meet the family:
Birding Mom working mother/wife/birdwatcher/ nature lover/coffee addict/ usually quite stressed.
Birding Dad father/nature lover/political debater/nurturer /best friend/bird watcher
Birding Girl dolphin lover/writer/singer/nature lover/bookworm/macro photographer/birdwatcher
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      February 17, 2009
      The Great Gatsby

      The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


      My review


      rating: 4 of 5 stars
      I do not know how I got to be 53 never having read "The Great American Novel", but indeed I waited too long! I enjoyed the telling of the story. I listened on audio (as I do most books during my commute to and from work), and I felt that I was sitting in the parlor of an acquaintance, listening as he told me a story of a man he once knew and a time that is past.
      The story itself was not the remarkable part, it was the telling, the recalling of events, places, weather expressions, emotions and the view of this third person.. The story is told from the point of view of a person involved in the drama ~ yet somehow removed in a way that he is simply a keen observer to all that goes on.


      View all my reviews.

      Posted by sunybank at 12:06 PM |
      filed under: Books and such

       
      February 04, 2009
      I am from ...

      Thought I would do this again, as everyone else seems to be doing it lately.

      I am from Jacks on the sidewalk, from Cracker Jacks, Maypo, Buster Brown shoes and Good Humor Trucks.

      I am from an Old Dutch Farmhouse, barefoot summer days, horses and raccoons, singing camp songs and the smell of campfires.

      I am from Timothy hay fields, daisys and blue jeans, Tulip trees and the smell of black walnuts.

      I am from family dinners with meat and potatoes every night, and a family with funny toes.

      From Edna and Ida - from Chatelliers and Beaches and an Uncle named Trueman.

      I am from the hospitality of open back doors, doing dishes and Saturday morning chores.

      From ”cheaters never prosper” and “Lets Go Mets”.

      I am from church on Sundays (and always in a dress), family reunions at Christmas and New Years Day gift gifts from Gram, family trips to the lake and a road trip to Florida.

      I'm from Kearny and Towaco – from Germany, France, Ireland and more …
      From Gram’s Apple Pies, Gram Chat’s toll house cookies and Mom’s roast beef.

      From riding on the fender of the tractor with Dad and the afternoon swim in the pond when he got home from work.

      A home with two sisters, parents with strong work ethics, from dogs and cats and mice in a cage.

      I am from the years of bell bottoms – tie-dye and head bands, math tutors, roll-model teachers, marching band and friends who lost their lives in cars.

      I am from God and home and family, from dysfunction, understanding and unconditional love.


      Posted by sunybank at 06:21 AM |
      filed under:

       
      January 16, 2009
      Cold?

      Did I see -10 on my thermometer?
      Perhaps I should put on my glasses ....
      or better yet put (back) on my bathrobe and GO BACK TO BED!!

      Posted by sunybank at 11:56 AM |
      filed under: Today's View

       
      January 12, 2009
      Grace sufficient for a Monday

      It is not snowing / raining / sleeting
      I found something to wear
      I have a book on CD for the commute
      I received a spontaneous hug from my teenager this morning (rare indeed)
      I have a job to go to - something many people would be extremely thankful for today.

      Posted by sunybank at 11:48 AM |
      filed under: Days of Grace

       
      To be outspoken when truth is under attack, when charity is being bruised, or when important issues of life are at stake is a good and courageous thing. To be outspoken when nothing is at stake except the feelings of someone else is a small and contemptible thing. ~ Lawrence G. Lovasik (The Hidden Power of Kindness)



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