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I will freely confess it took me a while to finish this book. Life got in the way and I had to go back and reread a goodly portion of it, because the story jumps around. It begins in medieval Prague, now the capitol of the Czech Republic, and a city I know well having lived there for more than a year. The author asks, “What is life?” and then describes a barber, bored with his profession, who leaves his wife and children to follow the perceived enchanted life of a traveling scholar and alchemist. He carries with him a green stone of moldovite, the only gem not of this earth, but from a meteorite. When he returns to Prague after many fruitless years, he finds his wife dead and his daughters working in a brothel and realizes he had squandered a good life. This is the prospect facing the main character in this book, Sylvia Smetana, a likeable middle-aged teacher at Our Lady of Ransom’s private school for girls, where she teaches religious studies. She was more or less contented with her life until she traveled to Prague with her mother Svetlana, a Czech ex-pat who has lived in England since the 1950s. Svetlana gives her daughter a ring of moldovite, and from that time, Sylvia feels a psychic draw to Prague, to which she escapes as often as possible, and she begins to observe and question the lives of ambition populating the school. The book is part scathingly funny description of the school’s hierarchy and the lengths to which the members of the administration will go to advance. The author has clearly had experience with the machinations of academia, and her sarcastic views tickled my funny bone, since I’m a long time academic.  She takes the concepts of head hunting, steering committees and thinking outside the box to new heights of ridiculousness, and I loved these parts of the book. I also enjoyed the author’s colorful descriptions of Prague and the many sites I know so well. It was a trip down memory lane for me and her affection for the city comes through loud and clear. I, too, would love to return again and again. One problem I had with the book was the changing points of view. The story jumped from Sylvia to her mother to the parent of a prospective student and to another faculty member who is having a nervous breakdown and back again. I found the transitions jarring and occasionally perplexing. There are also digressions to the history of John Dee, English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occult philosopher, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, and his links to Prague, specifically to Thaddeus Hajek. Hajek was the personal physician of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II and a Bohemian astronomer. I see these digressions as part of the Sylva’s growing desire to nurture her inner life, and the book concludes with wandering thoughts on love and trust, the finding of self, and the creation of our lives through experience. I give this book four stars, largely based on its characters and humor, which makes it well worth reading. About the author Meira Eliot was born in North Yorkshire in England, but spent most of her in the what is now the Czech Republic and Germany, working as a teacher and translator. She states that around pretentious people her wit becomes hysterically delinquent and she often sounds as if she had just swallowed a dictionary. Ms. Eliot studied at Durham and Oxford and learned how to string sentences together and first began translating other people’s books, which taught her how remarkably rare it is for people to say what they really mean.  Always a bookworm, she gradually realized that writing is her true vocation. Her favorite kind of writing is humorous and involves some kind of mystery or imagination, which The Strangely Surreal Adventures of Sylvia Smetana demonstrates. You can find Meira Eliot on Twitter: @meiraeliot on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MeiraEliot/ and at www.meiraeliot.com/ This book is available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Strangely-Surreal-Adventures-Sylvia-Smetana/dp/1849148252/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473869286&sr=1-4&keywords=Meira+Eliot 0 0

The laboratory where we worked in Prague during the 1970s was in the basement of a several hundred years old apartment house. Four or five of us worked in a two hundred square foot room that was pleasantly cool in the summer but frigid in the winter. A scintillation counter and spectrophotometer (something you might find in a high school nowadays) were only available in a lab on the other side of the city, so many days my husband would have to jiggle across the city on a variety of trams with a box of vials for counting.  