I have no photographs from yesterday. How did this happen?
Yesterday morning I drove out to visit my people and half way down the road, I discovered that my body is not ready for the driver’s seat yet. But I had promised so I continued. When I got home, I did only critical things like waters then I banished myself to the couch (without moving) for two hours. By then it was almost dark and very slowly I went to feed out. Eleven eggs yesterday and a sore Celi.
I Am fine standing, lying, sitting on the edge of a chair, I can even bend a little more but no car. No shopping (Oh the horror if it! Laugh.).
My eldest son said to me a few days ago.
“You know what your biggest problem will be?”
“What darling” I said, the phone in one hand and the poker for the fire in the other.
“You will feel better and think you Are better.”
“If I feel better I won’t be better?”
“No, you will still be healing. And you can easily break the bone all over again if you are not careful, especially when it has only just finished knitting. Then you will be less than better. ”
“Does it do cable?” I opened the fire door and poked at the embers to let in some air.
“What?”
“The knitting bone. Can it do cable, I have always been useless at cable. I can knit and purl but cable.. “. I hung the poker back up with it’s other cast iron sisters on the special cast iron daddy stand. And studied the fire wood pile left for me by some sweet soul who thinks the fire box is three inches longer than it actually is.
“Are you listening to me?” he said.
“Of course I am listening darling, you are the master of the broken bone. We all listen to you when it comes to broken bones and then breaking them again. How is your floating collar bone anyway. Aha.” I spied a nice fat piece just the right length. ” So how will I know when I am better?”
“You have to listen to your body. Then add two weeks.”
“I am listening to my body and it says it needs a drink.”
“You can’t drink and take pain relief.”
“I know, that’s why I cut down” I picked up the piece of firewood one handed and swung it into the fire box. It flew in sideways knocking a handful of embers flying out onto the floor.
“On the drinking?”
“No darling, what a horrible thought, the pain relief.” Licking my fingers and picking up the embers that had flown out, I threw them back in. My mouth tasted sooty. I pulled myself up and kicked the last few little fire starters onto the tile. I bashed the wood a few times with the wood fire door then latched it shut.
“You shouldn’t drink and take pain meds, Mum.”
“I know darling. I don’t drink ALL day.”
A paternal pause. “Well, remember what I said. This is going to take time. You have to be patient.”
“I know darling but patience is so tedious. I can’t just lounge about like some kind of Roman whore-house mistress forever. My hair is not right for a start. I have nothing to wear. ”
“One more week at least. Ask The Fellowship for another reading list. They are all good readers.”
“Ah. Now that is an excellent idea.”
Do you remember our last reading list? You all wrote your suggestions and then I created a page for all of us to print out. Wait there, I will find it – so you can see where we left off last year. Here it is – 95 books to read. And yes I have about read them all now, it was a year ago after all.
So if you have a book you recommend – put the title and author in the comments lounge today or tomorrow. And I will make us a new list. And copy it into the next days post. Just in time for the holidays. That should keep us out of trouble for a while!
Oh, I am looking forward to this!
your friend on the couch,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
109 responses to “So: What are you reading?”
And then I checked the list and realized I had not recommended: In The Fall, and Lost Nation, by Jeffrey Lent. Anything by him, he’s a wonderful writer.
Good morning C; have you read the Pern series by Anne McCaffery or David Eddings Belgariad & Malloreon series these are a very intense funny adventure that will be hard to stop reading!
They will take you from your troubles or pain. very good reads also my favs.
don’t be a blessing unless you can do it from your couch. 🙂 Send others to do your bidding o queen of the Farmy 🙂
mike
YES!
Add The Game of Thrones series in, and I am in heaven.
For a complete change of pace – anything by Rosamund Pilcher…
Oh Ce—you are to listen to your son!!!! Please! Although it is so so difficult to rest you need to. I will add a couple of books that I loved to your list. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. All different but all wonderful.
Terry Pratchett’s latest novel is currently sitting at the top of the pile beside my bed. Under it, there are two books on tropical gardening, under that is Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, which I’m re-reading for the umpteenth time, and at the bottom is Sunday Morning Quilts. In the living room, the top of the pile is Jamie Oliver’s latest, Save with Jamie, then Growing Tropical Vegetables by Leonie Norrington, then Game of Thrones. So, just one or two on the go, then…
Stubborn, stubborn woman! Sigh. 😀 It’ll just take longer if you don’t quit. I know. I know. Love the phone conversation. Let’s see. Octavia E Butler – Xenogenesis for a sci-fi read. Joan D. Vinge – Psion, Catspaw, and Dreamfall – a trilogy. Frank Herbert Dune series. We like books that go on and on and on! And hate when the story ends. It’s 30* here and snowing. Beautiful We have a couple of inches. YOU take it easy and have a great day, Celi!
I’m reading “Black Seconds” by the Norwegian psychological crime writer, Karin Fossum. And what have I enjoyed reading the most? A difficult question. None of them are books published in the last year, as I haven’t had any money and have had to purchase my reading material from charity shops. I know I’ve awarded lots of novels with four or five stars on Goodreads. My favourite reads were probably the historical novel “The Bolyen Inheritance” by Philippa Gregory (which is the sequel to “The Other Boleyn Girl”), the literary crime novel “Afterwards” by Rosamund Lupton, the ethical dilemma novel “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, and the autobiographical account of writer, William Horwood’s childhood “The Boy with No Shoes”.
