Book - Poldark Series

I just finished "Bella Poldark," the 12th and last book in Winston Graham's Poldark series. I'm sad to see the series end.

from the publisher - "The bestselling Poldark series is loved across the world for its compulsive blend of romance, drama, unforgettable characters and beautifully evocative portrayal of Cornwall.

The saga, which spans the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries, follows the life of the brooding, principled Ross Poldark; a young man who returns from the American Revolutionary war to find his father dead, his copper mine failing and his childhood sweetheart, the beautiful Elizabeth Chynoweth, engaged to his cousin. Romance, intrigue, betrayal, and one of the most heart-breaking love triangles in modern fiction ensue as Ross falls in love with the charming Demelza, and tries to build a better world for her and their children whilst fighting his arch-enemy, the swaggering and ruthless financier, George Warleggan." Pan Maccmillan

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JHT's comments - I never found "aha," notable, quotable phrases in Graham’s books. What I did find were wonderful passages about people and places. He has a way of conveying the contentment we sometimes feel not necessarily because there aren’t any problems in our lives but because we are with the people we love in a place we love. There is also a sense that life goes on no matter the ups and downs of our lives.

I enjoyed the history of the time and place. Until I read these books I didn’t realize how much fighting was happening between European nations during this time period.

Due to space considerations I borrow more books than I buy these days. This is a series I will purchase and read again and again.

The land of Cornwall almost becomes a character in these books. Graham conveyed his love of Cornwall in the beautifully illustrated book titled "Poldark's Cornwall." It's worth checking this out if you read any of the Poldark books. 

Click here for an overview of all 12 books. 

PBS is now airing Season 3 of Poldark. You can watch the first two seasons on Amazon Prime. I've enjoyed the TV series but I like the books better. 

A Bit Early

I personally think it's a bit early!

 at Costco

at the grocery

From August

I made an eclipse viewer from a cereal box. 

This was our granddaughter's cereal pick when she visited in August. 

Forest fires sent smoke and ash into our area several times in September. We had hazy skies for days and ash was heavy enough to come into our enclosed garage (our car bumper above) and condo windows. 

Joe's ready for the game!

More About Becoming

“Attaining what the Apostle Paul described as “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ challenge us to become something.” Dallin H. Oaks

Who are we to become? Christ is speaking – “Therefore, what manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” 3Nephi 27: 27

“…  the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. Dallin H. Oaks  

Penultimate

"Penultimate" is one of those words that has caught my fancy for some reason. Dad delighted in certain words and I might have caught this tendency from him.

Penultimate means next to last. Ultimate is from the Latin word "ultimus" for last and "pen" is a Latin prefix that means "almost."

More here

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"The Twisted Sword" is the penultimate book in Winston Graham's 12 book Poldark series. I don't want the series to end. 

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In case you're wondering, there is a word for third from last. It's antepenultimate. It doesn't roll off the tongue the way penultimate does!

Words For The Day

You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can't, you do the next best thing. 

You back up, but you don't give up." 

Chuck Yeager

Doing & Becoming

Life is so much more than a list of tasks to complete—it’s a process of becoming who we are meant to be. It has been said that we are human beings, not human doings. And yet, what we do ultimately determines who we are. So the question is not so much what we do but whether the things we do are getting us closer to who we want to become.     Lloyd D. Newell ************* Read entire message here Music and the Spoken Word, October 9, 2016

Saturday Afternoon at the Post Office

SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE  POST OFFICE

Half an hour before closing on Saturday is not the best time to go to the post office. But, I had a few birthday things I wanted to get in the mail before next week. So I went, hoping I’d luck out with the line. I didn’t. I was about #9 in line. Two clerks were working. One clerk was tied up with a woman who was trying to mail a package somewhere and the clerk kept telling her the address was incomplete. 

5 minutes, 10 minutes – the discussion continues. The other clerk works quickly and keeps the line moving. Meanwhile the line reaches the door.

15 minutes, 20 minutes - the conversation continues as the woman backs away from the clerk to try to get good reception on her cell phone so she can show the clerk the address she’s “always” used. We all wait, and wait, and wait. Meanwhile the woman’s little boy in the stroller decides he’s had enough. He’s been hitting himself with a yellow plastic digging tool. He quietly hurls it across the post office. The mother retrieves it and gives it back to him. 

A little girl dressed all in pink, including pink fairy wings, rides her scooter around counter and the very long line of waiting customers. She’s quiet and careful. She belongs to the incomplete address woman. 

The clerk and the woman continue their conversation. I don’t think English is the first language for either of them. The clerk tries to explain why the address won’t work. Pink wings scoot by us. The stroller boy gets more restless. The clerk sends the woman away to look up the address again and takes one customer. Whew! Maybe the line will move a bit faster now. The incomplete address woman comes back to the clerk. Oh no, the progress stops. 

The scooter fairy weaves in and out of the crowd - wordlessly, slowly, and gently.

I talk with the people around me. We decide we might as well chuckle about the situation. No one seems upset with the clerk and incomplete address woman - we’ve all been there – the person holding up the line, trying to understand a post office employee whose explanation is beyond our comprehension - not sure what to do next. But most of us give up, leave, and regroup. This woman was NOT going to give up. She probably didn’t want to revisit the post office with her garden tool wielding toddler and scooter riding fairy. I can understand that. “I’m here. I AM going to get this done!”

It was finally my turn. It was almost closing time when I left. The incomplete address woman had backed away from her clerk. She looked like she was deciding if she was going to try one more time before the doors were locked for the day. 

The pink fairy continued scootering around the post office.

Image openclipart.org

It Was OK Yesterday

Whoa! I went out to the balcony to get a few basil leaves and found a totally distressed plant. It was just fine yesterday. Today it clearly needed water. It had drawn all the water it could from the soil and it just wasn't enough to keep it going. 