For part of the year, there was no water and we had to walk up the hill from the lab to get water from an outside spigot. Laboratory supplies such as magic markers and glass coverslips were jealously guarded; they were not available locally and were mostly gifts from visitors or brought back by those scientists who were allowed out of the country. Our mail came to the lab, and once, when we had received no mail for nearly a month, we phoned the Consulate to complain it was being held up.  We were told there was really nothing the Consulate could do without a lot of back channel communication, but we were assured that the phone call itself would probably do the trick. Our mail arrived the next day. Mitigating the difficulties of our day-to-day life (I once had to have a drug for a kidney infection flown over in a consulate pouch), were the warmth and generosity of our Czech friends, who took quiet pride in their history and their ability to survive under harsh circumstances. They shared with us what they had, and like the character in the classic Czech book The Good Soldier Schweik, taught us how to deal with frustration by laughing at circumstances and taking pleasure in the subtle sabotage of the regime under which they lived. We celebrated Trotsky’s birthday with banners and vodka, much to the displeasure of the Communist head of our Institute. One night, traveling home in a taxi  — the driver of which had been told to stay off the streets – we rolled down the window and swore in English at the Russian tanks and flame throwers rolling through Prague during the Warsaw Pact games; the driver rolled down his window and joined in swearing. In the winter, we swapped our coats and hats when we went in and out of the US Consulate, for the benefit of the police photographing us from a booth across the street. My greatest pleasure was losing the plainclothesman who followed me during our first summer there, by dashing in and out of department stores.  He was always waiting on a bench across the street from our apartment when I got home and never failed to give me a smile. *** When I returned in 1992, gradual progress was apparent. There were real supermarkets and an efficient metro, although I had loved riding in the old, open, wooden trams. The old building all over Prague sparkled in the sunshine with new paint and gilt, the squares teemed with people from all over Europe and the United States, and the stores overflowed with consumer goods. Street musicians, curbside flower shops, and souvenir vendors hawked their goods and talents everywhere. The Charles Bridge, a centuries-old bridge spanning the Vltava and lined with statues of saints, with a celebration of outdoor art and music, from jazz to classical. Buildings painted in their original bright colors sported ground floor shops purchased from the state by individuals now in business for themselves. There were new hotels, hotels being renovated, and hotels being built.  Cuisine was now continental, and I found it hard to find a hospoda (tavern or pub) with traditional Czech food. There was even a MacDonald’s, where I took the children of a friend for their very first big Mac. The downside of democracy was also evident. Prices for many items were now too expensive for the ordinary Czech citizen. A big Mac was the price of a full meal with beer in a hospoda. Some very old wine cellars, where we had spent many nights talking science and politics and enjoying the vintage, were now too pricey for all but well-heeled tourists. Even the cost of items such as oranges and bananas, now freely available, made them a special treat instead of every day food. The crime rate was up. On the late nights when I couldn’t get a taxi, I used to walk the streets alone with no concern of my safety. Now there were muggers. There were also beggars, and there was evidence of drug use. These were some aspects of a free society the country would experience in force over the next decade. The biggest change, however, was in the attitude of my Czech friends to what the future would hold. Realize that these were people who had never had checkbooks, credit cards, a mortgage or taxes. Many had never been any further than East Berlin.  Over many nights and glasses of good beer, I discovered they anticipated a challenging future and recognized that there would be dramatic and rapid changes in their way of life with a difficult period of adjustment.  Many commented they were working harder than they had ever worked before, and they were looking to retrain, learn new skills, and find new business opportunities. They did complain about the cost of living – the first time I had heard that – but they were optimistic things would improve. Czech scientists, who had found ways to be creative in years where their technology lagged decades behind the rest of the world, were striking out with new collaborations and establishing connections everywhere. In my filed, universities were developing centers for research, with the government-directed National Academy of Sciences, where more of the former research effort had been concentrated, now playing a much lesser role. My overall impression of this critical

