I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. One of the characters received an undeserved military commendation after WWII. He left his doomed comrades behind to save himself. He's a good man, but that one decision:

Some part of me has never quit wishing I could go back, and I can't. I didn't know you could steal your own life. And I didn't know that it would bring you no more benefit than about anything else you might steal. I think I done the best with it I knew how but it still wasn't mine. It never has been.

This isn't a great book, but every sentence is a pleasure. Can't wait to read his new one, The Road.

GC

Weaver:

I very highly recommend Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy - "The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials

Very intelligent stuff. More than just Potteresque entertainment, though they are very entertaining. Pullman knows that love is a choice, 2.

-ol' 2long

weave,

"My daughter is reading a book at school where they have 7 years of rain followed by 1 hour of sunshine and then another 7 years of rain. Can you imagine?"

You know I live there, don't you? Three inches of rain yesterday alone.

I lived in Seattle for six miserable years. I would not have survived seven years of rain.

Great kid books: Susan Cooper's five-book series. Three of them won the Newberry. They are wonderfully written stories that interweave modern day (well, okay, 1970s) England with Arthurian legend.

Also, David Eddings two series (really one long series) of five books each: The Belgariad and The Mallorean. These are high fantasy with no relation to the "real" world. A farm boy named Garion becomes King of the West and triumphs (twice) over evil. He is led by his many-times-great grandfather and his many times great-aunt. The humor alone is worth the price of admission.

At long last, I finally moved my thread over on SYMC back into the public light. There are a few stories there that I probably haven't told here, if anyone's interested, as well as several that I stole from here once I was finally headed back toward putting that thread in public view. I'm not sure whether I'll get modded for posting a link to it, so I won't for the moment. It's on the eMarriage board, though, if anyone wants to peak.

Hi J,
You still on track?

Not letting less important things side track the more important ones?

Still laugh enough most days?

SS

I posted photos of the camping trip we did with AD -
Here: Link to Camping trip photo links - to avoid doing it twice

SS

Oops! Post deleted. Wrong thread! Sorry....

t&l

I don't know how to say what I'm feeling, without worrying about it coming out wrong, or making things worse. I know some good jokes, though! I can even deprecate somebody else, for a change...

The nice thing about feelings...... well, they are how we feel.

You are afraid if others know your feelings we will think less of someone you have strong feelings about?

Or that we will think less of you?

You don't have to say anything, but......

Well........... it's not like we are married to you, and you have to share with us like a spouse ought to share with a spouse.

We do care how you feel though. Or if you are feeling up, or down.
Just so you know.

SS

SS

Beautiful pictures. I think you need to change your handel to Ansel.

And how do you get the light like that. And the colors! Are you adjusting saturation?

What camera do you use?

Aph,
You are very kind in your comments.

The light was just right for some of the photos. Late afternoon in the red rock photos, and the setting sun in the mountain/tree photos. I took some before and after these that were not nearly as good, because the angle of the sun was different.

I did adjust saturation some, but it was kind of by accident. I was looking at them on an 8 year old monitor that has not been calibrated, and I said "what? these are so faded, I better bring them back to look real" - and so I did some adjustments on some of them. Then I got on my regular monitor, and realized I was going too far with some of the adjustments, and I backed off.

So, the light really was good in person, but some of them have been doctored too. When we were in the trees, AD said something like "What kind of trees are these, I can't believe how beautiful they are."
It really was amazing in the setting sun. If either scene had been captured at noon, I doubt you would have liked them nearly as much.

I use a Pentax *istD digital SLR camera. It seems to do a pretty good job.

SS

Beautiful, SS. Truly beautiful. I'm still determined to come visit you someday. And the invitation if you ever visit DC is always open. For pretty much everyone around the campfire, of course. AND the lurkers. T&L, for example.

Camping sounds fun, but my back does not do well on the ground. I would need a bed. But it would be fun. SS - sounds like a fabulous trip.

To the well read here - somewhere I saw someone post to someone else about what to tell the kids about the divorce - which is just the bare facts, and as little as possible. It talked about how even telling adult kids the dirty laundry can screw them up, and how important it is to DO NOT TELL THEM DETAILS. Does anyone remember where that was? I would like to copy it and send it XW. We are in agreement, but it was worded eloquently on the post I saw. About two or three weeks ago.

On another note - I heard XW getting ready unusually early this morn (5:30am) and wandered in to find out what was going on. She said she had a meeting downtown. At 6:45 I asked what meeting - she said it was the mediation meeting with the court mediator. I was never served, or heard anything of it. I threw it together, and made it to the meeting. We now have a drafted custody form, ready to be submitted in a hearing on Dec. 18. But I have not been notified of that, either.

It is kindof a sad day. I loathe the idea of not spending every evening with my kids.

Divorce sucks.

far

{{FAR}} I am outraged at the continued self centered selfishness displayed by your xw. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I'm outraged by most everything I read on GQII. I'm sorry FAR.

I cannot get behind the idea that adult children should be protected from the truth about a parent who has damaged their family. I don't believe there is value in not knowing things about your own life.

GC

Wow, GC. Who the heck is promoting that idea? Yuck. The adult children should know, in fact I think children should know age appropriate truth as necessary to the situation. As I told another BS with an OC situation, they WILL find out about the OC eventually. Either from the parents as it should be or from somebody else.

Got a little exercised didn't I FF? Thought to edit then thought nah.

GC

nah, GC. It is a good reminder. How is your friend with the dilemna?

2long,

Took P to the library last weekend and I checked out "The Golden Compass". They had all three, if you can believe it...plan on reading it on my vacation and so thank you for the suggestion. Oh you meant for P to read it. LOL, well I am going to.

FAR,

I'm sorry for what you are experiencing right now. I don't know what else to say except it will get easier.

Hope everyone has a really nice Thanksgiving holiday!

Oh that reminds me -

Gray,

Remember that faulty, unreliable weather station we have here? I was listening to the radio the other day and this is the forcast the weatherman gave us (no lie) -

"Today will be cloudy all day with a 50% chance of...whatever."

I thought of you and LOL!

Hi Weaver! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, be good!