Well – I'm there … what to write, what to think – nothing's changed here, what to do … well easy – celebrate as and when …
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| Hip, Hip Hurrah! 1988 by Danish artist Peder Severin Kroyer (1851-1909) |
… and so into my 16th year of blogging with all of you friends … and on a Friday the 13th … apparently there have been twelve of those in the past 3/4 century …
… but in blogosphere-land – what to write … ah well … these popped up … I've no idea if any of you have come across this site StuckInABook … he (Simon) lists a Century of Books – one book for each year 1919 – 2018 …
The book for 1948 is:
'The Plague and I' by Betty Macdonald …
I had to desist looking … it was Dec 4th 2022 … but thought you'd like to know about the 100 book suggestions…
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| Books galore ... |
However it will be my year of reading … I am definitely in the land of Tsundoku … I don't buy books I do not intend to read – but have rather more of them than I can expect to read soon – but I'm happy …
… I gather surrounding ourselves with books enriches our lives as they remind us of all we don't know: makes sense to me!
That's all folks! Happy Birthday to me … while this is my Mother with her clock, when she was fund-raising in Penzance, Cornwall (probably late 1980s) …
… linking you across to Annalisa's promotional tour links …
Cheers to each and everyone of you … (and now I will be catching my tail ... so see you all soon) ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
41 comments:
Happy, happy birthday, Hilary. Thanks for all the joy you have given me since we first bumped into each other (on line only, unfortunately), back when you lived in Victoria. We both love books and that's a bond that is instantly forged. I will look forward to many (again on line, unfortunately) dalliances together! I will raise a roast to you today. Big birthday hugs - David
Happy Birthday! I don't read as many books as I used to-I've substituted blogs and other online fodder. But I know that someday I will return to the joy of books.
Happy birthday, and happy 16th year of blogging. Wow, time sure flies...
There will be one more Friday the 13th this year. October. (October and January are pretty much the same month, excepting in leap years.) Random fact for you: every year will have at least one Friday the 13th. No year will have more than three. (And I can tell you which months those would be in, but this comment is already too long.)
Hari OM
Congrats on 75, Hilary - may there be another quarter to make it whole!!! I remember The Egg and I and The Plague and I, both read when I was still at school. I have never forgotton the latter, with images of her descriptionso of the sanatorium as clear to me now as then. YAM xx
A very, very happy birthday oh fellow Capricorn. And I hope you treated yourself to a book or two for your birthday.
Congratulations on your two milestones! I read the tsukondo link - very interesting! I think that describes me too.
Happy birthday! Wow, sixteen years blogging. That is a long time.
Happy Birthday, and congratulations on your blogoversary. Betty MacDonald wrote The Egg and I, a comical, popular book that was made into a movie. The Plague and I sounds awfully interesting, though.
Love,
Janie
Happy birthday, Hilary!
Happy Birthday, dear Hils. Celebrate to the max.
Cheers,
You are the only other blogger I have seen showing Peder Severin Krøyer work "Hip, hip hooray!" I love this large work.... it is a perfect image when you are celebrating a special day.
Happy birthday, Hilary. I love books and have many unread but still cannot resist buying more when I see recommendations.
@ David - your comment is wonderful and just perfectly explains why we get on so well ... despite being on-line friends. It is fascinating how some of us can really relate to each other - despite it being unlikely (sadly) that we'll ever meet. Lovely to know you toasted me over in Canada ... I'd forgotten 'we met' when I was in Canada ... a few years ago now. Lovely seeing you ...
@ Kathy - thanks so much ... yes I can see that we all read more online than we perhaps used to ... most of the books I want to read take concentration (as they're more educative, documentaries, academic, history etc etc) ... it's great you know you'll return to books.
@ Liz - thank you ... it doesn't seem like 16 years I must say ... but yes, time certainly passes!
Thanks for the info re the 13th ... I think I can't take it all in!!
@ Yam - many thanks ... I hope there's a good portion of the quarter of a century years left ... Now I must look for Betty MacDonald's books - I'll get the library to find for me ... I'd never heard of her or her books ... and read that detail about the sanatorium: fascinating - thanks for the recommendation.
@ EC - yes ... I'd forgotten you're also a fellow Capricorn - I hope you've had a lovely time too ... yes I have acquired a book or two!! I'm geared up for reading lots ...
@ Anabel - thank you ... I thought you might have seen the tsukondo link - it is a great article, and I can imagine you'd join me in slotting into their parameters ...
@ Alex - thanks ... I'm amazed I've kept going and am now into my 16th year of blogging ...
@ Janie - I must look for Betty MacDonald's books ... obviously an author I should know ... thanks for the thumbs up ...
@ John - thanks so much ...
@ Sandra - I'm going gently now I'm so old!!! No - I'll go with the flow ...
@ Hels - Peder Severin Kroyer's appeared on the main Wiki page recently - so I zapped it for my birthday ... I'm just very happy you recognised it and enjoyed seeing it here ...
@ Janice - thank you ... so you'd join Anabel and I in the Tsukondo clan - sounds very good to me ...