I thought about times I've felt like this. I'm going along just fine. I might be aware that my body needs a bit more sleep or my spirit needs more time to ponder, be still, and connect with God. Or I realize a walk to the lake or in the park would refresh my being. But I think I can keep going - just a little while longer. 

Then it happens, I wake up one morning and feel just like this plant looks! 

Future of Faith - Chance or Choice?

“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures say, ‘substance … , the evidence of things not seen’ [Hebrews 11:1]. 

Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. 

Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name. 

The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice.”

 Neil L.Andersen

Living Expression of God's Kindness

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness—kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." Mother Teresa*

What a joy it is to be with people who have become "the living expression of God's kindness." 

*quoted by Jeffrey Holland in The Gospel Path to Happiness

Light & Healing

There is a light in this world, 

a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. 

Mother Teresa

We've witnessed the light and healing spirit as people help in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. 

Decisive Element

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes that weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspirations; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Bridges Floating on Concrete

Four of the five longest floating bridges are located in Washington State. 

Lake Washington which is between us and Seattle hosts three of the longest and heaviest floating bridges in the world. These bridges sit on top of concrete pontoons. I just hope the people building these things were paying attention in class and did all their calculations correctly. 

Floating bridges are used because the bottom of Lake Washington is so soft that conventional bridges are too expensive to build; supporting towers would have to be 600+ feet tall. 

The image shows the old 520 bridge and the new one under construction. At 7,710 feet, the new 520 bridge across the lake is the longest floating bridge in the world. It replaces a bridge that was 53 years old. The new bridge floats on 77  twenty eight foot high concrete pontoons. Each pontoon weighs 11,000 tons (yet it still floats)! The floating bridge is designed to handle a dramatic drop in water level. If the Ballard Locks failed the lake could drop 20 feet. Check out this article for more details and see what had to be built to help ducks landing in storm water collection spaces. 

This article explains how the whole concept works. 

Click here to read about the time part of the old bridge sank due to problems with the concrete pontoons. Scary!

More pictures and information here

image - SounderBruce - Own work Flickr copy: SR 520 Floating Bridge and replacement

Complexities & Contradictions

 Do you ever find yourself having an internal dialogue that twists and turns and is so full of contradictions and complexities that you wonder what’s happened to your usual “reasonable,” analytical, “onward and upward” self? 

Blogger and poet Marilyn Nielson captured such a situation here. I love how she talks through the mix of emotions as she was hiking with her family and her sore foot. She also was pregnant with her eighth child. 

“Whether I'm hurt or pregnant, it's better for me to be treated normally and not like some delicate, breakable porcelain doll. Really, I do prefer it, and I take it as a compliment if someone assumes I can handle hard things! I WANT to think that I can! If someone mentions my "delicate condition" I will laugh! ... But I don't know if you've felt like this. Sometimes just the fact of other people expecting you to be tough and up-for-anything can feel daunting.  Like because it's expected of you, you can't admit it when you're struggling. I know that's prideful. Obviously everyone struggles. There are some things I would ask for help with in an instant! But here in Oregon, I wanted so much not to be physically weak! And at the same time I perversely just wanted someone to fuss over me and take care of me. And here I was hiking along with Goldie, feeling like the weakest person ever—torn between wanting to just sit down and cry, and being determined to keep going until I died right there on the trail, just to show everyone!”

She grumbled at her family and told them she was going back to the car. 

It seemed even farther and steeper going back, and all the tree roots and the steep angles of the trail left my foot (and my belly!) aching and throbbing. I kept thinking that I just couldn't keep going. But there didn't seem any alternative either. I was crying and sniffling. And then…I heard someone else crying and sniffling! This is actually so funny when I imagine watching it from the outside. These two poor little forlorn souls, in this most beautiful and UNhorrible of situations! I came around a bend in the trail and there was my little Daisy. She was … crying, and for a second I felt annoyed with her along with everyone else in the world, but when she looked up at me with her tear-filled eyes and said, "My foot hurts! I have a blister!" my heart melted and I felt so much compassion for her. She was ME! Poor little me in a tiny form. And at that same moment that I felt a wave of love for her, I felt unaccountably reassured that Heavenly Father loved me, too.

But in those split seconds, even though I wanted to—I also instinctively knew that I shouldn't just sit down with her and cry, or we'd NEVER make it back! I knew there was still a long way to go. So I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes and said as cheerfully as I could, "Daisy, I'm so glad I found you. My feet hurt too! And I'm so tired! And I've been crying just like you! But there's no other way back except for us just to keep going. And you know what helps most when you're feeling like it's too hard? Being grateful and being brave. And now we can do that together!"

And suddenly, amazingly, I felt like we could! We started talking about when Teddy was born and it was so hard, and how I felt the strength of all these presences near, helping me. And we talked about how when you think about good things, the bad things feel so much smaller. We love wildflowers, so we hunted for those and tried to notice how many different ones we could find. We talked about how beautiful it was out on the beach; how huge and unbroken the ocean looked out beyond the edges of the bay.

As I read this I was reminded of Heavenly Father’s words to Joe and me in blessings we received last week. I was also reminded of a prompting I received when I was studying the scriptures the other day. I realized that we've been gently and lovingly told in multiple ways how to make this challenging part of the journey a bit better. 

Nelson says “But there's no other way back except for us just to keep going. And you know what helps most when you're feeling like it's too hard? Being grateful and being brave. And now we can do that together!"

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Read full post here 

Here's another post I did on Nelson

I enjoy her insights. I would be interested in knowing when she writes and how she makes time to do the pondering she has to do to come up with the insights. As a mother of seven, soon to be eight, who home schools her children, I do wonder how she does it.