Every time I explore this list, there are more amazing people to discover. I hope y’all will take time for visit a few of these. Awkward at https://forgottenteenblog.wordpress.com is a 15 year old who spends a lot of her time at home. She sounds like she needs some followers so why don’t you visit her page and tell her about yourself! Hover printing at https://hoveprinting.wordpress.com/ is an online magazine of fact and fiction, showcasing original stories, satirical reports and essays on great works of art. I read through some of the posts and could spend a day there. https://237exclusive.wordpress.com is a blog from a fellow in Cameroon. It covers daily events, health tips, etc. from a young African point of view. Amsang at http://thetimelock.photos/bombay-brunch-satyaniketan-new-delhi/ is an avid photographer, traveler and a foodie at heart. I read one of his posts on some Indian food and salivarted! His photography skills are awesome – so you might want to visit. psychology74 – could not find a blog for this person, just a gravatar https://ankitmaharishi.wordpress.com Ankit Maharishi from Jaipur, India, does not want to be called a blogger but an observer of live, less talkative, more expressive with words. This blog is reflective about the human condition. https://francisandanna.com This is a fun blog that won the Sunshine Blogger Award. Francis and Anna are traveling though life’s mysteries, writing about their encounters, talking about God. Francis a sales person, hardworking and aggressive in studying his crafts. Anna is passionate about numbers, highly qualified in audit and finance. She is a creative traveler and an accidental writer. A recent post: 10 Superb Ways to Enjoy Dining Without Limits: The Terrace On the Corniche, St. Regis In Abu Dhabi was mind -blowing. Stacey at https://maceysjourney.wordpress.com has stories that are fun to read and will bring a smile to your face. She posts one every day and hope to make a collection in to a book for sale. Right now she is just seeing where her blog takes her because she’s a writer and is having fun! Amber MV at http://www.theleafypaw.com is a graduate in creative writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University and created this blog to share some of her process in writing practice and development of voice.  The blog is described as a journal on the soul of the world” drawing inspiration from ecology, place-based perspectives, interreligious identity, soul, poetry, culture, urban life, community, anthropology, art, rites of passage, adult life, embodiment, animals and women’s interests. Betty at https://windingwordsblog.wordpress.com/ confesses that books and libraries are some of her favorite thing. She got a library card at 6 and at a young 62 has been reading ever since, books of all kinds. And she reviews them! Bless her soul and go visit her blog! Ramona Crisstea at https://ramonacrisstea.com/2016/08/02/an-unexpected-journey/ is a lovely young woman who blogs about (and models) high fashion, inspiration, life and lifestyle, travel and love. She is also quite a design artist. Worth a visit and more. 0 0

Because of the comments I received on my Czech Christmas post, I decided to re-post the two blogs pieces I wrote in 2016 on what it was like living there in the 1970s. *** I recently discovered in an old folder an article I wrote about my experience with the city of Prague, both before the Velvet Revolution, when I lived and worked there, and after, in the early ‘90s, when I went back for a visit. Perhaps you will find this interesting? I am going to break this article in two, to keep in manageable, and over the next few months will write more about individual adventures in Communist Czechoslovakia. *** In April of 1992, I returned to what was then still Czechoslovakia for the first time in five years and the first time since the Velvet Revolution. For those of you not familiar with this term, the Velvet Revolution was the non-violent transition of power that took place from November 17 to December 29, 1989. Popular demonstrations were held against the one-party government of the Communist Party by students and older dissidents. The end result was the end of 41 years of Stalinist rule in Czechoslovakia, the subsequent dismantling of the Communist economy, and a conversion to a parliamentary republic. Vaclav Havel was the first President. I have a very special place in my heart for this country and its people, since I lived and worked in Prague for over a year in the early ‘70s and had many colorful experiences during that time with the hardline Communist regime that dominated everything.  