch these past nine or ten nights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Same here, I think. I don't recall watching much of the Delhi games And yeah, Erraid was brilliant - couldn't stop smiling I loved the cycling as always (just sat through the men's road race - think my bum must be as numb as the cyclists ) and enjoyed the swimming, table tennis and hockey. Think my faves were Trotty winning the points race, and the men's 4x400m relay last night. Although, having said that, I think my highlights have been the Claire Balding/MarkChapman show each evening - they made a great team and it's just been a really fun show to watch these past nine or ten nights I can`t ride a bike - can`t balance at all - so I`m in awe of anyone who can even get on a bike. Swimming, diving and gymnastics for me, though I`ve watched some of the shooting and judo too. Roll on Rio ! Though I suppose we`ll be missing all the good live stuff, `cos of the time difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Actually, I don't think it'll be too bad, judging by the times the matches were on during the World Cup - it'll be mostly afternoon and evening Oh, forgot - I loved the men's and women's triathlons, too, and especially the relay. And that para events were included, as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Pixie Your reading list is great this year . Doing wonderful ! Have you read all of Allende's books now ? I never realized she wrote so many . I read a few of them years ago, but none recently . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Madam`s fast asleep on my bed at present ; she was pretty fed-up last night about not being able to go out. She seems happier now though, and has already had three meals today. I'm glad she's getting some rest and that she's eaten. It's never a good sign when a pet doesn't want their meal. Nice reviews! I'm glad you liked Outsider in Amsterdam . You've read a lot of books this year so far . I can`t ride a bike - can`t balance at all - so I`m in awe of anyone who can even get on a bike. In the UK bikes don't seem common at all. The Netherlands is known as the "Bicycle Country". I don't think there are many people in the Netherlands who've never ridden a bicycle (other than children too young or disabled people). All school children know how to ride one (except of course disabled or sick children). It's strange that it's so uncommon in other countries. For short distances, if nothing much needs to be carried, one often takes the bicycle if one is able. I've been too tired to do much cycling myself, but I used to cycle to and from my secondary school, 45 mins to there, 45 mins back, (10 km one way). It was a nice way to have some time to myself (I usually cycled alone because no one lived nearby me), though I think 25 mins would have been sufficient. When I feel better I hope to be able to do more cycling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Great list above! I have some, have read some and want some! LOL Re bikes....interesting, Gaia, I didn't know that The Netherlands was known as the Bicycle Country! And, I thought almost everyone rode bikes in the U.K.! Oy. In the cities here we rarely, if ever, see anyone on a bike. With good reason, the traffic is deadly IMO, I'd be scared silly to ride a bike on the streets nowadays. There are no bike lanes to speak of, and the few that there are.....well, they're cut out of the street itself with a few painted lines with a bike symbol..............wow, what safety precautions! NOT! Out in our rural area, some of the highways have shoulders, some don't. The highway adjacent to our road has no shoulder. On the weekends there are masses of bicyclists taking up half of the roadway, causing auto traffic to go the same speed until the very curvy roadway is straight enough to see far enough to pass safely. The bicyclists don't move over, for the most part, to help the situation. It's nerve wracking to say the least. On the next adjoining highway there is a narrow shoulder and they mostly stick to that, but it's still scary passing them. I usually wait till the opposing lane is free enough to give them a very wide berth. I think they must be in some sort of club. I haven't ridden a bike in many years, it just wasn't feasible. I used to love it though, and still miss it. They say once you learn, you never forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Wow, it does sound dangerous to be cycling over there. It's very wise not to, I would be scared too. Many roads here have bicycle lanes. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed on motorways and carways here (you have to be able to go at least 60 resp. 50 km/h to go on). They are allowed on the 80km/h roads, though not all of them have road lanes a lot of them do. Automobilists are aware of cyclists and take them into account as far as I know, especially in zones around schools (since most children go to school by bicycle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Actually, I don't think it'll be too bad, judging by the times the matches were on during the World Cup - it'll be mostly afternoon and evening Oh, forgot - I loved the men's and women's triathlons, too, and especially the relay. And that para events were included, as well Maybe I should start preparing for the gap in my reading in two years` time then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Pixie Your reading list is great this year . Doing wonderful ! Have you read all of Allende's books now ? I never realized she wrote so many . I read a few of them years ago, but none recently . I`d class her as a favourite author, but realised that I hadn`t read anything for some time, so I had a major splurge. I`ve still got Maya`s Notebook to read, then I`ll buy Ripper. There`s also one - Amor - which doesn`t have an English translation yet. I found her website pretty helpful. Oh, and thanks - I`m almost at ` best year of reading ever` status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Wow, it does sound dangerous to be cycling over there. It's very wise not to, I would be scared too. Many roads here have bicycle lanes. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed on motorways and carways here (you have to be able to go at least 60 resp. 50 km/h to go on). They are allowed on the 80km/h roads, though not all of them have road lanes a lot of them do. Automobilists are aware of cyclists and take them into account as far as I know, especially in zones around schools (since most children go to school by bicycle). There are a lot of cycle lanes round here, but my neighbour still fell off his bike and broke his collar bone. It just looks dangerous to me anyway ! I remember seeing photos years ago of the Dutch Royal family on bikes ; I wonder why Holland developed bike lanes early on and other countries have lagged behind ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Well, Xiao-Xiao`s collar is off ; she`s a bit scratchy, but not badly so. She was stunned when the collar came off, then had a major 20 min wash. She`s so much happier ; she spent yesterday going in and out of the house, and catching up on playing with string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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