The best homeopathic remedy for broken bones is Ruta Graveolens tablets. There is a cream, too, that can be applied after the plaster cast is removed, just to make sure everything is just so. When I gave my daughter the tablets after she chipped her kneebone and my son the tablets after he broke his wrist, on both occasions they had their plaster casts removed two weeks earlier than normal.
Had to laugh Celie – you do sound just like someone on drink and painkillers! Oooh I do so hope you take care. I’ve just started re-reading AS Byatt’s Possession as a bit of a treat after a heavy slog through a course of seriously wonderful reading – but way too taxing stuff for my poor brain.
I did get Babette’s Feast out of the library (the DVD) last week when I needed a bit of cheering up. She’s definitely your kind of woman (although I’d possibly abstain from the turtle soup).
I’m going to take a look at your last year list too.
My very favourite film of all times!! Including the turtle soup 😉 !!
Thanks Eha :>
Babettes Feast is one of my most favourite movies of all time. i saw it in a film festival once and I was the only one in the theatre. I will never forget it. in fact it has had a massive influence on my own cooking. The lengthy preparation i think. The thoughtful ness and the DARK. I MUST get it out and see it again. in fact i think i might buy it. It is a movie i want to OWN. Thank you for reminding me! c
Yes. . Ceci ~ this is one I want to own too!!! Methinks I have seen it thrice – and I am worried, perhaps the next time around is not the way I remember it – don’t think so . . .Thrice is good enough!! Just perhaps Chas and you and I tremble at some of the same things . . .
It’s definitely good to see again. I relate more to the oldies in the film more now and can imagine their reticence and then contentment at enjoying such a feast.
Lucky you’ve got a sensible son young lady!! My current book? ‘Ignorance’ by Michele Roberts.
Christine
I’m reading Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill. It is utterly depressing and makes you feel bad about being represented THUS. Anyway, I do have a RECOMMENDS list. And I looked through your old 95 books list and the only one that was on yours/mine is Hewitt’s Town that Food Saved (love the interesting young man comment there too). Cheers to that.
& get well soon. I do like the ‘drunken’ writing…used to be a big Bukowski fan
http://eumaeusandtheworm.wordpress.com/reccomended/
I also LOVE charles bukowski, my favourite poem is the one where he throws the radio out the window! c
I am reading Clay’s Quilt by Silas House. It’s about an Eastern KY man and his personal journey to learn about his deceased mother. Very good so far. Great imagery without being too wordy. Are you on Goodreads.com? I hope you join because I would love to see what you read and how you rate it. I love learning about other people’s book preferences. It shows so much about them and you get to connect with some awesome books!
I think i am a member of goodreads, but I don’t use it properly, maybe this winter i will make proper notes when i read a book and enter them.. c
Love your list, Celi! I was excited to see both Margaret Atwood and Barbara Kingsolver on it, as they are two of my favorite. I would add, however, that my favorite Kingsolver novel is the Poisonwood Bible. It’s narrated in first person in the voices of 4 daughters and wife of a Baptist missionary to the Congo in the early 60s. It’s brilliant. Also, I’m a huge fan of Atwood’s Cat’s Eye and Handmaid’s Tale.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family–especially that wise son of yours!
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
I agree about The Poisonwood Bible! As I was reading it the first time, part of my brain was asking, ‘how did she DO this? It’s brilliant!’
It really is brilliant 🙂
I love your son. I hope one day my daughter will be like him. As for reading, as promised in my own blog, I am FINALLY reading Moby Dick for the FIRST time ever, after a lifetime of avoiding it because I didn’t like the title. And then it dawned on me that maybe i could no longer consider myself either well-read or truly educated if I didn’t read it, as it IS considered one of the finest novels in American, if not world, literature. And, I am happy and humbled to say: It is great. And when I say “great,” I don’t mean it in that bland, throw-it-around-without-really-meaning-it-way. I mean: It. Is. A. Great. Book. And you know what else I didn’t expect? It’s touching. Insightful in almost every paragraph. And it makes me laugh. How slow I was in letting myself be thusly educated. Sad. But there’s probably some reason I’m reading it now. I’m ready for it.
Drink’s an anaesthetic 😉
Listen to your Son. Listen to your Son.
…..and after you get of the phone and off the computer, for God’s sake, have another drink. The pain’ll kill you before the drink does.
Any chance you’ve got a nice deep spa bath in the house? Floating in water (to take the weight off your spine), reading an entertaining novel (that makes your face flush with a wicked smile) and having a glass of bubbly (or still wine) all go hand in hand.
Try it (and don’t blame me if the water gets cold, you fall asleep and the novel goes all soggy as it sinks to the bottom).
Really into Margaret Atwood right now. “The Blind Assassin” was great. And, yes, heed the words of the young… and breathe into the hurt… you know how to do this. And thanks to everyone for some great suggestions.