I also found the Czech people to be warm and open-hearted. As my plane crossed into Czech airspace on that trip in 1992, I remember being anxious to see the changes brought about by democracy. One change was apparent immediately: instead of having to fly through narrow airspace corridors determined by the government, we flew over the city and I had my first view of it from the air. When I reached the car of the friends who met me at the airport, they told me, “Take a deep breath! Can you smell freedom?” To explain how much these words meant, I need to tell you about the culture shock of 1972, when my husband and I first came to Prague from California on an exchange fellowship sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences. The effects of the Soviet invasion of 1968 were just settling in (the borders of the country had actually remained open for a time thereafter but were then defined by barbed wire and guards with guns in sentry boxes). Prague was a gray, dirty and grim city, some of its building still pockmarked with bullet holes from the invasion. We lived with a well-educated, English-speaking Czech couple in their apartment in Holesovice, a quiet, tree-lined section of the city located in a bend of the Vltava river. Our hosts’ son had left the country before the border closed and was now living in Tasmania, and I think they just adopted us, introducing us to Czech customs and the language. We were paid in Czech currency and had decided from the outset to live as Czechs did, eating Czech food, buying in local stores instead of the commissary in the US consulate, and learning the language so we could travel on our own. Even so, we stood out as some of the only Americans in the country. The culture shock gradually wore off as we accommodated to the lack of most things we had taken for granted at home in California. There were not many consumer goods available beyond the basic necessities, and these were sold in individual stores. There were stores for dairy products, others for vegetable (cabbage, potatoes, onions and peppers only), and still others for meat, fish, bottled drinks and canned goods.  In some canned goods stores, you would tell the clerk what you wanted and they would fetch it for you. More often, you stood in line to be waited on, which was the way of life for babičkas, or the grandmothers, who did the shopping for their working sons and daughters. We had to plan our days carefully to allow for enough time to buy food.  In the summer, fresh vegetables and fruit would be trucked in from Italy, Bulgaria and Romania, and sold at open stalls in various city squares. It became Grangers’ rule that if we spotted something unusual (like oranges, squash or lettuce) on our tram rides back and forth to work, we got off the tram at the next stop and went back to buy some. There was no guarantee we’d find it elsewhere or even later in the same place. There were often Czech babičkas in line to buy something unusual, like patty pan squash, who had no idea how to cook it. When I’d learned enough Czech, I would spend time explaining how to do it. And of course, all transactions were in cash. Credit cards had already become a way of life for us, but not for the Czechs. Tram rides were always an adventure. In the old wooden ones, which were being replaced, you could hop off and on like the trolleys in San Francisco. The newer ones had no A/C and the windows were hardly every opened, which in the summer resulted in a hermetically sealed sweat box filled with human body odors. There were usually two places on the tram reserved for the those with disabilities and they were coveted by   babičkas. It was a frequent occurrence to see two of them battling each other with canes to get the one unoccupied seat. Hubs and I often remarked that if the babičkas had confronted the Russians when they invaded in 1968, the Russian troops would have hightailed it back home. Before the revolution bribery was a part of living. We gave money or bottles of good liquor to policemen, guards at the border, doctors, or clerks in

It’s Labor Day weekend so my New Followers Friday got delayed a bit. I am now blocked out for the next three weeks, so if you are a new follower, be patient with me! Wendy Unswroth at https://wendyunsworth.wordpress.com/2016/08/07/saying-hello/  Wendy has written two novels plus chapter books for children, and one of her current WIPs is a psychological thriller. Born in England, she’s lived in Zambia, Kenya and Portugal but currently lives in Cornwall with her family.  I know a number of bloggers who have lived or who are currently living in Africa and Portugal, so you might want to look her up. tusharchaudhari900  is a traveler, trekker, day-dreamer, and book lover. You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tushar.chaudhari.900 https://deleciahenrybooks.wordpress.com/  Delecia Henry is a self-published author and a freelance ghostwriter on Fiverr.com. She has been writing professionally since 2014 and has worked on countless writing projects. Delecia resides in Kingston, Jamaica and just started her blog. She is also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/delecia.henry.1/about https://campcarpediem.wordpress.com Camp Carpe Diem is Ally, a media student at Bournemouth University and a part-time student in drama school in London.  