Thanks so much to you all for coming over - now is the time to have a settling time as the years continue on ... I had a lovely day - no rushing around: suits me ... I'd had a particularly busy week ... and now I've got your lovely comments to enjoy - Cheers Hilary
Happy Birthday Hilary! Like you, I don't buy books I don't intend to read. I have a large pile, but I keep adding to it. Someday, when the Internet fails me, I'll have much to read. I need to check out that list. I don't reach back as far, but I'm close.
Happy Birthday Hilary and many, many more to come with I hope lots more of your interesting blogs. I have learnt so much from you over the years.
Take care and keep well. Cheers Diane
There's nothing like reading to assuage the pain of reality, is there? I am going to check out the 100 years of books.
Happy birthday to you and your blog! Sixteen years is a long time. Mine turns eighteen in April.
Happy belated birthday, Hilary, and happy blogoversary, too. I had to look up books for the year of my birth (1952), inspired by you, and there's quite a list - including Charlotte's Web, East of Eden and some other classics. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
A rather belated Happy Birthday to you, Hilary.
So, it seems both my blog and I are a year older than you and yours! Books? Well, last Summer I gave over 300 of mine to charity, all of which I'd read, my room was getting a bit claustrophobic! I retained some by my favourite authors, Peter James, Jodi Picoult etc, but I don't currently have any unread ones. Waterstones where I come! Really interesting links, there's one book I really ought to read as it's as old as me! I hope you had a lovely birthday, Hilary!
Happy Birthday. And thanks for this post. I LOVE the idea of 100 years of books. It will be so interesting to see over time the evolution of what was published.
@ Dan - I know .. my intention of reading is there - but this year I really need to settle in a chair and read: then perhaps I should write a post about them. That site will be great fun to read through ...
@ Diane - thanks so much ... it's great to connect with a South African lover! - I so enjoy being taken back there with you. Love your comment that you've learnt from my posts - excellent to know that - thank you ...
@ Jacqui - I must get to reading often ... mine are mostly educative and take some concentration; great you'll look at the site - it'll be fun to spend time there I think - I can see our local library being involved in getting a variety of books for me!
@ Diane - I know there are a few bloggers who've been around longer than me - yours are such interesting sites for us - and help so many aspiring authors ...
@ Alana - thank you to both ... I think that site will provide us with lots of interest - you've mentioned ones I haven't read ... must do!
@ John - lovely to see you ... and to know you're back blogging ...
@ Keith - well aged I note!!! Good for you to take the books down to a charity shop - I do the few I give away ... and I must get a couple down to the charity shop soon ... I'm freer now ...
Interestingly I have few novels ... mine are historical, educative etc etc ... informational ones - so I need to settle ...
@ Elizabeth - lovely to see you and I'm so glad you enjoyed the 100 years of book site ... I agree - I need to spend time at the site looking through the books - most I don't know.
Thanks so much to you all for visiting and your wishes ... here's to happy years for us all and a successful 2023 - cheers Hilary
Happy birthday, Hilary!
I too only buy books that intend to read. Someday. Some I intend to read soon, but they are still sitting there waiting their turn. May you be more successful in your goal to read than I am.
Happy birthday, Hilary once again! I hope you had a wonderful day and have a lovely year ahead.
I buy more books than I can read - must do something about that urgently, but what?? :)
Congratulations on your 75th orbit of the sun, Hilary, and all the best for the coming ones. Nice to learn it's both of our birthdays this year on a Friday the 13th.
I hope you're birthday was wonderful. Tomorrow, I'll be nine years behind you (but 19 years worth of blogging!)
I am very late in wishing you a Happy Birthday, but the wish is very heartfelt. I hope it was a super good weekend. If you are surrounded by books, then life is good. And you have to keep kicking to read them all. Good luck.
Cheers to you, Hilary. I love your positive energy, your writing, and general awesome spirit. Have a great year ahead.
@ Jean - lovely to see you ... and thanks for your wishes; I buy like you ... but they sit waiting for me ... I do hope this year I'm more successful at reading ...
@ Nila - I know what to do about all the books waiting our attention ... most definitely not easy ... getting up earlier and reading perhaps - that'd work for me! I just need to do that ...
@ Sean - thanks for the wishes - ah ha .. you must be in October then - I gather that's the next Friday the 13th ... ?! I too hope we share happy ones ahead ...
@ Jeff - oh ok ... making me do maths this non-sunny morning! Happy Birthday for tomorrow ... but 19 years of blogging - that's a few years!
@ Joanne - absolutely no worries - I enjoy the spread of my birthday ... and am hoping for a bit more peace and quiet - and more reading time. Right I'll remember to give the piles of books a good kicking - they certainly get moved around a lot!
Thanks for the complement Joanne ... I'm happy it shines through and across ...