She is a young blogger – I know there are some young bloggers out there – she blogs on all sorts of things: the MTV video awards surviving a minimum wage job, London markets to visit. Vihasi Shah at https://everlastingsmilewisdom.wordpress.com  Ms. Shah is a beautiful young woman, an entrepreneur, a lawyer in program, teacher, volunteer, writer… her blog is filled by various poems, tiny tales, words of wisdom designed to make you smile. Rmskbus at https://theinoculator.wordpress.com/  According to his Meet the Team introduction, Robbie was born an orphan. Found hiding in an alleyway in downtown New York with nothing but a shawl made from newspapers, he was taken in by a traveling troop of Buddhist monks and trained in the art of truth. His blogs are truly eclectic: Drastic changes in the Astrological Calendar, Burqa Ban Wins War on Terror, Equality Finally Achieved. This blog is fun! https://raheemjan760.wordpress.com/about/  Raheemjan is a new blogger who is a student in Elysain higher secondary school, Gilgit.  She has seen many people who do not eat fruits and vegetables and only live to 50-60 because of their lack of awareness. She was inspired to start this blog so she could convey to people the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, a worthy goal for us to read about. https://canadawanderlust.wordpress.com is a travel blog with absolutely breathtaking pictures of various sites around the world. Could not find a place to leave a message, but I highly recommend you take a look to see these photos! Bubble Soliloquy at https://sukritiz.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/karma/  The author is Sukritiz, who writes lovely short pieces of poetry and prose.  You can find her also on Facebook. Sakshi at https://sakshiswaroop.wordpress.com  Sakshi only wrote her first blog post last month, but they are nice on the eye and eclectic. She’s always wanted to write and she likes surfing the internet and reading articles, then sharing them with her followers – along with some of her own musings. Sara Aurorae at https://summaamare.com s a true philosopher. How many blogs have you seen devoted to philosophical topics? Along with history, politics, and ethics. This is a blog for a deep thinker! The author is drawn to investigating decisions, views and actions.  Her latest post, with references, is Internal Language and Intelligence: Where is Moral consciousness?  I think you will find her blog challenging and a great learning experience. 0 0

Disclaimer: I was given an advanced reader copy by the author as a gift and was not asked for a review. I decided I had to give it a review anyway! The Prologue of Porter Girl describes the medieval founding of Old College, where the murder of a young scholar portends of evil to come. Then to the present, where Porter Girl is the first female Deputy Head Porter of the still existing Old College, a now ancient, academically elite institution. Her adventures begin on day one, as her appointment is greeted with curiosity, approbation and hostility by the various staff and academics inhabiting the rare and eccentric air of the school. As a former police officer, Porter Girl is well equipped to handle anything, but as she soon learns, Porters do not carry bags, they are the keepers of the keys and overseers of the students and all the college activities. She soon comes to realize there is a profound chasm between the staff and the faculty, so deep that she occasionally wonders what she is doing there. However, with her background, cheerful good will and nose for intrigue, she soon bridges that gap. The mystery begins when Porter Girl learns there were bodies buried many years previously under the foundations of the ‘new’ Porter’s Lodge. Old College clearly has had an ancient, notorious past, about which only a privileged few know, and Porter Girl is irresistibly drawn into finding out what that is. She decides to question the very old Professor K, a kindly and gentle soul who confirms what she heard and gives her a clue  to where to go next. Before she can proceed, Professor K dies, apparently in his sleep, followed rather quickly by the immolation of Senior Bursar from the explosive fire from a new electric tea kettle. The characters the author has drawn for her book are marvelous and nuanced: Porter, Head Porter, Senior Bursar, Junior Bursar, The Master, The Dean, The Professor, Head of Housekeeping, and little vignettes of each of them can be found on her blog.  I particularly liked The Professor, an American who is partial to bright blue suits and fedoras; Senior Bursar, described by the author as a tall, powerful man, customarily swathed in tweeds,  with a cut-glass accent and booming voice, and a penchant for biscuits and holding pre-drinks reception drinks reception (figure that one out if you can); and the Dean, a lofty academic with a penchant for wearing clashing colors. I thought of Bridget Jones’ Diary as I began to read this book. Actually I’d been thinking of BJD for some time because I follow Lucy Brazier’s blog, The Secret Diary of Porter Girl, the Everyday Adventures of the Staff and Students of Old College. Her blog is hilarious, and I thought a full length book would be the same. I wasn’t disappointed. The descriptions of antics of the Old College and its Fellows, its time-honored and sometimes senseless traditions, and the adventures of Porter Girl’s daily life – chasing after naked students, watching a ceremony on her knees behind a curtain, finding secret rooms and passages, mindlessly sorting keys, and the drinking of gallons of tea – at times made me laugh out loud. Balancing the humor are the author’s soaring, beautiful and detailed descriptions of Old College and its grounds, with each passing season. Clearly based on a real place, these made me want to visit… with Porter Girl as my guide. I highly recommend Porter Girl: The Keeper of the Keys. The book goes on sale tomorrow, so get in line. One of the best books I’ve read this year! About the author Adapted from Amazon: Adventurer. Puzzle-solver. Expert tea-maker. Lucy Brazier started writing to entertain herself during childhood as the internet did not yet exist. Later on, she had a punt at writing to entertain other people and pulled it off rather well. Then she wrote a book – Secret Diary of Porter Girl: The Everyday Adventures of the Students and Staff of Old College – and now she’s written another. From an interview with the author Dan Alatorre: Her books derive from the fact that on a whim, she applied for the role of Deputy Head Porter at one of the most prestigious Colleges of Cambridge University. She didn’t expect to get the job, but when it was offered, she thought it churlish to refuse and became the  first female Deputy Head Porter in the College’s 600 year history. She believes she was absolutely the worst Deputy Head Porter the College had ever seen, and she hung up her bowler hat after a year. But her experiences inspired her blog and her first book and now further fictional adventures. You can find Lucy Brazier On twitter: @portergirl100 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucy.suzuki.3?fref=ts Blog: https://portergirl.com/ 0 0

Don Massenzio kindly hosted me for a Q and A on his blog today. You can check out my answers to 20 questions at: 20 Questions with N.A. Granger Thanks so much, Don, for the opportunity. And followers, do check out Don’s blog. He is a prolific author of several murder mysteries himself and in addition to interviews, he posts writing tips and book reviews on his eye-catching blog. You can contact him at www.donmassenzio.com 0 0

Today I had the honor of being interviewed by Annette Rochelle Aben on her blog talk radio program Tell Me A Story. She’s a fabulous host, and I had great fun (what author doesn’t like talking about themselves and their books?). Here is the link if you want to listen in: Author Noelle Granger on Tell Me a Story Annette has a smooth radio voice and doesn’t miss a beat, picking up and expanding on important details. Quite a talent! She has her own blog, which I highly recommend you check out: https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/ Thank you, Annette, for this opportunity! 0 0

One of these days, I’ll catch up! In the meantime, here is another group of fascinating people: Natalie West at  https://knowledgeforparents.wordpress.com/blog/home/  Knowledge for parents is basically a movement founded Ms. West to help parents take care of their new born in a better way. It is always a difficult time for folks when raising their kids, especially if they are working, and I know I will recommend this to my daughter when she decides to start a family. https://thebraineffect.wordpress.com/blog/ is written by an eighteen year old, who’s decided it’s high time she takes accountability for her incredibly non-productive writing style, and she is counting on her expected readership of zero fellow bloggers to keep her honest. Let’s prove her wrong, but hopefully still keep her honest, by visiting her blog. J.C.Wolfe at the Wolf’s Writing Den http://jaycwolfe.com/ is a fiction writer. Most of her writing is in the form of short stories and flash fiction of varying genres, with the occasional poem. Her real goal is to be a novelist, especially of science fiction/fantasy and romance novels. She has a Bachelor of Science and has done research in southern Brazil. https://seasidefreckles.wordpress.com/ is written by a 22 year old media student at Leeds Metropolitan University. She writes about issues that concern normal 22-year-olds, so maybe there are some 20-somethings out there who would like to follow her! Rashmi at https://livewithstyle19.wordpress.com/ She is a young blogger and motivational writer for whom writing is a passion and hobby. From reading so many blogs and articles she was inspired create her own blog and to inspire people as well as increase their confidence level through her writings. She knows everybody has some problems in their lives, and she wants to help with solutions to those problems. https://rsimplecookingecipes.wordpress.com/author/rsimplecookingecipes/ You MUST visit this blog. The recipes had me salivating: French leek tart, slow cooker lasagna soup, chocolate peanut butter banana stuffed French toast. I’m hooked. Mark Anthony Monzon at https://markmyworld.me/ enjoys a hacking life while enjoying everything in between. He reviews food, music, movies, travel and leisure, tech stuff and social media and comments on work and life. This is a kaleidoscope of interesting information, sure to have something for everyone! https://elsie01px2019.