Cheers to you all from a cold (for us) blustery few days ahead ... it did throw some white stuff at us very early this morning - but I realise our weather is nothing as compared to elsewhere!! Thanks for all the wonderful comments - Hilary
Happy Birthday, dear Hilary. Thank you so much for your comment, it brought tears (happy) to my eyes. There's really nothing wrong with me, I just felt a need to explain why I may not be blogging as much as usual. Then you reminded me of Lee Green, the vicar, and the church,a Guinea pig, named Snowball, and a horse named Everest, a perfect fit for tall me. It's been great, this life, and there will be room for some more adventures. I will make sure of it. To begin with our trips down the mountain to see doctors have now become adventures for my friend and me. We make sure of it.
Happy Birthday to you and your blog. Let's not forget Mom who was an important part. I love that picture.
Teresa
Happy birthday Hilary!
Glad you are collecting books you intend to read. I can't get enough of thrillers at the moment. Can't wait to write one!
Hoping to see you at WEP in February! I've made a new website with Olga's help. Tell me what you think if you visit!
@ Inger - how lovely that my comment brought back happy memories for you ... it's amazing how we can connect and relate across the blogging world - and thus become happy companions.
I was delighted to read of your slowing up to ease yourself into the new life, as you progress with the changes that are happening ... slowly relinquishing the brainfog - but to know you'll still be posting as and when.
Looking forward to more views and takes on your travel up and down the mountain to the doctors ... you're lucky to have a wonderful friend nearby. Also I'll enjoy any memories you have of your life here, or early USA - Thanks for your birthday wishes ...
@ Teresa - another year and yes another year to my blog too! I don't forget my Ma - I was there for her last 5+ years as she was bed-ridden, but we made the most of our time ... So pleased you enjoyed the pic of my Ma - I was away in South Africa ... so it amuses me to see these pics.
@ Denise - thanks ... lots of books to read - need to settle to them! If I get stuck into fiction - forget work! I also think I prefer the books where I need to learn something: that of course takes a degree of concentration - not ones I can dip in and out of.
I will have a look at the new WEP site shortly - just need to catch my tail here. I will also be joining you for WEP this year ... I need to change the images ...
Cheers to you all - I'm slowly catching up - and will get back to normality fairly soon ... thanks for all your wishes - Hilary
Happy belated birthday Hilary! 16 years blogging eh? Wow! You have been prolific as well. My own posts have been sparse this last couple of years though I have not disappeared entirely LOL! Must be about 13 years for me as Flossie will be 13 in March. Yikes! Will definitely check out that site - I wonder if I have read any of them? Still working my way through my Christmas stack - my family know me well. These frosty days are perfect for curling up on the sofa with a good book if you have the time. My time is about 4 o'clock in the afternoon LOL! A cup of tea goes down well. Good to see you are still supplying us with a wealth of information. Take care! XXX
Sixteen years of blogging. Wow. Congratulations!!! Happy (belated) Birthday!
Happy Belated birthday, Hilary!! And happy 16th anniversary of your blog! Mine just turned 15, and I'm so glad our teens hang out together :)
Happy Birthday to you. And hear hear to the years of blogging. You are one of the very best bloggers that I know!
@ Deborah - many thanks ... I've kept the blog going somehow - but learning as I go, which I enjoy doing ... or highlighting interesting things that might interest others (as you mention). Flossie is special and it's always lovely seeing her ... so well done on your 13 years of blogging ... I've enjoyed seeing and reading your posts ...
Re the book list - I still have to look through the list and most definitely know I will not have read many of them ... but will catch a few! That cup of tea, curling up with a book is what I must start doing ... a habit I need practice.
@ Chrys - into my sixteenth year ... but I enjoy it - especially the interaction with other bloggers ...
@ Damyanti - no worries ... we're along the same lines in blogging and I'm so glad we've met and stay in touch ... I learn from your books and from where you live in Singapore, yet your origins in India.
@ Rosey - great to see you ... you pay me a huge complement: thank you so much ...
Cheers to you all - I just enjoy blogging with you all - Hilary
Isn't that Kroyer painting amazing?
Oh I’m sorry I missed your birthday, Hilary! I’ve been away, but I hope it was a happy one. Congratulations, too, on your 16 years of blogging! I think I’m about the same. It’s been lovely keeping up with you for so many of them. Keep reading and keep writing! I think it not only enriches our souls but also keeps our brains healthy :)
Oh! I jus posted a comment but it’s disappeared. I hope you see it, Hilary. Perhaps it’s unders comments to be moderated. If not, happy birthday! And congratulations on 16 years of blogging! Keep reading, keep writing! They are both good for our hearts and our minds!
@ Sandra - I rather liked the Kroyer painting ... and an artist I'd not heard about or seen.
@ Val - thanks - I've taken to checking most days to see if comments get whipped off to spam ... so yes it was there and is now posted - thank you!!
I know you've been away - I'm going to catch up with you shortly ... and just hope you had a lovely break down in sunny Spain I think. It's certainly a long time ... probably the longest span of life I've made, other than sport and just being alive!
I couldn't agree more - reading and writing are so good for our souls and minds ...
Thanks so much for visiting - Sandra and Val - cheers Hilary
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