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/courses-im-looking-forward-to-next-year/  Elsie is a high school student who writes thoughtfully about school and her courses. I’m sure she’s appreciate a follow and I asked her if I could use some of her writing as information/inspiration for a character in my books! Larissa N. Takahassi at https://sittingprettywebblog.wordpress.com/  is a journalist born in Brazil. She is a lover of beauty, harmony, balance and symmetry and adores being surrounded by art, music and beautiful places. She writes absolutely stunning posts about nail art, beauty and fashion and also menswear! I know there are youngsters (and many others) out there who will find her blog fascinating and informative! https://mackmarie.com/about/  Mack began her blog in 2012 while going through college, and is now giving it a fresh start as she and her husband embark on a move across the country to California from the mid West. I remember a time when I was newly married and moving from Cleveland to California, so her story resonates. Her goal is to use her blog as an outlet to articulate the joys of life, record their adventures, and update friends and family along with the rest of us on their lives. She’s a nurse, likes chocolate and seafood, and is a runner. This is a gal worth following! Nalini at https://nalinidesignprofile.wordpress.com/about-me/  is a BSc Graduate with a passion for design. She loves to do creative work like making  earrings, pencil shading, sketching, frames using wool and newspaper.  Her ambition is to become a visual effect designer, and you need to see her blog because her graphic designs are mind-blowing. In addition, she is a physically challenged person with both upper limbs affected by polio, but you can see she is not challenged in any other way. (I had polio as a child and my heart goes out to her).  Do stop by her blog. 0 0

The Old One is the name we gave to an oak tree that stood in an area off the end of our driveway. It was really, really tall with an enormous circumference. About ten years ago, it started to lean. Each year, it leaned a bit more until the roots on its north side were partially pulled from the earth and the tree leaned on a huge loblolly (Southern pine). We didn’t want to think about taking it down, and even though we worried that it might drop on someone, maybe a car going up our driveway, we couldn’t touch it. When we were in Maine this summer, we received a frantic call from our daughter. “There’s a tree down on the driveway, a huge one. There was a huge whump when it fell.” I looked at my husband. “So the Old One has finally fallen.” But it wasn’t our Old One – it was the pine tree holding it up. The tree had broken off halfway down. We organized a tree removal company to come and get the tree out of the driveway, and when we returned, we saw that our Old One was now leaning on a spindly hardwood, threatening to fall at any time. We knew the time had come and found a tree removal company (an arborist) who came several days later with his crew. The owner of the company is an Asian American with a doctorate in Philosophy from Harvard. My husband asked him how he came to what he is now doing. He replied his work paid the bills and he actually enjoyed it. I couldn’t watch and stayed up at the house. When I finally descended the drive the next day, all I could see was the huge cross-section of the base of oak tree, still held to the earth by its roots. The rest of the tree, plus the one that had held it up, was now stacked in huge boles along our creek. I had to get out to see it up close, but to be honest, it took more than a week before I could bring myself to do it. My daughter and I counted more than 150 rings (we couldn’t get an accurate count) which means the Old One had been standing there since at least the 1860s, maybe longer. Maybe it had seen rebel soldiers passing by; a famous Civil War battle occurred not far away. It had certainly seen turkeys from the turkey farm for which our road is named, and the farm that a black man had on our property – his great granddaughter stopped by one day looking for markers. My one hope is that a sapling will spring from the still-anchored roots. I will cherish it, help it to flourish, and hope that it will stand tall and proud for another 150 years. Vade in pace, Old One. 0 0